MIDDLE SCHOOL
You Belong Here
Grades: 6-8 Students: 150 Building: B
Schedule: 8:30am - 3:10pm (12:30pm dismissal on Fridays)
Nanaimo Christian Middle School is different.
We’re always moving, laughing, and learning in new ways. We celebrate progress over perfection and skills over content, because we love that each student is unique. We help kids discover who they are and who they’re called to be. Middle school is a community. We live together, learn together, and grow together. We belong here.
At Nanaimo Christian School we realize that adolescence is a unique time in life and, as such, deserves a unique program. Our middle school teachers don’t just want to teach, they specifically want to teach middle school. Our program is based on the philosophy that education for young adolescents must be: developmentally responsive, challenging, empowering and equitable.
Middle school documents & links
Program highlights
BYOD technology integration
NCS middle school students are part of a Bring Your Own Device program (BYOD). NCS is a Google Apps for Education Environment, which means that a personal Chromebook or laptop is required for all studies. Integrating technology allows teachers to provide more relevant and engaging learning experiences.
Middle school rotations
Students get a taste of high school by traveling with their middle school rotation group to a variety of classes, including PE, French, Library, Outdoor Ed, Visual Art, and ADST. For these rotations students are divided into cross-graded (grades 6-8) groups.
Exploratories electives
Students sign up for their choice of “Exploratories” electives courses, which run once per week for approximately 5-6 weeks. Exploratories give students the chance to try new things and explore their interests including: languages, crafts, sports, and more. New exploratories are added based on student interests.
Leadership & service
One advantage of being part of a K-12 campus is the ability to lead and be led by others. We teach students conflict resolution, leadership styles, and more in order to equip them to lead others. All students are expected to step out in leadership through service to others in the school community. Opportunities include:
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Big Buddies
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MS Ambassadors
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Worship band
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Groundskeeping
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PE leadership
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Special events crews
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MS marketing
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Lunch clubs
Middle school ambassadors
These ambassadors are a group of grade 8 students who have applied and been trained for a specialized leadership role. They work as student-leaders among the middle school students with the goal of helping to facilitate community, as well as helping with leadership events. Grade 7 students interested in this role need to go through an application process before the beginning of grade 8.
Specialist
Students in middle school take part in a specialized learning project where they focus on an area of interest throughout grades 6-8. Each student is taught to learn about something in depth, rather than simply settling for breadth of knowledge. Student projects culminate at the end of each year with an oral presentation to the middle school community.
Campouts
Twice a year, the entire middle school embarks on a camping adventure. In September, our middle school campout builds community by immersing the students in common, team-building experiences. At the end of the year, a second campout is often combined with a band trip where students are able to share their musical talents with other students on Vancouver Island.
Character awards
At the year-end assembly we recognize academics, athletics, service and leadership -- big things that we strive for in our students. There is always a student or two who exemplify other characteristics that are also incredibly important in our school culture … and worthy of a new award. Here are some: The “True Grit” award, “Joy to Teach” award, and the “Most Improved” award.
Clubs & activities
During lunch and after school, students can connect with others who share common interests through various clubs & activities:
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Prayer Club
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Homework Club
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Student interest clubs (chess, Lego, dance)
Smartsheet assignment tracking
We use Smartsheet software to hold middle school students to a higher standard and track their work across classes. In the first week of school parents will receive their child's student number and a link to their Smartsheet. Take note of the 3 types of symbols:
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Green Check Mark -- Work is complete and meets criteria
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Orange Exclamation Point -- Work has been handed in, but needs to be resubmitted based on feedback from the teacher (considered incomplete)
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Red Cross -- Work has not been submitted (incomplete)
Students with any incomplete assignments will be highlighted yellow, and students with 2 or more incomplete assignments will be highlighted green. When students fall behind, they will be required to attend a lunch Homework Club session to receive one-on-one support.
Middle school podcast
In 2020 during a sudden world pandemic, two NCS middle school teachers decided to create something that would bring joy to their students, their families, and the community. The “In the Middle Of” podcast is the result. It was designed to give you something to talk about around the dinner table (that’s not COVID-19) and to keep us all connected. We hope you’ll laugh with us (and maybe at us) as we try something new and enjoy each other through stories.
