Our Mission
Beginning at the preschool level, our commitment is to educate the total student and to help young men and women achieve full potential in all realms of life.
Our middle school students (6-8) build on the important principles that were established in K-5, having the chance to further their education with an experienced team of middle school teachers. With faculty who specialize in their subject areas, students receive in-depth instruction, as well as the opportunity to choose from a variety of elective classes to complement their interests or learn something new. BLS middle school students learn to balance academic demands as they participate in various extracurricular school activities.
Being able to interact with all middle school students (6th, 7th, and 8th graders) continues to allow for increasing social development and Christian maturity. Bethlehem’s middle schoolers become the leaders of our school, and their example demonstrates to the rest of the student body just what it means to “love on” through serving others. These faith-filled disciples of Christ live out their faith! A special component for seventh and eighth graders is Confirmation instruction during Religion class with members of our pastoral staff as they move toward confirming their faith in the spring of their eighth grade year through the rite of Confirmation.
Learning Development
English/Language Arts Skills
Bethlehem’s middle school students receive instruction in English/Language Arts (ELA) classes that allows them to further their grammar skills and usage and take their writing to the next level for a variety of purposes (Shurley English), expand their vocabulary and spelling knowledge, and deepen their ability to read, comprehend, and respond to literature (often with cross-curricular chapter books).
S.T.E.M. = Science - Technology - Engineering - Mathematics
With a real-world problem-solving perspective, STEM students in middle school work together to identify, brainstorm, plan, and carry-out solutions through incorporating science, technology, engineering, and mathematical knowledge. Bethlehem’s STEM Team, The Bethlehem Botcats, competes annually at the BEST Robotics Competition. And though they are often some of the youngest participants, our Botcats have historically placed above numerous local high school teams in this prestigious competition!And of course, students still receive instruction through rich science and math instruction - including advanced placement up to Algebra, as well as elective classes that include technology (gaming, keyboarding, computer), music & drama, foreign language, art, creative writing, P.E., S.T.E.M., and Financial Peace University. Selecting their electives each quarter encourages students to ask themselves questions about the instruction they receive and knowledge they acquire in a variety of different content areas during their middle school years.
Faith Formation
Receiving religion class instruction from teachers who have additional training/degrees in religion - including members of our pastoral staff - middle school students at Bethlehem continue to delve into the Bible. Continuing with memorization of Scripture and the catechism, BLS middle schoolers learn how God desires for them to follow Him through word and deed. Striving to apply this knowledge to their daily lives, middle schoolers serve others - both internally at school and outside our school’s walls - as an important part of these growing up years. Additionally, students in the Seventh and Eighth Grades receive instruction in Luther’s Small Catechism as they prepare to confirm their faith through the rite of Confirmation in the spring of their Eighth Grade year.Healthy Social-Emotional Interactions
God designed us to be in relationship with others, so it is a blessing that our teachers can help our students learn how to “do life” well by walking alongside them as they learn and grow each day. Building upon previous instruction in social-emotional learning, Pre-K through Eighth Grade students are empowered through the Biblically-based Friendzy social emotional character development curricular materials to learn how to develop and navigate healthy relationships. Through developmentally-appropriate instruction, rich content is delivered in a variety of ways: utilizing catchy catchphrases for each unit, hands-on activities, relevant videos, and group discussions. As Friendzy says, “When kids learn friendship, they learn it for life!”With an experienced team who specialize in their subject areas, our caring middle school instructors also highly value developing the whole child through cultivating relationships with each of their students during these pivotal pre-teen and early teenage years. As a close-knit group, sixth, seventh, and eighth graders interact on a daily basis with one another, deepening the relationships many of them have had since their early years as a Bethlehem Bobcat!
Learn More About Our Grades
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