Middle School For Girls

More power to her.

Specifically, the freedom to explore and use her voice. To build confidence. To navigate the world with a growing sense of independence. 

Research shows that by age 10, girls are ready for Middle School — which is why fifth grade is part of the Middle School program at Agnes Irwin. To empower girls during these critical middle school years, we’ve developed an engaging and dynamic curriculum. Created collaborative classrooms. Built robust wellness and athletics programs. And brought leading academic, girl-centered research to our curriculum through our Center for the Advancement of Girls. Because in Middle School, she is spreading her wings, and continuing to soar.

Middle School Leadership Keys 

The Center for the Advancement of Girls partnered with Middle School faculty and staff to create the Leadership Keys Curriculum. This signature program for Agnes Irwin students focuses on the development of agency, confidence, empathy, and inclusivity as necessary attributes of successful leaders. Our girls engage in discussions and activities that aim to engrain the definitions, mindsets, and behaviours associated with the four keys. 

See how you can encourage leadership traits in your daughterLearn more about the Center for the Advancement of Girls

Learn to love making connections.

That’s the intent behind our interdisciplinary approach to learning, which allows students to connect themes and topics across subjects. We know girls learn best when they can engage with each other and connect academic concepts to real-world experiences — so in Middle School, each grade's curriculum is organized around core ideas and questions, giving girls the space to discover connections across disciplines and move them toward a broader understanding of skills and content.

Learn more about our Middle School curriculum

Design Thinking in our STEAM Studio

Critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills are on full display in our STEAM Studio, which provides an immersive space for girls to explore science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.

Middle schoolers use the STEAM Studio to create everything from interactive museum exhibits on fossils and antique family portraits depicting early 20th-century immigrants to “news broadcasts” on the green screen, 3D models of the Nile River, and coding projects for Spanish class or an independent study.

Learn more about Innovation at AIS

The Whole Girl

We complement our rigorous academic program with a strong emphasis on social and emotional intelligence – vital to middle school girls. Students learn about positive body image, nutrition, decision-making, anxiety, and responsible digital citizenship. And our girls are in motion, via team sports or P.E. class.

Did you know?

Courage To Be Me is a part of our life skills and character education program, designed to ease the transition to Middle School for fifth graders. In the once-per-cycle class, our girls develop their emotional and social intelligence, including empathy, in activity-based learning.

After School Options

Middle School students have several options at the end of the day.

Four O'Clock Study

Fifth, sixth, and seventh graders may participate in Four O'Clock Study — a proctored, quiet, free-of-charge study hall from 4 to 6 p.m. where girls can get a head start on their homework. Eighth grade students are granted the privilege of attending on-campus sporting events, or working/relaxing in the eighth grade lounge, Burch Lobby, or Alumnae Lobby. Students will have access to the Owl Cafe from 3:30 to 4 p.m. for a snack before study hall begins, and supervised study hall will run from 4 to 6 p.m. daily.

In order to properly staff our after-school care and ensure the safety and security of our students, we ask that you please sign up through CampBrain by selecting "Middle School Four O'Clock Study 2023-2024" and selecting the days your daughter will attend.

Team Sports

After school sports are available for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. Students may try out for Middle School sports teams, with the interscholastic games after school.

See our Team Sports page for a listing of sport offerings.