Middle School at Corbett Prep: Building Strong Foundations for Emotional and Academic Success

For as long as middle school has been around, it can simply be … awkward. It’s a time of big transitions in a child’s life, stuck somewhere between being a child and a teenager. But, it is also a time for tremendous personal growth. The team at Corbett Prep understands this.

In fact, the social-emotional development of a child is as core to the school’s philosophy and mission as strong academics. It’s one of the motivations for all of the families we have interviewed over the years to pick Corbett Prep for their children.

The Runyan family is no different. When the time came for their twins Hale and Chase to enter middle school, Elisa and Preston Runyan knew they wanted a school that wasn’t just focused on academics, but on developing a child’s full potential as a person. And that means getting comfortable and real with feelings.

TBPM: Let’s talk about how you discovered middle school Corbett Prep.

Elisa: When we were looking around for a middle school, one of our friends who attended Corbett suggested we come look and we did and we fell in love with it.

At the time, we were only going to move the boys, but fell in love with the school and the campus and decided to have her [Emeilia] tour. She went on a tour (she was going into 4th grade at the time) and when we got back in the car she said, “I should have been here the whole time.”

TBPM: Emeilia, what stood out to you?

Emeilia: It seemed like there was a lot to do here. Before going here, I didn’t do theater, and then I came here, I started it and really liked it.

Preston: I would say it’s a really good atmosphere for theater. At first, she didn’t want to be on stage – she was going to do the lighting – but after attending and seeing the production, she immediately wanted the spotlight.

TBPM: As Emeilia enters 6th grade, what impacts have you noticed as a result of her involvement in the theater program over the last two years?

Elisa: It’s helped her come out of her shell a lot and her personality has just exploded. You can just tell it’s something she really, really loves.

Preston: It’s great to find something that they really enjoy doing, so much so that she is practicing her lines by herself and she’s really wanting to improve.

TBPM: Middle school is such a transitional time in a child’s life …

Preston: I think middle school is where people start to find themselves and come out of their shells a little bit.

Elisa: It can be an awkward and tricky time and I think that for them, we’re just in the right environment.

TBPM: As your kids approached these transitional years, what made Corbett Prep’s middle school program so different than anywhere else you toured?

Preston: I guess the philosophy of it all, the way they teach the kids. It’s not just one size fits all, that every kid is a little bit different when it comes to academics and extracurricular activities and we just found it really related to us. We really enjoy looking at the person, the mindfulness.

Elisa: I think for us, it’s more of a feeling here. International Baccalaureate is an added bonus for us. I think it was more the campus, the curriculum, the mindfulness that was a draw for us.

TBPM: Social-emotional learning is a big part of student life at Corbett Prep. Why is it so important to you as parents for your kids to learn these valuable tools on how to deal with stress and understand emotions?

Preston: We are really big on focusing on emotional well-being and for them to be able to go to school and get that same practice and see their friends and teachers do it, that’s important.

Elisa: I don’t think we grew up learning about feelings and talking about emotions in school, especially not middle school, so I think that’s something really cool for them and it makes it less awkward when everybody is doing it.

Hale: I like the mindfulness aspect of it because it’s calming, and I think it’s good to do especially when you’re young than trying it when you are older.

Chase: We write down how feel about different situations and time we felt sad, angry, happy.

Hale: And we have a gratitude journal too and every morning we write down a gratitude we have.

Elisa: In middle school, the anxiety kicks in a little bit and I think this is a really good tool for them to have, and it’s not just coming from us, it’s coming from the school also.

TBPM: Every time we talk to Corbett Prep parents, they always rave about the community they find here. What has your experience been like?

Elisa: My first day, I was coming for orientation and a parent came right up to me and asked, “Are you new,” and was just immediately welcoming, helping me find my way around. All three of my kids have found an amazing friend group and we’ve become friends with their parents also, so it’s just such a strong community. Like a family.

Preston: One of the fearful things for children when you come to a new school, you don’t know anyone, you don’t have friends at the school and I think that was a fear factor at the time. I think they’ve all made really great friends.

TBPM: The outdoor space and classrooms makes this school so unique and gives the kids a unique opportunity to connect with nature and the outdoors during class time.

Elisa: That’s a big deal actually. They go outside every day and do something outdoors. Especially for the boys, that’s a big deal.

Preston: For them to understand the importance that playtime, it’s a mental break time as well. Giving the kids multiple breaks throughout the day, to give the kids that rest. It’s not just the next subject to the next subject. I think that’s one of the reasons they’ve thrived over here.

Elisa: I see less stress from them. I feel like they were in a more stressful environment and then coming here – they are still challenged academically, and there is pressure – but there is not a debilitating pressure or stress. I feel like that has come off and they can just be kids.

Preston: One of them even said after being here for a few months, there is a weight that’s lifted off my shoulders. It wasn’t that we were in a bad environment by any means, this is just a better-suited environment for them.

TBPM: Middle school students are offered some pretty unique experiences outside of school as well. Let’s talk about New Horizons Week which takes sixth graders to Circle F Dude Ranch, seventh graders to the mountains in Georgia (Wolfcreek), and eighth graders to Washington, D.C.

Chase: Wolfcreek was a really fun experience that I don’t think I could have experienced at any other school and it really just got me out of a bubble. It’s like primitive camping in the woods for seven nights and seven days.

Preston: They were challenges they normally would not have done themselves. They would hike seven miles with a backpack and they said it was so hard, but they had that euphoric feeling at the end that I did it, I was proud of myself. The whole week was challenging … but the sense of accomplishment … you wouldn’t get at other places.

Elisa: I think it helps them build confidence. I don’t think they would have known they could hike seven miles with a backpack. I think it gives them a sense of pride. They came home saying it was the hardest thing they have ever done, but they were glad they did it.

TBPM: What are you looking forward to most this school year?

Hale: I am looking forward to keep playing basketball.

Emeilia: I’ll be able to do Thespians and that will be fun.

Chase: I like WIDS a lot—[the student news station at the school].

Experiences Designed for Middle Schoolers at Corbett Prep:

• Academics and Arts: A challenging program that allows students to pursue in-depth study and cultivate their talents. Core academic classes include Spanish for three years and a chance to earn high school credit in several subjects. Electives, a fine arts rotation and regular physical activity appeal to a broad range of interests.
• Self-Development: Character education, advisory teams, and leadership seminars support the whole child. Teachers and students work together to build a positive and supportive community, with a social-emotional learning program tailored to the adolescent experience and leadership opportunities to develop confidence and student presence.
• Athletics: Ninety percent of middle school students participate in sports on campus. Physical education and an intramural program keep students active during the school day, and a robust schedule of after-school sports with teams of different skill levels ensures everyone has a chance to play.
• Experiences Off Camps: New Horizons Week challenges students to push outside their comfort zones. Sixth, seventh and eighth-grade students attend overnight trips as part of New Horizons, developing deeper bonds as a class and learning more about themselves. Sixth grade participates in team building at Circle F Dude Ranch, seventh-grade hikes and camps in the Georgia mountains, and eighth grade learns about government and history in Washington, D.C.

*Originally published in the September 2024 issue of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine.