There is a brick building next to John Wright dorm. Some pass it on their way to the gym, some pass it on their way to the dorm, and some see it but are not quite sure just what that building is. There is a lot that goes on in this building each day, in fact. It is the Middle School which is comprised of around thirty seventh graders and forty eighth graders.

Mrs. Jen Fulcher is the Head of the Middle School. Her favorite part of the job, she says, “is seeing the kids every day.” Her role is special because she has the privilege of watching the students grow in and out of the classroom. She continues, “That makes every day amazing.”

Mrs. Linda Kretchmar, Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Middle School, works in the office and plays a large role in the functioning of the Middle School. “I say good morning nearly a hundred times as students enter the building each morning,” she notes, smiling.

Mrs. Kretchmar says that between greeting tours, answering the phone, helping students, assisting faculty, greeting families, and making sure everyone has what they need to start the day, “My morning literally flies by.”

Aside from making sure the school runs smoothly, Mrs. Kretchmar teaches a Health and Wellness class to 8th graders. She loves teaching this class because, she notes, “It is always interesting and a great way to be connected with each student.”

Currently there are twenty six-year seniors in the Upper School who arrived to Williston in seventh grade. Dani Anastasovites ’16 is one of those students and has had the experience of “growing up at Williston,”she says. When asked about the Middle School , she replies, “It taught me to be open minded to new ideas.”

She continues, “The Williston Middle School teaches time management, which is essential in high school.”

Even more than that, Mrs. Kretchmar says that the Middle School “expresses the importance of being your best self and treating others the way we want to be treated ourselves.”

Nicole Foster ’20 is currently an 8th grader in the middle school. She loves how “welcoming and supportive the teachers are” she says. The Middle School is different from both elementary school and the high school and acts like a bridge between the two. Foster said the transition from elementary school to Williston was “difficult at first, but the teachers help us do the very best and be the very best. They make the transition easier.”

Seventh Grade is quite different from eight grade. Foster says, “In seventh grade, you are just warming up to the new environment.” She continues, “In eighth grade you come into the year confident and already knowing most of the teachers.” There is a sense of leadership that the eighth graders have because, as Foster states, “We are like the seniors of the Middle School.”

During the academic day, Middle School students attend their classes in that one building. They go to lunch each day and can be found in the separate room with many tables and chairs. Aside from leaving to walk to lunch, each trimester the students have either art, theater, or music. To attend these  classes, Middle Schooler students leave Whitaker Bement and go to Scott Hall for theater and The Reed Center for art and music class.

In seventh grade, there are no afternoon requirements; however, students do have gym class to expose them to the different sports that Williston has to offer. If they would like, they can participate in the athletic or arts programs, such as “Arts Intensive.”

The eighth graders have different requirements. They must participate in two out of the three seasons of an afternoon program which includes sports or any of the arts.

This year there are many new and exciting things happening in the Middle School. Mrs. Kretchmar said that something she is looking forward to is “the continued upgrading of technology.” She believes that it is imperative for the students to know how to work with all the different privileges available to us today regarding the technological advances.

While there is a lot going on in the Middle School year round, the spring is an exciting time for the students.

Both the seventh and eighth graders are fortunate to be able to go on the numerous field trips each year, but Foster said that something everyone looks forward to is the trip to Washington D.C in the spring. She says, “My friends and I are excited to go see all of the things we have been learning about in class, sleep in the hotel, and tour the city of D.C.”

The year concludes with the Middle School “field day” followed by the eighth grade graduation. Many who have graduated from the Middle School find themselves stopping by every once in a while to reminisce on their memories made in Whitaker Bement. Anastasovites says “the Middle School will always hold a special place in my heart.”

On behalf of the Middle School faculty, Mrs. Fulcher says, “we work hard to keep the love of learning alive in the kids.” So much happens in the Middle School and it is a place where students prosper.