Upper School
Lessons for students in Grades 4-8 extend far beyond the walls of the classroom – they reach literally around the world. With small class sizes, faculty members are able to individualize their instruction for each student.
Fourth Grade
The fourth grade at PBDA marks an important transition, both academically and developmentally, from elementary school to middle school. To help students better acclimate to new surroundings and expectations, the fourth grade classrooms are situated adjacent to one another in the close-knit “Fourth Grade Pod,” a similar set-up to the “Third Grade Pod” in the Lower School.
Fifth Grade
In addition to strong academics, the fifth grade program focuses on three areas most important to the transition from elementary to middle school: study skills, organization, and presentation skills.
Sixth Grade
In their first year of middle school, sixth-grade students are introduced to more complex and independent learning. As students in Grades 6-8 work with a greater number of teachers across disciplines and develop strong academic relationships with their teachers, there is a call for greater independence and organizational skills. As such, all sixth-grade students enroll in Study Skills, a course designed to sharpen executive functioning skills, note-taking, and preparation for assessments.
Seventh Grade
Students in the seventh grade begin to work on their secondary school resume and are given the opportunity to take several courses for high school credit, including Algebra I and World Language.
Eighth Grade
As the oldest of the student body, students in the eighth grade take on leadership roles of all sizes in their final year at PBDA. The eighth-grade program prepares students for their next academic career through our Secondary School Process and offers various experiential learning opportunities to encourage growth academically, socially, and emotionally.
