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Seven Hills School Announces Election of Will Murphy to AMLE Board of Trustees
Seven Hills School is proud to announce that Assistant Head of School for Program, Will Murphy, has been elected to serve on the the Board of Trustees of the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) — the leading professional organization dedicated to advocating for middle-level educators and advancing the practice of middle grades education. …
Inside the Classroom: Reading by Mr. Franzak
There’s only one activity that consistently gets near total buy-in from my students every week. It isn’t writing journal entries, though many of them enjoy the opportunity to show off their wit in front of their peers. Believe it or not, it isn’t our grammar lessons either. Each week, the only activity where the whole…
Inside the Classroom: Mock Trials & Project Based Learning in Civics by Mr. Stack
How you teach something can be just as important as what you teach. At Seven Hills, we recognize and prioritize this as a faculty and institution. Delivering the content in an engaging and meaningful way, keeping the middle school boy at the center, is what we strive to accomplish every school year. The approach towards…
Beyond the Classroom: Physical Activity
I haven’t always been very intentional about my physical health. When I worked at an all-boys school in Lima, Peru, I would occasionally play on the faculty soccer and basketball teams, join in on basketball practices, and play around at recess. But I didn’t have a consistent practice of staying active. When I returned to…
Beyond the Classroom: Friendships
I recently heard Dr. Lisa Damour (author of The Emotional Lives of Teenagers) on Adam Grant’s podcast ReThinking and found a few occasions to share a clip of the episode with students as we’ve tried to navigate some tricky situations. “I will just go ahead and say I’m not a huge fan of friendship groups….
Beyond the Classroom: Dangers of Comparison
It is inevitable that at school comparisons between students will occur. Whether it’s selecting members for the basketball or soccer team, determining winners at the science fair, or deciding who presents in a group project, comparisons are an often accidental and all too common experience for our boys. However, these comparisons can significantly interfere…
Beyond the Classroom with Mr. Murphy: Why Goal Setting Matters
During the first days of January, families often reflect on the importance of setting resolutions and planning for the future. I don’t often give myself a New Year’s resolution, but I do look at important life markers to take stock in how things are going and make decisions about changes I’d like to make. At…
Beyond the Classroom with Mr. Murphy: Next Week at AMLE
Next week, I have the honor of representing Seven Hills School at the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) annual conference. This gathering is one of the biggest in our field, bringing together educators dedicated to understanding and supporting middle school students through this critical developmental stage. It’s an exciting opportunity to engage with colleagues…
Beyond the Classroom with Mr. Murphy: Cell Phones
Earlier this month, the Virginia Department of Education rolled out new guidelines on “cell phone-free education” following the governor’s executive order. It’s part of a bigger trend—schools across the country are starting to ban phones, recognizing how they distract students and disrupt classrooms. Even social media platforms like Instagram have started to adjust, adding new…
