Middle School (Grades 7-8)

accelerated courses in math, world language, and dance, and opportunities for advanced work within English, Science, and History courses.

Through exploration course offerings, including visual arts, performing arts, and computer science, as well as a year-long human development course in the 7th grade, our middle school offers an exceptional experience beyond the core curriculum. The 8th grade expands on these offerings with semester-long electives focusing on a wide range of topics such as Storytelling Through Photography, Acting, Filmmaking, Television Production, Do You Wanna Build a Spaceship?, Steel Drumming, and more.

Campbell Hall experiential education trips connect students’ learning to the real world as they build independence, deepen relationships with their peers, and experience personal growth. The 7th grade trip to Washington, D.C. gives students a glimpse into how our government works while giving them firsthand experience with primary documents, monuments, and museums. The 8th grade trip to San Francisco allows students to explore a city with cultural significance and iconic sites.

Every middle school student has a study hall as one of their rotating block courses, which helps them organize their time and manage their workload efficiently. Students who elect to take an exploration class spend approximately half of their time in the exploration class and the other half in study hall.

Students understand and retain information best when they can connect it to their own lives. Hands-on learning enhances this connection by engaging them directly with the material. This 7th grade scientific method project achieves both by guiding students through designing experiments in topics that are of interest to them. This scaffolded approach builds essential skills and prepares students for success in future courses, including Biology in 9th grade.

Since 2002, Mock Trial has been a hallmark of the Campbell Hall 7th grade history curriculum. Each student takes on the role of an attorney, either prosecuting or defending Isaac Harris and Max Blanck, the owners of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. During this landmark court case, Harris and Blanck were tried for manslaughter, accused of having locked exit doors during working hours which prevented almost 150 people from escaping a deadly fire on March 25, 1911.

Each year, Campbell Hall’s middle school math team participates in the American Mathematics Competition (AMC), MathCounts Competition, and Continental Math League (CML). These friendly competitions are aimed at igniting student interest in mathematics, challenging them to solve complex math problems.

Community service is an integral part of a Campbell Hall education. Each year, 8th grade students participate in “Make A Difference Day,” a day of service and outreach. In the past, activities have included weeding non-native, invasive species of plants at Ballona Wetlands, packaging boxes of food at Children’s Hunger Fund for distribution to those experiencing food insecurity, helping out at MEND (Meet Each Need with Dignity) to sort donated clothing and food, and weeding the sustainable, eco-friendly Pasadena Community Garden utilized by local residents.