Empowering Students to Think and Act Confidently

At Dock, there is a steadfast commitment to developing the whole child—spiritual, emotional, social, intellectual, and physical—by integrating faith into every aspect of learning. Through opportunities like weekly Chapel, Bible study, morning devotions, dedicated daily prayer time, worship and song, students discover what they truly believe and learn how to speak confidently about their faith.

The close relationship that develops between students and teachers provides a comfortable atmosphere for asking questions and allows for a meaningful faith experience. Not only do students become familiar with the scripture, they understand how it applies to their life. They also appreciate hearing about the faith journeys of others and connect with their peers on a deeper, more substantial level, inevitably making friendships for life.

To learn more about the Shine Bible curriculum, click here. 

What is the DIFFERENCE between Service & Service Learning?

Service is the action of helping or doing work for someone or organization. 

Service Learning is an experiential learning pedagogy, where students move beyond the classroom walls to not just participate in service but to be an integral part of planning the service activity or event. Students develop their civic knowledge as well as their critical thinking skills when participating in Service Learning.

Each Friday for ninety minutes, middle school students get the unique opportunity to participate in service learning both on and off campus. Many of these students have enjoyed the experience of working with younger elementary students. This service opportunity has led students to ask for a babysitting certification class so they can continue to work with the younger students outside of school. Students have also been part of a knitting and crocheting experience, where they learned how to create hats and scarves with the help of the Souderton Home Knitting Circle. Some of these students have continued to use this new skill to make hats for preemies at local hospitals. Service is also incorporated at the most local level, with students sometimes providing acts of service on campus.  

Project Based Learning prepares students for the future. Twenty-first century students are being raised in a world full of technology and media. Students need to see the real life relevance of what they are learning. 

The PBL model provides our students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge to real world problems, answering complex questions and creating high quality products. Students are learning how to collaborate together and think critically. They are developing technology skills and growing in their digital literacy.  here is perseverance and self-management occurring each day in the classroom. 

The PBL model engages our students in a learning that is deep and long lasting. Students are being inspired by this model of learning and are making personal connections with their own academic experiences; preparing them to apply this knowledge to new situations. 

Check out the following Lamplighter article to learn more.

Let's Discover- Why PBL?

Innovations, Genius Hour, and Exploratory, classes allow for students to innovate, problem solve, and create using real-world applications on topics of their choice.

During Innovations class, 6th Grade students learn how to solve challenges and also discover their individual strengths, while working in small groups. 

When 7th and 8th Grade students participate in Genius Hour, they have opportunity to create and work on a project that brings them joy and excitement. Some examples include students who love food and/or cooking research and experiment with recipes in the school kitchen (complete with five cooking stations); students that have interest in music will research and gain experience working with composing computer software while connecting with and getting feedback from real musicians.

Forty-eight total topics are available to all middle school students during Exploratory classes, with a true variety of options that every student will want to engage with; some examples include cooking, sewing, gardening, puppet show dialogues, bucket drumming, historical timelines and composers, calligraphy, recreational games, wilderness skills, robotics, nutrition, and more!

With voice and choice given priority within this unique middle school curriculum, access to and opportunities for joy-filled and engaged learning are endless!

Illustrative Mathematics' collaborative model invites students to talk and write about math, listen to each other's ideas, justify their thinking, and critique the reasoning of others to further develop their mathematical understanding. Learn more here.

AmplifyScience is a phenomena-based Science curriculum that engages students with compelling real world problems. Every day, students are engaged in activities  that help them figure out a compelling real world problem that embodies the theme in each unit. In the world of science, phenomena are observable events that occur in the universe and that we can use our scientific knowledge to explain or predict. Learn more here.

The arts are valued at Dock Mennonite Academy, and they are taught by passionate instructors who bring vitality to the classroom. All students can experience the arts through musical theater, visual arts classes and performing arts opportunities like the band, orchestra, or instrumental lessons. At the middle school level, students learn to interpret and critique art, write songs, and analyze lyrics.

Middle School artists experience art through our exploratory courses. These courses focus on a particular art experience and allow students to participate in an intensive three-week course. Students use their knowledge of the elements of art and principles of design to engage in sophisticated art forms, including printmaking, calligraphy, acrylic painting on canvas, creating 2-D and 3-D art.

During 5th and 6th grade, all students are given the experience to be a part of choir, becoming optional in 7th and 8th grade. The select choir group, Bella Vocce, is an auditioned group for 7th and 8th grade students. Two levels of handbells are also available for middle school students. 

Dock has a strong tradition of athletic excellence. In addition to physical education class requirements, the school offers two options for athletic participation: intramural sports during activity period or competitive interscholastic sports after school. The goal is to expose students to a variety of sports with an emphasis on skill development, performance, and preparation for higher-level athletics.