The Middle School Play, “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” by William Shakespeare, was performed on “November 14-15, directed by [Andrew] Cooper-Leary, Performing Arts Faculty, Drama, with choreography by Nkenge Walcott, Middle School Dean,” said Head of Middle School Daniel Doughty. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is a timeless classic that explores themes such as love, dreams versus reality and order versus chaos. “Research shows that children who sing/dance/act/play their little hearts out are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement compared with their non-performing friends — and they tend to have enhanced cognitive, motor, and social development to boot,” said the Scholastic Corporation. “The Middle School play is something very exciting,” said Doughty, and the play allowed for collaboration between Middle Schoolers of all ages and grade levels to bring this Shakespearean classic to life at Poly.
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The “Middle Schoolers have [had] their friendly Spirit Cup competition on November 20,” Doughty mentioned. This competition took place instead of an assembly. “Friendly competition motivates, improves performance and boosts self-esteem, creating a sense of community,” according to Runlovers. “We have our Spirit Cup assembly, so we’re going to forego assembly and have a Spirit Cup competition,” Doughty explained. However, what is certain is the intention and goal of the competition: to foster community and build friendships through healthy rivalry. Spirit Cup allows students to grow outside of the classroom in key areas such as social bonds, confidence and resilience.
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For the entirety of the 2025-2026 school year, “Middle School is participating in a reading activity that rewards students for completing each book with a bookmark,” increasing in increments of 10, as seen outside Mr. Doughty’s office. “As they read 10 books and they get the next one for 20 up to 100. And so we display them all,” shared Doughty. The goal is to foster “a love of reading,” he added. Aside from the activity, the entire Middle School has a reading mandate: 15-20 minutes a night, five to seven nights a week, to help develop healthy reading habits. “Early childhood is a critical period for brain development, which is important for boosting cognition and mental well-being. Good brain health at this age is directly linked to better mental health, cognition, and educational attainment in adolescence and adulthood,” according to Greater Good Science Center.
