During the nine-year span from Kindergarten through Grade 8, children deserve a purposeful, vigorous and joyful academic and co-curricular program. Milton Academy is structured to provide the most effective and progressive support for children over these elementary years. Children experience profound growth during this time. They gain intellectual and creative depth and range. Social aptitudes emerge along with new understandings. Each child develops confidence in his or her character and identity. We are attuned to the vastly different and intensely important developmental phases they experience. We are purposeful, over time, in tending to how each child experiences self-realization, skill development and social coherence.
Milton Academy’s Lower School (Grades K–5) and Middle School (6–8) are culturally distinct and appropriate to children’s ages in grades K through five, and grades six through eight. A Lower School principal and Middle School principal, together with other leaders who work with and guide both programs, empower a skilled and devoted faculty to cultivate a challenging learning environment, and an inclusive community spirit. Children thrive, benefitting from the continuum and cohesion of Milton Academy’s experience in Kindergarten through Grade 8:
- Teachers at all grade levels collaborate to think about a child’s experience, and pay particular attention to key developmental transitions. We carefully guide the academic and social transition from Lower School into Middle School.
- Faculty explore important educational topics together, such as curricular sequencing. Together, we encourage positive social behaviors. We enthusiastically nurture a diverse and inclusive culture. “Cross-pollination” among Milton’s faculty fosters innovation in teaching, and a sense of shared purpose.
- Leadership opportunities particularly engage our students in Grades 5 through 8. These older children guide their younger peers, even as they look ahead to the Upper School. Helping older elementary students serve as buddies and “big kids,” we capture the tremendous potential of young adolescents.
- Every day School life, punctuated by special events throughout the year, creates a dynamic network of families. Events like the “See You In September” Picnic, the Martin Luther King Assembly, and Grandfriends’ Day wrap children and their families into a warm, multicultural experience within the larger Milton Academy. Parents at Milton see the familiar faces and witness the long-term relationships that signal continuity and security—important components for growth.
Each student at Milton Academy is well known to numerous teachers, as he or she carves a path toward competence, confidence and character. With a Lower and Middle School foundation, which models the “whole child” experience, our students are well-prepared and eager for Milton Academy’s superb Upper School. We welcome you, and we are eager to share more about our programs and our School.
Students: Intellectual development in a nurturing environment
Children at Milton will tell you that their friends and classmates are “happy, prepared, diverse, open to new ideas, and excited about learning.” Class sizes are small. Skilled, caring faculty members create an environment that encourages children to take safe risks. We stimulate all kinds of intellectual exploration and creative approaches to challenging problems. School is an exciting place for the students in Milton’s Lower and Middle Schools; they don’t like to miss a day. Too much happens.
Faculty: Developing skills, fueling growth
The commitment of learned and experienced teachers is Milton’s great treasure. Working hand-in-hand with their colleagues from all parts of the School, Milton’s teachers are curriculum developers. They meet regularly to design classroom units that involve hands-on learning and an integrated approach. Milton’s faculty love learning. Year in and year out, they develop their personal and professional talents to bring new energy, ideas and skills to children. The adults at Milton care about every child. They make sure that each child takes opportunities, grows through challenges, and develops self-confidence.Arts: Expression requires reflection
Both in and out of the classroom, Milton’s culture celebrates creative expression—in music, painting, woodworking, writing, drawing and performing arts. Lower and Middle School programs often draw on Upper School resources. Students act in and provide technical support for several plays each year. They take lessons and perform in orchestral concerts. In art classrooms, their creations connect with what they’re exploring in literature or world cultures. The arts are alive at Milton. Growing in creativity, discovering new passions—that is part of School life, here.
Physical Education: Action that shapes attitude
Physical education is an essential aspect of learning and developing. From Kindergarten through Grade 8, students exercise daily, whether formally—ice skating on the campus rink in the winter or competing in field day events in the spring—or informally during recess using Milton’s vast outdoor space. Older students compete on interscholastic teams of their favorite sports throughout the year—soccer, lacrosse, tennis, basketball, baseball, softball, squash, football, ice hockey, track, wrestling and cross country. With their teammates and with skilled coaches, students learn and appreciate teamwork, persistence and dedication. They learn resilience: how to win and lose gracefully. They develop a healthy appreciation and respect for what their bodies can do.
Lower and Middle Schools in a K–12: Communities within a community
Milton’s Lower and Middle School students enjoy the best of both worlds: They learn and grow in developmentally appropriate groups. They spend their time in comfortable and manageable spaces. At the same time, boys and girls in our Lower and Middle Schools enjoy the resources of the larger K–12 community. Opportunities to gain from one another are frequent. Older and younger children join together in science experiments and dance performances. They share playing fields and the School’s observatory. Upper School reading buddies and homework helpers are in the Lower and Middle School classrooms. Familiarity with Milton’s Upper School helps Lower and Middle School students reach high and prepare for the next step. Before that, they gain confidence on their own turf; they become leaders themselves.
Location: Boston makes a difference
Milton’s fields and brick buildings are just ten miles from Boston’s great resources. The many options within minutes of campus mean that Boston’s educational and cultural assets are part of the Milton experience. Faculty are inventive and inquisitive. They link Boston scholars, artists, museums and places to learn with our boys and girls. As for the great outdoors, the Blue Hills Reservation beckons, just minutes from campus.
Respect for others: A safe place to grow
Students at Milton care for one another. They overtly support their classmates and schoolmates. They let one another know that it’s safe to try something new, and to try again. Deep in our School culture is the idea that each one of us brings something unique and valuable, and that together we create something bigger than the sum of the parts. We love the differences among us. In our classrooms and our hallways we nurture an interest in and knowledge of the world beyond our walls. Care, respect, sharing, and the importance of helping others are all lessons of the day.
Want to Learn More?
If you’d like more information about Milton Academy or if you have questions about admission to our School, please contact the Lower and Middle School Admission Office at 617-898-2509 or lsmsadmission@milton.edu.
Contact Us
Lower and Middle School Admission Office
Phone: 617-898-2509
lmsadmission@milton.edu
Lower school: miltonacademy_ls
Middle school: miltonacademy_ms
