This school year in Middle School has been one of notable growth, celebratory achievement, and increased school spirit. Our student population grew to 248 students (from 203 students last year), and with continued strong interest in our educational program, including a current waitlist in Grade 8, we are preparing to expand to 96 students per grade level next year while still maintaining our high admissions standards. One of the highlights of this academic year was the launch of our Where Everyone Belongs (WEB) student leadership program, which proved to be a tremendous success in supporting Grade 6 students as they transitioned into their first year of Middle School. Through community-building activities and mentorship, our Grade 8 WEB student leaders helped create a welcoming and supportive environment for our newest students. Relationship-building remained a major focus throughout the year, highlighted by our Grade 6 Lock-In event, where nearly the entire grade spent the night together in the MS building, participating in games and activities that strengthened friendships and school connectedness.
Academically, Middle School continued to make meaningful progress in both curriculum development and student achievement. Our Science, Culinary Arts, and Computer Science departments engaged in thorough program review cycles to ensure our courses remain innovative, relevant, and aligned with best practices. Our Math, Visual Arts, and Performing Arts departments are also currently undergoing their program review cycles as part of our ongoing commitment to continuous improvement and program development. Teachers also continued their focus on designing and delivering differentiated unit plans to better support students across all learning levels, a goal we will continue to prioritize next year. Our Science Fair evolved into a broader and very successful Academic Fair, encouraging students to take a more interdisciplinary approach to their learning and projects. Highlighting one of many interdisciplinary connections in Middle School, our Creative Writing students collaborated with our Photography students to design an MS Arts magazine called ARTIFACT, which is currently being published and will be available soon. We also saw continued success in our Accelerated Math program, which reflects the high level of achievement and dedication demonstrated by over half of our student population. Students participated in a national Languages Olympiad in both Spanish and Mandarin classes, while our MS MUN program, MSC leadership initiatives, and Lunch Sports tournaments in beach volleyball, football, and basketball all contributed to a vibrant and engaging student experience. Additionally, many of our Grade 7 and 8 students participated in the Bangkok Middle School Honor Band Festival at ICS, showcasing the strength and growth of our music program. The return of the Black Bears as our sixth House team also helped strengthen school spirit and accommodate our growing student population.
Our performing arts and student recognition programs also flourished this year. Students showcased their talents through two Band and Choir concerts, a thrilling and intense MS Drama production, and an upcoming workshop and performance involving our students and two a cappella groups from Harvard University that will visit RIS in June. Each month, students who consistently embodied our Principles of a Phoenix were recognized through our Student of the Month initiative, reinforcing the values and character traits that our school seeks to instill in all of our learners. Our students also made strong use of Content Support time in our weekly schedule, seeking additional academic help from teachers while continuing to develop independence, responsibility, and agency in their learning. It was also no surprise to see that our faculty remained committed to professional growth by participating in training opportunities focused on Kagan engagement strategies, AI in Education, and Math and Science instruction aligned to AERO and Next Generation Science Standards. We were also proud to have two faculty members selected to present at the EARCOS Teachers’ Conference in March, and our MS and HS Principals were selected to present at the EARCOS Leadership Conference in October.
Looking ahead to next school year, we are excited about several important additions and improvements to our Middle School program. ETK costs will now be built directly into tuition, helping simplify access for families and increase awareness of program goals and curricular connections. While we are sad to see Ms. Melissa Kennedy leave her role as Middle School Counselor, we are excited to welcome Ms. Melinda DeChick, who brings extensive experience in middle school counseling and social-emotional support. To accommodate our growing enrollment, we have created six new faculty positions in Science, Social Studies, Japanese, Values, Thai Language, and Music. Furthermore, Japanese language courses will now be offered across all three grade levels, students will have access to five new elective choices, and we are launching a new Middle School Music department to further expand opportunities in the arts. We are also implementing an enhanced, research-driven Student Support structure designed to better meet the needs of our ELD and LS students within the classroom environment.
In addition, next year will bring several structural and instructional enhancements designed to better prepare students for the future. A new AI@RIS Handbook will guide both students and teachers on the ethical and effective use of artificial intelligence as a tool to enhance (rather than replace) the learning process. House Homes will transition into enrichment classes that will provide students with additional extension opportunities while still preserving dedicated time for Content Support. These changes reflect our continued commitment to creating a Middle School experience that is academically challenging, student-centered, innovative, and deeply connected to the needs of our growing school community. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue serving the RIS community as we use our growth-minded and students-first mindset to provide more authentic learning experiences for our learners.
