Middle School Program Overview

HEaT Middle School offers four instructor-led enrichment sessions and a lunch period. Our class sizes are set at 18 and students are loosely grouped around grade-level. Students take all class offerings and courses change each semester. Below are sample course offerings.

Humanities -This semester, students will explore history and celebration as we highlight meaningful historical events, like The First Flight of the Wright Brothers and The Great Chicago Fire, alongside fun and quirky unofficial holidays, like National Waffle Day. As they learn, students will consider big questions like "What makes something worth remembering?" and "Who decides what we celebrate?" The semester will include projects where students design their own original holiday and then develop a campaign to make a holiday or cause “official," allowing students to apply what they’ve learned in creative ways. Because every day has a story... and maybe even a reason to celebrate!

Language Arts - Get ready for a class where opinions matter, conversations come to life, and debate feels more like a game than a performance. In this fun, laid-back middle school class, students will learn how to share their ideas clearly, back them up with strong reasons, and respectfully disagree—all through interactive games, group discussions, and real-life scenarios. Each week is designed to build confidence and help students think on their feet in a supportive, low-pressure environment. We’ll wrap up the semester with an exciting, student-led fairy tale trial (think: Is Goldilocks actually guilty?), where students work together to build arguments, question witnesses, and make their case. If your child enjoys sharing ideas, thinking creatively, or just wants to grow in confidence while having fun, this class is for them!

STEM - Could you survive a natural disaster, wilderness emergency, or extended power outage with only your knowledge, creativity, and a few basic supplies? In Survival Science, students will explore the science behind real-world survival through hands-on STEM challenges involving shelter design, water purification, weather, navigation, food preservation, engineering, and emergency problem-solving. Each week presents a new survival scenario requiring teamwork, critical thinking, and practical application as students discover how science and engineering can make the difference in a crisis.  As a culmination of the semester, students will work in teams to develop and present a complete survival response plan for a realistic emergency scenario, including a physical prototype and practical survival strategy. This course blends adventure, hands-on STEM learning, and real-world problem solving in a way students won’t soon forget. 

American Sign Language - Get ready for hands-on learning with a new language! This semester, students will begin the adventure of learning and using American Sign Language (ASL). Each week, they will be introduced to basic ASL concepts, grammar structures, and everyday vocabulary to build a foundation for simple conversation. Students will practice through interactive games, activities, and real-life conversation moments designed to improve retention and build confidence. To conclude the semester, students will showcase their skills by planning and performing a simple conversation skit for the class. From ABCs and 123s to "Good morning" and "How are you?", let’s get ready to talk with our hands!

Lunch and Recess- Students will need to bring a nut-free lunch each week, along with a water bottle. There will be a 35 minute lunch break for students to eat and socialize.