m i d d l e s c h o o l

PERK

200 Seminary Street / pennSburg, pennSylvania 18073 / 215.679.9511 t / 215.679.5202 f College-preparatory / CoeduCational / boarding and day / gradeS 6 through 12

why perk?

PERK

One Of the ways tO grOw intO a really strOng individual is by being part

Of a really strOng COmmunity.

PERK

m i d d l e s c h o o l A T P e R K

AcAdemic Strength A greAter level of chAllenge, A Stronger SyStem of Support, An inStructionAl ApproAch thAt SpArkS A Spirit of inquiry: theSe Are the ingredientS of A Superb educAtion, the foundAtion for A rigorouS college prepArAtory experience in upper School.

perSonAl focuS With An AverAge clASS Size of juSt nine, teAcherS knoW eAch of

their StudentS Well And plAn inStruction to meet their individuAl StrengthS And

needS. the reSult iS An experience fAr more poWerful thAn one receiveS in

A lArger Setting.

richneSS of opportunity from the chAnce to complete geometry in grAde

eight to the opportunity to bAckpAck the AppAlAchiAn trAil; from An

outStAnding ArtS curriculum to A competitive AthleticS progrAm thAt

includeS every Student; from community Service to SWim pArtieS—thiS iS A

truly Well-rounded experience.

A SenSe of joy perk’S middle School celebrAteS the energy And potentiAl of All our StudentS At thiS exciting time in their liveS And their educAtionS. We Welcome them into A cloSe community thAt feelS like A fAmily.

In science classes at many middle schools, content is organized into units

or lessons. At Perk, it would be much more accurate to think in terms of

“investigations.” Students are presented with samples of three mysterious

metals and asked to test and identify them. Or to build model bridges, then

load them to the point of failure to identify their structural weaknesses.

Or to research the behaviors of a species of animal and then design a zoo

enclosure to suit its needs.

Across the Middle School curriculum, students face meaningful and deeply

engaging challenges, whether taking part in a Model U.N. session or holding

mock elections, making fictional films in English, meeting with Holocaust

survivors, or discovering the complexities of a new language—Latin, Spanish,

German, or Chinese.

In all our classes, students build a strong foundation in study skills and

time management, and focus on important fundamental content. They

also rise to meet remarkably high expectations and seize wonderful

opportunities as members of a learning community that recognizes all they

are capable of achieving.

ExpEriEncEexplOre, experiment,

real sCienCe in sCienCe Classes at perk, students engage in extensive lab wOrk, learning sOphistiCated skills Of analysis. as a middle sChOOl sCienCe teaCher puts it, “this is hands-On, inquiry-based sCienCe. Our textbOOk is really the lab manual. Our One real assignment is very simple: think like a sCientist.”

m i d d l e s c h o o l A T P e R K

“ at my Old sChOOl, Only a few kids made the team. at perk, everybOdy plays.”

middle SChool Student

“ students COme here beCause they want tO learn. the teaChers are here beCause they want

tO help yOu.” middle SChool Student

“ there is nO plaCe On earth

like perk. the reasOn is Our sense Of

COmmunity.” middle SChool teaCher

“the thing i lOve

abOut perkis the OppOrtunities— tO play spOrts, tO make friends, tO have mOre Challenges, and tO learn mOre.” middle SChool Student

“ as teaChers, we reaCh Out tO inClude Our students,

engage them, and enCOurage them tO take themselves

tO new plaCes.” middle SChool teaCher

“ i Can’t tell yOu hOw great the differenCe is between

perk and publiC sChOOl— hOw muCh better Our kids’ experienCe is here.” perk parent

m i d d l e s c h o o l A T P e R K

pOwerful COnneCtiOns eaCh year, grade seven students mark the fine arts festival with the unveiling Of a majOr CreatiOn—a wOrk Of installatiOn art—fOCusing in sOme way On themes Of sOCial Change at perk. the arts resOnate with meaning, COnneCting with studies in histOry and english, with students’ persOnal experienCes, and with the wide wOrld beyOnd Campus.

The Schumo Academic Center is bedecked in multicolored Buddhist prayer

flags, each inscribed with students’ original poetry. Below, paintings, drawings,

and walk-in sculptures fill the Potamkin and Harris Lobbies. On stage in the

theater, grade eight students present a spoken-word piece, a powerful

interpretation of the poetry of Maya Angelou.

The occasion is the Middle School’s Fine Arts Festival, an annual highlight.

A multimedia event bringing together band and chorus, visual arts, creative

writing, and more; this is also a community event, bringing together students,

faculty, and parents. One of the things that makes it most special is the fact

that every Middle School student takes part in some way—and some in

many ways.

During the Festival, it becomes clear just how creative Perk Middle School

students are and how deep and meaningful their experience of the arts can

be. At other points in the year, students venture out on museum visits and

welcome guest artists. They have been honored to read their own poetry on

the main stage at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. They host and meet

with nationally recognized authors of young adult literature like Newbery

Medal-winner Christopher Paul Curtis. In short, creative achievement is a

part of their daily life.

All Aroundthe arts

m i d d l e s c h o o l A T P e R K

perkiomen.org

200 Seminary Street / pennSburg, pennSylvania 18073 / 215.679.9511 t / 215.679.5202 f