Noncredit Courses

Introduction to Mindfulness. 1 meeting weekly. Required of all students in Class IV and new students in Class III. This twelve-week nonacademic credit course introduces students to the history, science, and practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness is often defined as “paying attention to our present moment experience with curiosity and acceptance” and is a skill that supports students in training their attention, as well as relating to thoughts, feelings, and emotions in a healthier way. While this course is required, the practice of mindfulness at Middlesex is always optional.

Digital Dialogues. Offered to all members of Class IV. This program will provide students with a fundamental understanding and literacy necessary to consider and discuss complex ethical issues related to computing and technology including artificial intelligence, algorithmic bias, software and product design, and cybersecurity. Students will meet to investigate and discuss these topics through a series of interactive activities.

Relationships and Communication. 1 meeting weekly. Required for all members of Class IV. This course will provide introductory information regarding human anatomy and physiology, contraception, and sexually transmitted infection as well as cover topics such as gender, sexually explicit media, sexual assault, and “hook-up culture.” Discussions will emphasize the importance of communication, consent, boundaries, and the foundations of healthy relationships.

Sophomore Writing Workshop. Year. 1 meeting weekly. Required of all members of Class III. Weekly workshops on the craft of writing with particular emphasis on the analytical writing done in the disciplines of English and History. These workshops analyze and develop, one by one, the elements that constitute effective expository and analytical writing. The workshops begin with an analysis of the function of the paragraph and the topic sentence; they move on to techniques for subordinating evidence, strengthening coherence and logical flow, revising paragraphs, and introducing and concluding essays. The workshops finish by addressing the finer details, presenting a variety of sentence structures, and offering rules of punctuation. Along the way, students study how to make good writing better, how to make their ideas more distinct, and, above all, how and why writing is a process of reformulation and revision. The workshop concludes with a writing test and a grammar and punctuation test. Students continue in the course until they have passed these tests.

Plaque. Year. 1 meeting weekly. Required of all members of Class I. Honoring one of the most powerful traditions of the School, each graduate of Middlesex creates a plaque that is displayed with those of their classmates. This course orients students to the plaque creation process, from technique to design, to understanding each plaque’s place in the School’s tradition. A completed plaque is a requirement for graduation and members of Class I will remain enrolled in this course until their plaque is finished.