Middle School
From the first day of sixth grade all the way through eighth, Clariden Middle School students are immersed in an environment that fosters creativity, real-life problem solving, and technological skills that will serve them throughout their lives.
From Physical Science to Earth and Life Sciences, students engage in hands-on learning through exciting labs and projects. Students don’t learn through reading and memorization; they dive in and learn through challenging and hands-on enjoyable experiences. This philosophy holds true throughout all core subjects, whether it be Math, English, or Social Studies: our Middle Schoolers learn through tactile experiences and exploration.
Students tackle modern problems through their STEAM projects and have an extensive selection of electives that expose them to a wide array of subjects including robotics, photography, dance, rocketry, and more. Clariden students come out of Middle School ready and able to meet any challenge that awaits them in Upper School and beyond.
Westerfield, Rissa
Ast. Director of Teaching and Learning/IB Programme Coordinator/Educator
Rissa Westerfield has been a Clariden educator for 8 years. She brings a love of science to students, especially dinosaurs and crocodiles! She received her Master of Science degree from Texas Tech University and is also a member of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. Her educational background and experience have given her the opportunity to partner with Crocodile Encounter to bring either a crocodile or alligator into the classroom each year. In addition to being an educator, Rissa has contributed to research in paleontology in museums such as the Perot Museum (formerly the Dallas Museum of Natural History), Dallas Historical Society, Shuler Museum of Paleontology (SMU), and the Smithsonian Institute. In her free time she loves spending time with her family, playing games, sewing, and traveling.