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Middle School

In Middle School, students can continue their Spanish studies or branch out to explore French or Japanese. Each language path offers a rich blend of communication and cultural discovery, led by passionate World Language faculty who bring energy, creativity, and real-world connections into the classroom.
Our curriculum emphasizes active communication and confidence-building across listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Through hands-on projects, group activities, and cultural experiences, students deepen their language skills while broadening their understanding of the world—and of one another.

Spanish
Middle School Spanish builds on the strong foundation laid in Lower School. Students continue refining their skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing through interactive and meaningful thematic units. In 6th grade, students delve into and reinforce the fundamentals of Spanish and begin constructing more complex sentences. By 7th and 8th grade, they’re engaging in increasingly immersive conversations and expressing their ideas with fluency and confidence.

Key Experiences:
  • Conversational practice that progresses from simple sentences to fluent dialogue
  • Cooperative learning through storytelling, projects, and group activities
  • Cultural experiences such as cooking, music, and holiday celebrations (Día de los Muertos, Navidad, and Cinco de Mayo)
  • Technology integration with online resources and language apps
  • Real-world application of grammar, phonics, and verb conjugations
  • Exploration of Spanish-speaking cultures through history, geography, and guest speakers

French (Scheduled to sunset after 2025-26 school year)
Our French program opens the door to the rhythms and richness of the French-speaking world through music, videos, short stories, art, and conversation. Students build confidence as they move from simple conversation to reading short novels and creating imaginative stories using high-frequency vocabulary.
 
The Bien dit! curriculum serves as a foundation, supplemented by teacher-created materials and digital tools. Thematic units help students develop core language skills while offering windows into the daily lives, customs, and traditions of French-speaking communities.

Because authentic communication starts with listening, most class time is spent hearing and speaking French in meaningful ways. Students develop fluency naturally by engaging with topics that capture their interest.

Japanese
Seven Hills proudly offers Japanese as a world language option, honoring our 25-year student exchange partnership. Middle School students begin their Japanese journey in an engaging 6th grade course—the first in a three-year sequence—where they build foundational skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening through games, music, projects, and cultural exploration.
Students learn hiragana, katakana, and introductory kanji while discovering cultural traditions that prepare them for the 8th grade exchange program. To deepen their experience, 8th graders also participate in after-school sessions led by honors Japanese students from Las Lomas High School—fostering friendships and enriching their understanding of the language and culture.
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975 North San Carlos Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598
The School admits students of any race, color, and national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national and ethnic origin, in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, tuition assistance programs, and athletic and other School-administered programs.