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Middle School

Middle School is a time of remarkable growth and change, and at ASD, students are supported through this important stage of development. Guided by contemporary pedagogy, our program encourages students to explore their identities, pursue emerging interests, and grow into greater independence. The Middle School is a place where every student is valued and encouraged to grow with confidence and purpose.

Meet Michael McMillan

Middle School Principal

Michael McMillan brings more than 20 years of experience in public and international education to his role as Middle School Principal. He has taught and led in Canada and Kuwait, and prior to joining ASD, served as Secondary Principal in Vientiane, Laos.

Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education Degree from King’s College at the University of Western Ontario, as well as a Master’s Degree in International School Leadership from Charles Sturt University, Australia. He is passionate about creating a Middle School experience that offers life-worthy learning, balancing strong academics with opportunities in the arts, service learning, and athletics to support the growth of well-rounded, engaged students.

Academic Program

The Middle School is aligned with the ​​​​​Common Core State Standards and follows a standards-based grading approach. We are committed to supporting student success through a robust and well-rounded academic program that prepares learners for a confident transition to High School. Learning is further enriched through experiences at the Center for Design and Innovation for Public Purpose, where students engage in creative, design-focused courses that emphasize the design cycle as a pathway to meaningful, real-world impact. Academic rigor is thoughtfully balanced with opportunities for physical, artistic, musical, and linguistic growth, ensuring a well-rounded Middle School experience.

This balance is further supported through Pursuits​​​​​, a daily period that allows students to explore personal interests and receive targeted support. Technology and library learning are seamlessly integrated throughout the curriculum, strengthening research skills, inquiry, and digital literacy. Learning also extends beyond the classroom through the Week Without Walls trips, while signature Middle School experiences such as the Musical, Middle School Athletics, and the Ultimate House Competition bring the spirit of ASD to life and strengthen community connections. 

When students feel supported and challenged, they are able to discover who they are and who they can become. That sense of belonging is at the heart of our Middle School experience.

Middle School At A Glance 

484

Middle School Students

51

Nationalities

15

Global Experiential Trip Destinations

70+

MS Extracurricular Offerings

22

MS Athletics Teams

95%

MS Faculty With Higher Education Degrees

Middle School Course Catalog

ASD’s Middle School offers a well-rounded program designed to nurture academic growth, spark curiosity, and support personal exploration. Through a broad selection of core subjects and engaging electives, students develop foundational skills while discovering new interests and strengths.

Program Highlights

Pursuits

A dedicated time for students to explore interests, receive support, and shape their own learning experiences.

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Pursuits provides Middle School students with dedicated time to explore their passions and receive support or enrichment beyond the core curriculum. This faculty-guided 40-minute period takes place once a week and offers short, exploratory courses across a range of subject areas, allowing students to pursue personal interests in a supportive environment. The program also includes student-led Pursuits, empowering learners to design and facilitate their own experiences in collaboration with a teacher mentor—fostering agency, creativity, and a sense of ownership in learning.

Week Without Walls

An immersive learning experience where students apply classroom learning through travel, service, and real-world exploration.

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Week Without Walls (WWW) is an annual, experiential program that takes Middle School learning beyond the classroom through hands-on, service-oriented travel. Rooted in our curriculum, WWW allows students to apply their academic knowledge in real-world settings while building meaningful connections with communities, cultures, and one another.

Each experience is intentionally designed to support cultural awareness, personal growth, life skills, and service-learning. Whether hiking through natural landscapes, collaborating on local service projects, or navigating a new cultural context, students return with greater confidence, empathy, and a deeper understanding of the world around them.

MS Athletics

A structured sports program that develops athletes and builds Falcon pride.

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Girls playing volleyball

Athletics in the Middle School encourages students to stretch their abilities, grow as teammates, and embrace healthy competition. The program includes JF6, Junior Falcons, and Falcons Teams, which balances development with competition and fosters a strong sense of team identity and school spirit.

World Languages

A proficiency-based language experience that builds real-world communication skills and deepens cultural understanding.

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The Middle School World Language Program follows a proficiency-based model guided by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) framework. Our approach emphasizes real-world communication and cultural understanding, helping students grow as global citizens.

Through meaningful, authentic experiences - both linguistic and cultural - students develop the ability to express themselves and interact appropriately in cross-cultural contexts. Language learning also strengthens higher-level thinking skills and fosters connections across disciplines. By comparing languages and cultures, students gain a deeper appreciation of both the target language and their own.

MS Musical

A full-scale production where students build confidence, creativity, and collaboration through the art of performance.

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The Middle School Musical is an annual highlight that brings students together in a collaborative, full-scale theatrical production. Through engaging performances in productions such as Elf Jr., Shrek, and Matilda Jr., students develop confidence, creativity, and teamwork as they contribute both onstage and behind the scenes, bringing storytelling to life through music, movement, and theatrical design.

MS House Competitions

Four Houses, one community - where students connect, collaborate, and show their Falcon pride through shared challenges and experiences.

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Middle School students belong to one of four Houses, namely Barbary, Kestrel, Merlin, or Peregrine. The House Competitions foster community and belonging through cooperation, friendly competition, and shared experiences, while celebrating the Falcon Way by bringing our Core Values to life in engaging and spirited activities.

Visiting Authors

Where stories step off the page and inspire students to read, write, and imagine in new ways.

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Each year, the Visiting Authors Program inspires students across all divisions by welcoming internationally recognized authors and illustrators to campus. Through engaging talks, presentations, and interactive workshops, students gain insight into the creative process, strengthen the connection between reading and writing, and build confidence as thinkers and storytellers. These memorable experiences bring books to life, spark imagination, and nurture a lifelong love of literacy in learners of every age.

Design and Innovation

In the Center for Design and Innovation, students bring ideas to life through purposeful problem-solving.

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The Center for Design and Innovation for Public Purpose anchors design thinking and real-world problem-solving across the Middle School experience. Rooted in ASD’s strategic direction, the Framework for the Future, students build foundational skills through courses in two- and three-dimensional art, digital design, and maker technology, creating meaningful projects that spark creativity, innovation, and purposeful thinking.