Middle School Humanities Students Explore Community & Belonging
Humanities in the SFS Middle School emphasizes its support of students as they discover their humanitarian promise. Our goal is for our graduates to cultivate a sense of civic identity, social responsibility, and a willingness to engage with the world with purpose.
This school year, 7th grade students explored community and belonging through the following questions: What is community, and why is it important to identity? This inquiry was brought to life through their reading of Just Shy of Ordinary, a young adult fiction novel written by A.J. Sass. The book centers on a nonbinary teenager navigating several life transitions, including going from being homeschooled to public high school and finding community in their new school. In their new community, they also figure out how to announce their pronouns to friends and family.
Adele Madelo, 7th Grade Humanities Teacher and Advisor, shares, “I really wanted them to build a greater sense of empathy with someone who shares their identity. They're all kids around the same age. However, I also wanted them to go beyond age; I wanted them to engage with each other and understand that it's important for them to forge their own path.”
After reading the novel, 7th graders completed two writing assignments to connect the concepts of community and identity to their lives: For their Moment in Time assignment, they delved into a moment in their life where they found belonging. Later, in their literary essay, they delved into the protagonist’s search for belonging in Just Shy of Ordinary. Students explored several aspects of the main character’s life, including their relationships with peers and adults, and how they supported them.
Overall, the humanities class creates a space for students to engage in projects about themselves, to build a sense of compassion for the lives of others.
Just Shy of Ordinary: Excerpts from 7th grade humanities
Aviva’s introduction excerpt
“In our world, belonging is important for kids and teens, but it can be hard to find a community or group that accepts you. So reading about it or watching something about it could give you a bit more confidence or courage. Books make many children, and even adults, happy these days. They love a book that makes you want to turn the page. But for kids it is important that they read books about people their age. And this book, Just Shy of Ordinary, is perfect for the book loving kids who want to feel accepted."
Sam’s essay excerpt
“A big reason that Shai feels protected is because at first Shai has to manage all these new hard changes in their life, like moving and starting at a new school. Thankfully Shai grows into multiple new communities that make them feel comfortable and welcome no matter what happens. For example, Shai finds their way into the Shoreline High community. Starting off they are unsure of the big change between homeschool and public school. They also are nervous about sharing their pronouns, and are just overwhelmed in general. But when Shai gets to Shoreline, almost right away they make new friends, Edie and Nia, who greet them with a warm welcome and give them a layout of the school and all the classes.”
Maggie’s essay excerpt
“Friendship guides Shai through their struggles. Their friends had their back though everything that they were going through. This is really important and helpful for them because they provide a sense of comfort and protection in a hard world. You can see this by looking at the timeline. In the beginning of this story, Shai is closed up and doesn’t open up to Mille, Edie or Nia, but as the book progresses, things change. Gradually they open up, and they now can turn to their friends for any support they need. Having people there to support you can be life changing. Sometimes, you have to step back and let other people help you, which is exactly what Shai did at the end of this book. The moral of the story is that you can’t do everything yourself, and that sometimes you have to rely on others to support you and be there for you.”