Middle School (6-8)

Each grade has different math sections so all students can find the pace that best pushes and challenges them. The goal in all classes is for students to build skills, confidence, and habits to enable success in high school math no matter the level.

Middle School students start off each day in their physical education class, waking up their minds and bodies to prepare them for the day ahead. In addition to covering everything from swimming to dance, students practice for their after-school sports teams in P.E.

Spanish classes at Catalina are fully immersive and include plenty of opportunities to engage with native speakers. Spanish is offered in two separate sections, so if some students are ready to move through lessons at a faster pace, they can.

Our IEB Program (Imagine. Explore. Become.)

Field trips are a fact of life at Catalina, and Middle School students take part in week-long overnight experiences that deepen their learning, strengthen class bonds, and build essential life skills. Whether ziplining through redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains, hiking through Yosemite National Park, or seeing government in action in Washington, D.C., students come away from the experience with a better appreciation for the world—and people—around them.

Each Middle School student is assigned a faculty member to serve as an advisor throughout the school year. Advisors are extraordinarily tuned in to students and go above and beyond to provide support. Students meet with their advisors three times a week to keep schoolwork on track, share concerns, or just talk.

Our Structured Learning Program provides additional support and guidance to students with diagnosed mild learning disabilities. Our trained learning specialist uses multi-sensory methods to help these students in one-on-one and small group settings.

Clubs and organizations, as well as our Student Senate, offer countless opportunities for stepping into leadership roles. Even parent/teacher conferences are an opportunity for students to find their voice as they facilitate these very important conversations. In Grade 8, students become leaders in a big way as part of Compass, our character education program, when each of them takes charge of a small, mixed-grade group of peers. The eighth graders prepare for their roles as leaders in a weekly class, then put what they learn into action during all-school activities such as pep rallies and service projects.