Middle School Signatures

Our responsive Middle School is tailored for transformation. And our signatures are a key part of the magic. They’re how we make our program developmentally responsive to your specific needs. How we stoke curiosity, foregrounding wellness and community, and bringing our core values of discovery, innovation, collaboration, and excellence to life.

STudent support

Advisory Program

You deserve to have someone in your corner—someone that has a 10,000 foot view of all things you. Our advisory program connects every student with a faculty advisor who serves as their trusted adult, mentor, and advocate. In addition to helping you to advocate for yourself, they’ll work closely with your parents, communicating feedback and offering personal and academic guidance. In advisory, you’ll also meet regularly with a group of your peers, participating in social opportunities and team-building activities that will help you find your important place within our community.

Community Days

Middle School Community Days are designed to empower you with the decision-making skills, healthy habits, and social and emotional skills required to become a confident, contributing member of your community. Every year you’ll explore a variety of themes, such as community, collaboration, and compassion and explore it with your peers and teachers through engaging guest presenters, informative videos, collaborative discussion groups, interactive role-playing opportunities, immersive games, reflective writing, and more.

Examine what it means to be a good digital citizen. Learn how to strike a healthy balance between academics and home life (and maybe even get your inner zen on in yoga or pilates). Consider the parameters of healthy relationships and productive, meaningful collaboration. And thoughtfully explore issues of community, inclusion, and equity. Through deep engagement with these topics and more, you’ll strengthen your relationships, expand self-awareness, gain insights into healthy ways to navigate our community and the larger world, and take personal responsibility for your actions and learning. In short: you’re going to rock Middle School and beyond.

Community Dining

Lunchtime is community-building time, and everyone has a seat and voice at the table. Every day you’ll enjoy a family-style lunch in rotating grade-level groups, building a strong foundation with friends and teachers that will be by your side all year long. Consider it part of how we grow your circle to make sure that everyone feels connected.

Finding your place

Grade-level Trips

A big part of Middle School is finding your place. Your identity and voice. Your confidence. That’s why every year, you’ll participate in a community-forging trip, with each grade level departing campus to embark on a new adventure together. Whether conquering a high ropes course in the North Carolina mountains or studying marine biology at the coast, these trips are an opportunity to make new friends. To build deeper connections with your teachers and advisors. To push yourself outside of your comfort zone. To learn and to grow.

Exploring interests

Student Clubs

We believe extracurriculars are important. They’re an important way to make friends, get to know your teachers, try out new interests, and delve deeper into your passions. That’s why we give you time during the school day to pursue interests that might not typically be addressed in class.

Our extensive club offerings are student-proposed and student-driven. And with 40+ to choose from, you’re sure to find one that speaks to you. Board games? Yep. Art? Pick your medium. Music or dance? Check. Math superstar or robotics tinkerer? Yes and yes. Underwater basket weaving? If you can find a faculty advisor and make a strong case for learning, maybe.

Team Concept

At CA, you don’t just have teachers. You have a team. A whole group of teachers in your corner dedicated to working together to deliver the best possible experience tailored to nurture your growth. Rather than working independently, your collaborative grade-level team will meet regularly to coordinate curriculum across disciplines and discuss your specific needs and progress. It’s one of the core ways we deliver a highly personalized and holistic experience, immersive interdisciplinary projects, and constant and consistent communication.

Seventh-grade Team: Back Row (Left to Right) – Kenny Northcutt (Band), Dagmar Fahr (World Language), Allison McCoppin (Science), Alicia Morris (World History), Lucy Dawson (Language Arts/World History) Front Row (Left to Right) – Tamara Friend (Science), Patrice Causey (Math), Ambrose Faturoti(Language Arts), Sara Mizelle (World Language)

Eight-grade Team: Back Row (Left to Right) – Emily Turner (Vocal Music), Andrew Chiaraviglio (Science), Meredith Stewart (Social Studies), Taylor Crompton (Social Studies), Dee Elmore (Digital Arts), Front Row (Left to Right) – Nuria Lopez-Tardon (World Language), Sam Goeuriot(World Language), Rachel Bringewatt (Science), Berneda Hayward (Language Arts), Soo Mee Kaas (Math)

Sixth-grade Team: Back Row: (Left to Right) – Lauren Bullock (Language Arts & Social Studies), Katie Taylor (Language Arts), Kalee Calhoun (Art) Middle Row: (Left to Right) – Timothy Carson (Social Studies), Danae Shipp (Science) Front Row: (Left to Right) – Davd Kaufmann (Math), Longzhi Hu(World Language), Alexa Velez(Dance), Eric Crepsac (Math)