MS Overview
Why a Middle School?
Bayhill was founded to create a school where students with learning differences could receive the individualized support they need while being challenged academically. After years of serving high school students, expanding to grades 7 and 8 was a natural next step.
Following the closure of Raskob Day School in 2022, the need for specialized middle school options in the East Bay became even more apparent. Bayhill opened its middle school program in the 2025-26 school year, bringing our small classes, individualized instruction, and understanding of diverse learners to students at an earlier point in their educational journey.
Academic Excellence Meets Individual Growth
Our middle school curriculum combines strong academics with the individualized instruction and support Bayhill students need. Hands-on projects, discussion, and connections across subjects help students engage meaningfully with what they are learning.
Students also receive daily focused skill-building tailored to their individual learning profiles, with support in areas such as reading, writing, comprehension, math, study skills, and executive functioning.
Beyond the Classroom
Middle school is about more than academics. Through advisory and social-emotional learning, students develop skills in self-advocacy, communication, and navigating relationships with others.
Electives in areas such as art, music, 3D printing, robotics, coding, and culinary arts give students time in the school day to be creative, work with their hands, and develop interests beyond their core academic classes.
A Community That Cares
Small class help middle school students become known quickly- by their teachers and by one another. Our peer mentoring program creates connections across grade levels, while clubs, assemblies, athletics, and other school activities give middle school students opportunities to participate fully in the Bayhill community.
As part of a grades 7-12 school, middle school students benefit from belonging to the larger Bayhill community while still having programming designed specifically for their stage of development.
A Place Where You Truly Belong
For many students with learning differences, middle school can be a time when finding a sense of belonging becomes especially important. Bayhill's small, inclusive community gives students space to build friendships, develop confidence, and feel known for more than the things that may have been difficult for them in school.
Middle School Academics
Focused Skill Building – Students receive 45 minutes of dedicated skill-building time each day, with instruction targeted to their individual areas of need.
- Structured Literacy – For students who need additional support with reading, diagnostic assessments help guide instruction. Using an Orton-Gillingham-based approach, students receive small-group and individualized instruction in phonemic awareness, decoding, spelling, fluency, comprehension, and word study, including Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
- Learning Strategies – For students not receiving Structured Literacy instruction, Focused Skill Building is individualized to strengthen skills in areas such as vocabulary, comprehension, writing, math, cognitive processing, study skills, and executive functioning.
English Language Arts – Through a literature-based approach, students analyze texts and systemically develop writing skills from the sentence level through increasingly complex compositions. Literature selections are thoughtfully chosen with attention to diverse perspectives and connections across history, science, and other areas of study.
History – Bayhill’s history curriculum follows a two-year cycle. Students study the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Reformation, and Scientific Revolution with attention to cultural and scientific developments around the world. The second year explores American history from the nation's founding through the Civil War and the social, political, and economic changes that followed.
Science – Following the Next Generation Science Standards, students engage in a two-year cycle that covers physical and life sciences, as well as ecology and engineering. An inquiry-and project-based approach encourages students to think like scientists, with opportunities to draw on Bay Area resources including museums, exhibits, guest speakers, and field experiences.
Math – Middle school students arrive with a wide range of mathematical strengths and needs. We meet students where they are, providing targeted foundational instruction for those who need additional skill-building while offering opportunities for acceleration to students who are ready for greater challenge. Students who are prepared may join high school students for Algebra. Across levels, we emphasize conceptional understanding and applying math to real-world problems.
Electives – Students choose from electives in technology, the arts, and other areas of interest. Offerings may include art, music, 3D printing, coding, robotics, and culinary arts, giving students opportunities to be creative, develop new skills, and explore their interests.
Physical Education – Students participate in regular physical activity that emphasizes movement, fitness, participation, and healthy habits.
Advisory – Weekly advisor gives students dedicated time to set personal goals, recognize accomplishments, build social-emotional skills, and connect with their peers and advisors.
Want to learn more? Sign up for an informational session.
Download our Middle School Brochure.
