Middle School Happenings

Manchester-Essex Regional Middle School (March 2025)

STEAM Showcase

Our 3rd annual STEAM Showcase was a big success! Each year it gets bigger and better. Here are some sneak peak photos. Stay tuned for more!

Sixth graders show off a variety of projects from their year in science, including mousetrap cars, catapults to demonstrate Newton’s second law, environmental chemistry projects, and the Mill Pond Slideshow presented at the Saltmarsh Science Conference.

Seventh grade students' percents project store flyers and related calculations were on display!

Did you know that Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, and Steve Jobs had dyslexia? Middle school students in our IRWL program worked together to create a STEAM Showcase presentation entitled "The Brilliant Dyslexic Brain" showcasing great thinkers, problem solvers, and entrepreneurs with dyslexia.

Thank you Spaulding!

Thanks to a grant from The Spaulding Education Fund, middle school students participated in actors-in-residence workshops run by professional actors from Shakespeare & Company. Shakespeare & Company is a theatre company in Lenox, Massachusetts that performs William Shakespeare’s works.

In addition to the whole-school workshops, seventh grade students (as part of their English Take a Stand unit) had the incredible opportunity to visit the North Shore Music Theater to see Shakespeare & Company’s performance of Macbeth. After the show, students and staff engaged in a lively, impromptu Q&A with the actors, asking insightful questions about the play and the acting profession. It was an unforgettable experience that allowed students to connect with Shakespeare’s work and the magic of live theater.

Many thanks to grant writer, Mrs. Plante, and the Spaulding Education Fund for making these learning experiences possible for our students!

For more details on Shakespeare & Company, please visit the link below.

https://shakespeare.org/

Pen Pals in France

Students in eighth grade French class recently re-connected with their pen pals from Cluny, France. This time, instead of whole class to whole class, students paired up and had meaningful one-to-one conversations. Thank you, Mrs. Vosseler, for making this French connection!

Music's in the Air

In our band classes, students have been working on a variety of songs while developing new skills by focusing on textures, rhythms, articulations, and dynamics. As our music becomes more challenging, please encourage your band students to bring home their instruments for some extra practice!

Thanks to the Manchester-by-the-Sea Cultural Council, middle school band students had an incredible opportunity to work with the Boston Saxophone Quartet in a special clinic. They gained valuable insights from professional musicians and enjoyed some fantastic performances!

Earlier this month the Middle School Jazz Band took the stage at the Evening of Jazz, delivering exciting performances that highlighted their hard work, musicianship, and even some improvisational skills. It was a fantastic night of music!

Chorus Students have been diving into songs from other countries this month. 6th grade has been working on German, 7th grade on Portuguese, and 8th grade on Swahili.

Drama students worked on stage combat while rehearsing their production of "Drop Dead Juliet" for the METG Middle School Dramafest. This will mark MERSD's first time participating at the middle school level!

We’re looking forward to our Spring Concert on Thursday, May 15th @ 6:00. Hope to see you there!

Grade 8 Genetics Unit

Eighth grade students have been learning the language of genetics, including Punnett square work. Enjoy these images of students and their test tube babies that they generated in the lab.

Math Updates

Grade 7 mathematicians focused on Geometry throughout March. Key topics included volume, surface area, and parallel lines and transversals. As the calendar flips to April, our mathematicians are investigating various types of problems that can be solved via proportion.

Middle School Math Team

The Middle School Math team looks to end its season on a high note at the final Meet of the season which will be held Thursday, April 3 at Masconomet Middle School. Thanks to all students for participating and best wishes to our 8th graders playing for the final time!

March Madness

March is a very long month for students and teachers alike. So, each year we celebrate the week of March Madness with spirit days and friendly, light-hearted competitions in the gym during the last block of that Friday afternoon. Enjoy the pictures below!

Congratulations to Antonia Vivanco, the winner of our March Madness t-shirt design competition! Also, we send big thanks to Mrs. Donnellan-Valade for the excellent photography!