ENGLISH lays the foundation for a lifelong love of reading and writing, as well as success in high school English. We foster depth, self-awareness, exploration, and experimentation in the writing process, and variety, relevance, and excitement in reading. Courses emphasize analysis, discussions, collaborative projects, creative writing, and skill building through challenging and joyful practice.

MATH: every student can succeed in mathematics. Our teachers make each course accessible and appropriately challenging. Our approach fosters student motivation and responsibility by emphasizing mathematical reasoning and real-world problems. We focus on classroom involvement, orderly thinking, and presentation of work.

SCIENCE: students develop scientific habits of mind and the skills to wonder, observe, predict, collect and analyze data, solve problems, and communicate results and ideas cogently. Students work together to solve problems and answer questions using design-thinking and scientific processes – and they rarely remain seated. Science classes make frequent use of Rock Creek Park and our nearby trails, as well as the dedicated Middle School lab and outdoor spaces around the school. We embrace the “maker movement,” providing students with a variety of materials for designing, building, and manipulating. 

WORLD LANGUAGE: courses enable students to develop listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in their chosen language. Our faculty develop a collaborative, risk-taking classroom culture that focuses on creative and flexible thinking. Our methods include skits, discussions, storytelling, reading, and games, along with videos, songs, art, news stories, podcasts, telenovelas, and authentic literary sources. We use the language outside the classroom through field trips to the Mexican Cultural Institute, French Embassy,  Maison Française, and National Gallery of Art, as well as through cooking classes, student clubs, and service learning.

Visual Arts: hands-on explorations with an array of media and techniques are the core of our program, paired with field trips to DC’s many museums and galleries. Students begin by learning the principles of 2-D and 3-D composition in 6th grade, and the creation of 2-dimensional space in 7th, before choosing among myriad electives in 8th grade – from ceramics to filmmaking.

Vocal & Instrumental Music offer options for emerging and experienced musicians to perform a variety of works while learning the fundamentals of music. Choruses and bands practice during class and perform throughout the year, including in assemblies and concerts.

Theater offers drama classes for all students during 6th and 7th grades, and students may choose to continue taking a Drama class during 8th grade. A Middle School play or musical takes place in the spring after school. Burke’s "no cut" policy ensures that everyone who wishes to act or work backstage has the opportunity to do so.

MS - HEALTH, VALUES & ETHICS

* 8th Grade main topics: (1) Stress and Sleep, (2) Tobacco and Drug Use, (3) Internet Safety, (4) Race and Racism

The primary goal is for every student to learn, contribute, and have fun, while feeling physically and emotionally safe. Our PE classes: refine motor skill; develop game strategies; foster student cooperation and teamwork. In our current schedule, MS students have PE every other day for 75 minutes.