The Thunder Bolt

Middle school exploratory courses and Student Led conferences are part of Concordia’s commitment to student growth and learning. Middle school Principal Stephen Ly summed up the importance of student led conferences as “reflection, realization and relationships.”

“In a student’s learning journey, the relationship between the students and the parents is key, and for the student to be able to understand and articulate what they're doing well is very important,” said Mr. Ly.

Students spend three weeks prior to their conference reflecting with their faculty advisor on what they’re doing well. 

“I like how Student Led Conferences give an opportunity for the student, their parents and their teacher to discuss how they're doing in school, from the perspective of the student,” said Panda (G8).

Concordia also encourages middle school students to discover new ideas, possibilities, and relationships through a range of 32 electives, called “exploratory” courses. Students can choose two exploratory courses per semester, which meet every four days, including everything from cooking, music and team sports to introductions to photography, Japanese language and psychology.

“I’m doing Maker Space Technology as an exploratory course. I really like it because we have time to work on whatever passion project we like. There is a lot of creative freedom, and the school has many tools we can use, like a 3D printer,” said Luna (G8).

“I’m doing Typography and it’s really cool, because there is always an artistic side to it. We’re doing relief, building layers and creating 3D lettering, and it’s really relaxing,” said Panda (G8).

“I’m learning about the environment and it helps people learn how to live more sustainably,” said Max, G7, who’s taking Environmental Sustainability. 

“Music brings people together and we have fun rehearsing and performing,” said Sammy (G7), who takes Ensemble and Choir as exploratory courses.

Learn how Concordia’s middle school program can bring out the best in your student.