Once a 7-day cycle, students find a “home base” in an Advisory group of approximately 10 students overseen by a designated advisor who is a faculty member at their grade level.  This designated time creates space for students to build deep and meaningful connections with peers in their advisory group and with their advisor. 

Everything at Peck is grounded in values. Our Individual Development Community Responsibility (InDeCore) character education program focuses on developing courage, gratitude, care, respect and resilience in our students. Through age-appropriate, affirming, and empowering lessons, students are given skills to better connect with others and their own experiences, as we build appreciation for the dignity and gifts of each individual. The lessons from our Building Belonging curriculum teach skills necessary to better connect with others, as well as with one’s own experiences.

Even middle schoolers need recess. That's why at Peck, all middle schoolers still have recess daily. Additionally, we believe in the benefits that mindful movement can have on learning. That's why our schedule includes transitions between each class to allow kids time to stretch their legs, move across campus, and chat with their friends. Our schedule also features 40 minutes of dedicated community time each 7-day cycle.

At Peck, your child will embark on a journey of self-discovery guided by our expert Director of Secondary School Counseling. Together we will identify a local high school or boarding school that gives your child a sense of belonging, compliments who they are, and facilitates their aspirations. Beginning in seventh grade, we assist families through the secondary school application process.

Learn More About the Secondary School Counseling Process 

Leadership skills are developed and honed through thoughtful risk-taking, self-reflection, and collaboration. In the Upper School, students begin to take on increasingly robust leadership roles with their peers, from leading assemblies to Student Council to serving as a Kindergarten Helper. 

Learn More About Leadership Opportunities

At each grade level, one essential question guides and frames the learning to assist students in engaging with content, not just memorizing it. Though these questions are typically used to guide conversation in Humanities classes, they have broad application across disciplines. Questions range from "What makes a civilization" in fifth grade to “How does one make a difference in the community?” in eighth grade.

In any given subject, there is an infinite amount of content that can be learned. What’s nice about essential questions is that it gives students a handle to hold onto. For example, if we are studying the Civil Rights Movement, and our essential question is, ‘How do people face challenges?’ then we can learn about and look at the movement through that particular lens. They can better empathize with the subject matter and delve as much into the depth of the content as the breadth. 

Chelsey Carr, Director of Curriculum & Faculty Development