Middle School
Enter into a new world of challenging academic instruction at GISNY's middle school.
Middle School is a time of remarkable growth at GISNY, when language immersion, cultural exposure, and rigorous yet innovative academics inspire students in grades 5-9 to become inquisitive, open-minded, independent thinkers.
As students acclimate to a robust internationally-oriented curriculum of languages, sciences, mathematics, and the arts, they begin to deepen their connections within the community and unlock their personal potential. GISNY Middle School graduates are well prepared for success in our Upper School and beyond.
Explore our Middle School
The German 'Gymnasium' School System
GISNY follows the core curriculum of the German International Abitur (DIA). In the German school system, grades 5 and 6 are considered an orientation level, and grades 7-9 are middle level. At GISNY, we combine these grades into Middle School. Grades 10-12 comprise Upper School.
Learning Tracks
There are three learning tracks available to students in the German system: Gymnasium, Realschule, and Hauptschule. The majority of GISNY students fall into the rigorous Gymnasium track; however, a small percentage of students may be placed in Realschule or Hauptschule to better fit their interests and academic abilities. Contact our Admissions Team to learn more.
Electives
Students in grades 8 and 9 have the opportunity to select from two engaging electives based on their interests: the Junior Engineer Academy (JIA) and Express Yourself. In JIA, students deepen their knowledge of technology, science, and innovation. Express Yourself, a bilingual course divided into two segments, allows students to spend one semester each on "Creative Expression" and participating in "Jugend debattiert Nordamerika,".
Differentiated Instruction
GISNY strongly promotes individualized and independent learning, awareness of individual learning styles, and the use of a variety of assessment types to document student achievement.
Our highly qualified faculty from the U.S., Germany, Switzerland, and Austria – 95% of whom hold an advanced degree are dedicated to guiding our students on their educational journey.