About

Middle School

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      Middle School Opening Fall 2026

The JHCS Middle School opens Fall 2026

We are now accepting applications for grades 6-8 for the 2026-27 school year. Please click below to visit the JHCS Admissions page and begin an application.
Want to stay in touch? Fill out our Family Information Form to ensure that you're on the list to receive updates and Middle School newsletters.

Middle School Purpose and Promise

All middle school aged children deserve a safe and inclusive school that helps them become competent and confident individuals who feel a sense of agency, are proud of who they are, are optimistic about their future, feel connected to those around them, and are prepared to succeed in our ever-changing world.

Meet the Staff

Bill Waskowitz, Director of the Middle School, is responsible for ensuring an outstanding and developmentally-appropriate curriculum, fostering a positive student life culture, and managing divisional operations and faculty.

Bill invites community members and interested families to schedule a casual coffee chat to learn more about the vision and curriculum for the Middle School. Please follow the link below to schedule using his Calendly.

Brendan Barnard, Middle School Dean of Student Life, is responsible for overall student well-being and programming of extracurricular activities. Brendan will teach in the Middle School and is currently teaching History 10: Modern World History in the Upper School.

Middle School Curriculum and Programs

The academic curriculum is challenging and focuses on the development of higher-order critical thinking skills: students reason, apply, develop, and create meaning. Students will be enrolled in the following courses:

  • Humanities: an integrated course that combines English/ELA and Social Studies and empowers students to make connections and create meaning from challenging questions about the human experience.
  • Math: a differentiated, ability-based curriculum that provides the possibility for motivated students to take Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, and Geometry during their middle school years.
  • Science: a rigorous, vertically integrated, and challenging curriculum encompassing Life Science (6th Grade), Earth Science (7th Grade), and Physics and Chemistry (8th Grade).
  • Spanish: a high-level course that strives for communicative proficiency with the goal that every student achieves, at a minimum, mastery of the equivalent of a high school Spanish I course by the time they graduate from 8th grade.
  • Fine and Performing Arts: A program that fosters curiosity and creative expression through a challenging, skills-based curriculum that develops active and artistic thinking. Offerings will include courses such as Dance, Theater, Art, Instrumental or Choral Ensemble, STEAM/STEM.
For more details about each academic department and program, view our Curriculum Overview.
Another critical differentiator of the JHCS Middle School will be our focus on the following three curricular areas, which will supplement and support our challenging academic program:
  • Service Learning Curriculum: a curriculum that deepens academic understanding by connecting classroom learning to meaningful, real-world action throughout the Jackson community and beyond. Service Learning will empower students to apply their knowledge and skills as they address authentic community needs and cultivate habits of active, empathetic, and responsible citizenry.
  • Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum: a curriculum that empowers every student to navigate the complexities of adolescence by developing essential Social-Emotional Learning skills, including self-awareness, responsible decision-making, and relationship building.
  • Executive Functioning Curriculum: a curriculum that recognizes the inherent developmental needs of middle school students and assists them with such skills as organization, planning, and self-regulation to foster resilience, structure, and academic success.

Join our Mailing List

JHCS sends monthly updates on the Middle School—recent updates are linked below.

JHCS will be announcing some big Middle School news soon, and we want to make sure you're on the list to receive it! Please take a moment and fill out our Family Information Form, and we will add you to our mailing list.

EduTalks: Why Middle School Matters

In September, Bill hosted EduTalks, a free community series designed to inform, inspire, and spark discussion about the critical middle school years—and how schools and parents can work together to give students the strongest start.

Thank you to everyone who attended and engaged in these important conversations about "Why Middle School Matters." Please follow the links at right to view slides on the four topics covered. 
  • Can a Middle Schooler Think Critically? Curriculum Design that Matters
  • Social Emotional Learning in Middle School: Helping our Kids Grow into Resilient, Caring, and Confident Learners
  • Growing Up Online: Social Media & Middle Schoolers
  • The Adolescent Brain: How Middle Schools Can Support Growth, Learning, and Identity

Questions?

Contact:

To learn more about the middle school curriculum and logistics, please view our FAQ document:

Contact Us


USPS:
PO Box 6787
Jackson, WY 83002

Phone: (307) 733-5427

About Us

Founded in 2004, Jackson Hole Community School prepares students to succeed in college and life, through challenging academics and excellence in teaching, in a community founded on personal relationships, student initiative, and integrity.


JHCS is a 501(c)(3) organization, recognized by the Internal Revenue Service. Federal Tax ID Number/EIN: 83-0329536

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