Middle School (6-8)

at Portsmouth Christian Academy

Growing Into Personal and Academic Success

Middle school — a pivotal time in every child’s life that helps shape who they become. Between grades six and eight, your pre-teen will take on more challenging coursework to prepare for high school, try new activities and discover their unique passions, widen their social circle, and seek answers to life’s big questions. Without a doubt, it is an identity-forming season. As a parent, nothing matters more to you than ensuring your child is in the right environment.

Click the button below to find out all the ways PCA helps students and their families navigate the middle school years.

Middle School Doesn’t Have to be Hard

At PCA, middle schoolers are immersed in an engaging curriculum that inspires curiosity and propels their love for learning. In a highly relational environment, they build meaningful connections with teachers and peers, creating a sense of security.

Below, you’ll learn more about our learning environment and all that is available at the middle school level, including:

Check Out Our Middle School Viewbook!

Learn more about how we prepare our middle school students for high school through an intentional focus on executive skills like time-managment and multi-tasking, equipping students with the skills they need to succeed immediately in high school.

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A culture where students feel at home.

Pre-teens go through a great deal of growth and change in a short period of time, and they need an intentional environment that promotes physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. Here are some of the ways we set an intentional environment in the Middle School at PCA:

Middle school students start each day with an advisory homeroom experience, which provides a consistent place to prepare for the day, pray together, and grow as a community throughout grades 6-8.
Twice a month, students meet in small groups, which is another opportunity to build relationships, share openly with trusted mentors, and discuss character values such as honor and respect.
Small class sizes allow teachers to know their students and how they learn best so they can create a personalized learning experience. In middle school, class sizes range from 14 to 20 students.
Opportunities abound for students to put their faith into action, serving others in their school, the local community, and even overseas through mission trips.
Positive incentives motivate middle school students to be the best they can and encourage wise decision-making.

Words from a PCA Family:

PCA’s middle school program prepared our daughter for high school emotionally, academically, and spiritually. She was able to thrive in those formative years of early adolescence because of the intentional care of her teachers and the supportive learning environment that PCA consistently cultivates for children. The courses were challenging and engaging, especially in science, and our daughter had the opportunity to experiment with a rich variety of extracurriculars — from theatre, student council, and sports — to learning the ukulele in Music Exploration! Most of all, we were grateful for PCA’s emphasis on spiritual formation, and we saw our daughter really begin to deepen her faith and find like minded friends in middle school.

-Gina Henker, PCA parent

Academic Rigor

Our rigorous college-preparatory program builds strong foundations across the core subject areas and allows students to start thinking about their path in high school and college.

Meaningful Discussion

Middle schoolers are eager to collaborate with others, use their voice, and hear new perspectives. Our classrooms are discussion-rich, which creates a relational learning environment.

Biblical Integration

Truth is woven throughout a compelling curriculum, allowing middle schoolers to see how the Bible is relevant in every area of their lives. Weekly Chapel deepens students’ understanding of scripture.

Equipping them to thrive today and tomorrow.

We want your child to succeed, not only in middle school, but in high school, college, and life. Everything we do at PCA is designed to foster confidence, promote responsibility, and develop compassion — skills necessary to impact the world.

Meaningful Electives & Clubs
Middle school students can explore their God-given interests and talents in areas such as art, music, theater, yearbook, and STEM/robotics. Our Student Council program fosters leadership skills and inspires students to impact the world around them.
Competitive Athletics
Student-athletes not only develop their love for the game, they become leaders on and off the field. Athletic opportunities in middle school include cross country, soccer, volleyball, basketball, baseball, and softball.
Service Opportunities
Whether it’s a campus clean-up day or a trip to Costa Rica to share the word of God, students discover how they can use tangible skills to impact the lives of others. PCA middle school students are engaged in a variety of local ministry opportunities.
Mentorship
Middle schoolers flourish when they have a variety of positive role models in their lives. PCA teachers, coaches, and counselors invest in our students, mentoring them as they prepare for the next step. Middle school homeroom and small groups create opportunities for spiritual mentorship and help students explore how to apply biblical truth to their lives.
Self-Advocacy
Middle school is all about preparing students for less hand-holding from parents and greater autonomy in their education. Sixth graders receive their own school email address and are encouraged to communicate directly with their teachers. They also receive an agenda and learn to manage assignments while rotating to different classes throughout the day.

A Place Where Middle Schoolers Feel Safe, Welcomed, and Cared For

At PCA, safety (both physical and emotional) is our number one priority. We understand the middle schoolers need to feel a strong sense of belonging and security as they navigate this new season of growth.

An on-site security coordinator ensures our campus is as secure as possible. All exterior doors remain locked throughout the school day, and classroom doors are also kept in the locked position, allowing teachers to quickly secure their classroom if needed. PCA faculty and staff are all background checked and participate in regular emergency training sessions.

We recognize that safety goes beyond campus security and strive to make sure our middle school students feel known and cared for. Our SEL curriculum is CASEL certified, which means social and emotional learning is integrated into our lessons. Our middle school students participate in a Random Acts of Kindness program and discover how to promote a safe and healthy learning environment through respect, caring, inclusiveness, and courage.

See for Yourself

Schedule your tour of PCA’s middle school and explore all the reasons families choose to partner with us during these critical years.