The Middle School is an environment rich with opportunities for exploration, leadership, achievement, and self-discovery. Our program is accredited by SAIS-SACS, with a student-teacher ratio of 9:1 and some 160 students currently enrolled.

We have three to four sections in Grades 5-8, and each classroom has a homeroom teacher or advisor. School begins at 8:00 am, and students may arrive as early as 7:00 am. All Middle School students wear uniforms as part of our dress code. Students eat in the cafeteria every day, and may bring their own lunch or purchase lunch as needed. Students dismiss at 3:10 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and at 2:25 on Wednesday. After School Care is available from dismissal until 6:00 pm, and a variety of enrichment options are available for those who are interested.

Gradually, the Middle School program becomes completely departmentalized with students receiving instruction in English, history, science, mathematics (pre-algebra and algebra), foreign language (Latin or Spanish), physical education and the arts. Our English curriculum includes vocabulary development, spelling, grammar, creative and expository writing and literature. Students attend chapel services twice a week and an all-school Celebration Chapel every Friday. More details about our curriculum are available elsewhere on this site. Our athletics program offers football, volleyball, basketball, tennis, track, golf, baseball, softball, and swimming. Our arts program offers students the opportunity to express themselves in visual media and in performance. Student art work is regularly entered in local competitions, and our plays and musicals are well attended and have a high level of participation.

Middle School students in the fall are taken off-campus for a daylong retreat to build class unity and form close bonds between faculty and students. In addition, each spring, at the conclusion of the school year, each class goes on an extensive three to five day trip to an outdoor educational center (fifth), Chattanooga (sixth), Chicago (seventh), or the Nantahala and Ocoee Rivers of North Carolina (eighth).

Grace-St. Luke's encourages Middle School students to develop leadership skills through participation in the Honor Society, Student Council, Honor Council, or Thespian Society. The opportunity to hold such responsibilities helps adolescents develop independence, confidence, and self-esteem. They are also responsible for publishing a yearbook, a school newspaper, and a literary magazine.

Students in 8th grade have two additional leadership initiatives to complete as part of their graduating year: 8th grade Chapel Talks and 8th grade Internships. In the Chapel Talks program, every 8th grader must write an essay about their experience at GSL, which they deliver in front of the entire school at chapel. In the Internships program, 8th graders secure a three-day internship at a local business, and then prepare a written report and visual display to present in front of the entire school.

The Head of Middle School and the Director of Admissions help parents in high school placement. Our sought-after graduates attend the best public and independent secondary schools in Memphis, as well as boarding schools across the country.

Useful Documents:
Air & Space Day Permission Slip 2012