Middle School Enrichment
Many traditional enrichment and extracurricular offerings are imbedded in the core curriculum, including problem solving; visual, performing and musical arts; technology; community service; and athletics. Three very popular programs take place outside of the school day due to the time commitment that is required by participants: Mock Trial, Student Government and the Middle School online literary magazine, The Voice.
Mock Trial
The Middle School Mock Trial Team, currently in its fourth year, offers a great opportunity for students to learn firsthand about trial law. The team members work on a hypothetical case, created by Civics First, a private, nonprofit association that promotes and conducts law-related education programs and projects in Connecticut’s public and private schools. Team members take on the roles of witnesses and lawyers as they prepare to compete against other Mock Trial teams in the state. In addition to having fun and making new friends, students who participate have the opportunity to gain insight into criminal/trial law practices, to think more abstractly and to fine-tune their dramatic and debate skills.
Student Government
This student-led group has a faculty advisor who facilitates discussions and decisions about social events, community celebrations and suggestions for improving the student experience. Many students choose to run for office to represent their grade level, while others decide to seek election to the board that oversees the community service program. Form 2 students may opt to put themselves on the ballot to lead the Student Government as president.
KOMUN (KO Model U.N. for the Middle School)
On Saturday, March 23, 2013 Kingswood Oxford School hosted KOMUN, the first-ever Model UN conference for middle school students in the Greater Hartford area.
Parliamentary procedures were taught at the conference itself. Each middle school represented an assigned country in various mock UN committees, such as the Security Council, the UN Environment Programme, the World Health Organization, and the UN Commission on Human Rights, where they discussed current issues and proposed solutions.
The Voice
The Voice is the Middle School’s online creative arts magazine and functions as an outlet for Middle School students’ literary and artistic talents. Members of the editorial board (all Middle School students with a faculty advisor) solicit and consider manuscripts, poetry and fiction, as well as artwork submitted by members of all three forms in the Middle School. They also design the online format for each issue and see it through to publication.
