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Find Your Voice

Middle School

GRADES 6–8

Rowland Hall’s Middle School is intentionally designed for a stage of life defined by change and possibility.

Our Middle School helps students in grades 6–8 deepen their thinking, find their voice, and take increasing ownership of their learning, all within a community that knows, supports, and challenges them.

Guided by experienced teachers who understand the complexities of early adolescence, your student will benefit from a thoughtful balance of structure and encouragement that fosters self-awareness and a genuine love of learning. The result is a dynamic experience that will challenge your student in meaningful ways and prepare them to thrive in high school.

View the middle school Course Catalog

Take an interactive virtual tour of our Middle School

J Dianne Brederson

J Dianne Brederson

Head of Middle School
School: 801-355-0272

Middle School at a Glance

Rowland Hall enriches the middle school years with opportunities that deepen learning and broaden students’ horizons. Through varied academic pathways and experiences that foster confidence and community, our program offers meaningful ways for students to explore who they are and how they learn best.

A Middle School student examines native plants during an outdoor field study.
A Middle School teacher leads a seminar-style discussion as students read and take notes around a table.
An Middle School student paints a colorful mural during a collaborative outdoor art project.
Middle School students work together on a knitting project during a hands-on club activity.
A Middle School student smiles while sitting on rocks beside a lake during an outdoor adventure.

6:1

student-to-teacher ratio

Our close-knit Middle School community allows every child to be well known and supported in the ways that best meet their needs.

49

elective classes

A wide range of elective classes, including arts, aviation, and robotics, gives students choice and builds ownership of their learning.

100%

club participation

Student-designed and -run clubs ensure everyone finds their place, whether they’re into dessert tasting or movie making.

10,000+

miles traveled each year

Class trips to places like Jackson, WY, and Washington, DC, as well as travel tied to specific areas of study, are a beloved part of the student experience.

Middle School students enjoy outdoor recess and games on campus at Rowland Hall.

The Rowland Hall Difference

 

A Middle School student smiles while working on a laptop in class.
A Middle School student reviews a worksheet while sitting at her desk.

A Leading Middle School Academic Program

Our Middle School academics are designed for the unique energy and complexity of early adolescence. With intentional instruction and a curriculum that balances foundational skills with opportunities for choice, we challenge students to begin to think independently while providing the structure and flexibility they need to grow as learners. Through a variety of core, elective, and extension classes that build essential knowledge and self-understanding, students learn to explore ideas and to reflect on and connect learning to the wider world, an essential component of a Rowland Hall education.

LEARN. THINK. DO.
OUR ACADEMICS IN ACTION

Exceptional Faculty

Middle School teachers at Rowland Hall understand what students at this age need: structure that allows room for exploration and self-expression, guidance that fosters independence, and a community where belonging and responsibility grow together. As experts in this age group, Middle School faculty combine impressive content knowledge with a deep understanding of how students thrive during this stage of life. Drawn to Rowland Hall’s thoughtful approach to education and strategic vision, they create a supportive, caring environment that motivates and challenges students while guiding them toward independence and a lasting love of learning.

Meet The Middle School Faculty

A Middle School teacher leads a class discussion while students sit at a table.
Two faculty members smile and hold coffee mugs while standing together in a school hallway.

Two Middle School students use tablets to program small robots during class.
Three Middle School students stand beside a robotics project they built in class.

Computer Science & Media Literacy

As part of Rowland Hall’s commitment to preparing students for an ever-changing world, computer science and media literacy are essential elements of the Middle School experience. Building on the groundwork laid in the Lower School’s TREC program, all sixth graders take Foundations courses in both computer science and media literacy, developing skills in coding, computational thinking, artificial intelligence, and digital citizenship while learning to confidently navigate a media landscape designed to capture their attention. A variety of electives allow for more exploration and creative application through seventh and eighth grades, further strengthening students’ ability to use technology thoughtfully and preparing them for advanced study in the Upper School.

Debate and Public Speaking

Middle School is where Rowland Hall students first discover the art of debate: thinking critically, communicating clearly, and listening actively. Sixth graders begin with Foundations of Debate, a required class that introduces public speaking, argumentation, and reflective listening. From there, interested students can pursue competitive debate, where they develop research and advocacy skills through formal competition that prepares them to join Rowland Hall’s nationally recognized Upper School debate team, should they choose to do so. Middle schoolers can also take the division’s popular Mock Trial and Model United Nations class, which further builds skills in argumentation, public speaking, critical thinking, and collaboration.

Middle School students enthusiastically participate in a classroom discussion, raising their hands to answer a question.
Middle School students and faculty stand outside the United Nations headquarters during an academic trip.

Middle School students jump excitedly in their classroom during a group activity.

Purposeful Advisory

Advisory at Rowland Hall is more than a check-in or study hall; it’s a deliberate part of the Middle School experience that helps students grow as learners and community members. Grounded in the understanding that early adolescence is a pivotal time for identity formation and belonging, advisory weaves together social-emotional learning, positive identity development, academic guidance, and community engagement. Each student belongs to a small, grade-level advisory group that meets during a dedicated period and is led by a caring teacher-advisor. In this home base, students develop self-awareness, strengthen executive functioning, reflect on their experiences, and connect with the school community in meaningful ways.

Middle School students gather in front of the White House during an academic trip to Washington, D.C.

Class Trips

A hallmark of the Middle School experience, annual class trips extend learning beyond the classroom, strengthen student-teacher relationships, and connect classmates through shared discovery. Sixth graders kick off the year, and their Middle School journey, with Wasatch Adventure, a multi-day opportunity to paddle, raft, climb, and explore in and around the Wasatch Front. Each fall, seventh graders travel to the Teton Science Schools in Jackson, WY,  where they study and steward the natural world while learning more about themselves. And every spring, eighth graders cap off their Middle School years with a field study in Washington, DC, that deepens their understanding of the lessons and themes explored throughout the year.

Middle School students and faculty pose in front of a small airplane during an aviation field trip.

Aviation

Whether they’re designing a model aircraft, navigating a flight simulator, or piloting a real aircraft, middle schoolers can explore math, science, and engineering concepts in ways few students their age can. Our aviation program, the only one of its kind among Utah middle schools, gives these subjects new energy and relevance through authentic, hands-on experiences. Consistently one of the division’s most popular electives, aviation taps into students’ natural curiosity and sense of adventure, showing how powerful learning can be when it connects passion, purpose, and real-world application. Along the way, students strengthen focus, teamwork, and perseverance, developing the skills to tackle complex problems and see new possibilities for themselves.

The Middle School boys soccer team poses with a trophy after a championship win.

Inclusive Athletics

At Rowland Hall, Middle School athletics are competitive, fun, and open to all—every student can represent the Winged Lions and experience the camaraderie of team sports. Our inclusive program encourages students to challenge themselves and take pride in their growth. With opportunities to play basketball, soccer, and volleyball or to run cross country, athletes strengthen their skills and school spirit, and, for those interested, prepare to compete at the high school level. Students passionate about skiing can join the Rowmark Junior Program, which builds a strong foundation for future alpine race training and competition with Rowmark Ski Academy, or head to the mountain to enjoy recreational skiing with friends through our Winter Sports program.

Explore Athletics

Four Middle School girls hold soccer balls during practice on the athletic field.
A Middle School student performs on stage during a theater production.

 

A Robust Arts Program

The middle school years are an ideal time to discover the power and joy of creative expression. Rowland Hall students explore the arts through a program that balances technical skill with creative freedom, fostering an understanding that creativity is a powerful tool for expression, reflection, and connection. In visual arts, students build technique and artistic literacy through drawing, painting, ceramics, and mixed-media projects that emphasize craftsmanship and personal voice. Music students join ensembles, study instrumental technique, or compose digital tracks, deepening their sense of rhythm, harmony, and sound design. Theatre and dance electives spark storytelling and performance, inspiring confidence, empathy, and stage presence while cultivating discipline, imagination, and connection.

Explore Arts

Middle School students perform a high-energy dance number on stage under colorful lights.
Four Middle School students present their Mars colony project in the library.
The image consists of the word "N.THIN" in large, bold letters. The letters are in varying shades of green, with the "N" and "THIN" in a darker green and the "." and "I" in a lighter, lime-green color.

Eighth-Grade Mission to Mars

Learn. Think. Do. is a simple way to think about the life-changing learning at Rowland Hall.

For their Middle School capstone project, eighth graders take on a mission to design a sustainable human colony on Mars. Students begin by studying Martian geography, geology, and geophysics, along with the essentials of human survival and the cultural factors that shape thriving communities. They then apply this knowledge to determine where on the planet a colony could be built and how to create systems capable of supporting long-term life in an extreme environment. The project culminates with students presenting their vision to attendees acting as potential investors, complete with physical and cultural artifacts ranging from habitat models to creative expressions of daily life.

See More Examples of Learn. Think. Do.

Middle School Stories

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