Middle School
Our middle school program offers a rigorous, college preparatory curriculum that emphasizes Christian worldview, digital citizenship and technology, and academic rigor. On any given day in the middle school, our teachers focus on developing cognitive reasoning skills, social skills, and growth mindsets through inquiry, experimentation, and service. The middle school program encourages students to become independent learners, responsible students, and thoughtful members of society.
In addition to our well-rounded curriculum, the middle school program continues to develop the whole child through special area classes, extra-curricular activities, athletics, the arts, and weekly chapel. Each of these areas are supported by a nurturing faculty that has decades of cumulative teaching experience.
DOWNTOWN CAMPUS
24 WATER STREET
Middle School Academics
The Middle School of First Baptist School (7-8), located in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, emphasizes a Christian worldview and academic rigor.
Seventh and eighth grades are a time of preparation and transition at First Baptist School, and our curriculum is designed to foster student growth and independence. During this time, students begin to assume a greater responsibility for self and school work. Our school facilitates this growth in two ways: through classroom instruction and spiritual formation.
Our instructional curriculum focuses on developing each student’s mind by introducing higher-level maths, fostering independent thinking, focusing on formal research and writing practices, and developing critical thinking skills. Our one-to-one ChromeBook initiative ensures that students learn these skills in conjunction with instruction in digital citizenship. Core classes are further supplemented with classes in Spanish, art, physical education, music, and more, providing students with a robust, liberal arts education.
The school’s location also enables our faculty to enrich student learning through unique, hand-ons experiences in the downtown area. History students might stroll through the downtown area while learning about the pirates of South Carolina while English classes may walk to the Dock Street Theatre to view dramatized versions of classic literature. As students explore the area, they develop a first-hand knowledge of the rich history and culture of Charleston and the state of South Carolina.
At First Baptist School, we also believe it is essential to cultivate each student’s spiritual well-being. Students are enrolled in a year-long Bible class which equips them with a foundational knowledge of Biblical truths. Students also attend a weekly chapel service that is designed to promote Christian worldview and enrich students’ spiritual lives.
Middle School Programs
Cyber Patriot
The Cyber Patriot team is part of the national Air Force Association's (AFA) Cyber Patriot program. The team meets weekly to learn basic cyber security principles, including password protection and authentication, encryption, and malware and digital safety. The team uses both linux and windows images provided by the AFA to perform updates. Corporate sponsors of AFA also give the Cyber Patriot team the opportunity to learn a variety of softwares, providing students with the unique opportunity to broaden their knowledge base. Finally, the team also competes in regional and state competitions, applying the skills they’ve learned during weekly practice.
Quiz Bowl
Quiz Bowl members hone their knowledge about literature, current events, history, science, fine arts, and pop culture and work as a team to answer timed questions about each subject. Each year, the Quiz Bowl team participates in regional matches against other SCISA schools.
Student Council
Each student council member is elected by the student body, and the student council consists of a president and vice president team, a public relations director, and a safety director. Upon election, student council members listen to the concerns of the student body, serve as a liaison between students and administration, assist in improving the school, and work to serve the school and surrounding community. Student council members also develop and organize service projects throughout the year.
Math Team
All middle school students are invited to apply to the math team, and students who are selected to join the team will develop test taking strategies, the ability to solve problems quickly and accurately, and will reinforce their knowledge of general math skills, ranging from order of operations to the Pythagorean Theorem. The team competes in the SCISA annual Middle School Math Meet, which includes approximately 50 teams from around the state.
High School Credit
In an effort to provide students with an accelerated curriculum, First Baptist School offers middle school students the opportunity to earn high school credit. Students may take Spanish I, Computer Science , Physical Education, Algebra I, and Physical Science while in middle school. Upon completing these courses and earning a passing grade, students will earn high school credit. In turn, this credit enables students greater flexibility while scheduling high school classes and allows students to pursue upper-level courses earlier in their high school careers.
For questions about high school credit offerings, please contact Shannon Roy at roys@fbschool.org.