Welcome to HMS

Lower

School

HMS Lower School

Welcome to the Lower School section of our website. Here you will find information about our school, including our curriculum and the activities and athletic programs our cadets participate in.

The Lower School serves grades five through eight. The fifth grade is a single, self-contained classroom with grades six through eight exchanging classes after each academic period. Our academic curriculum consists of the core subjects of, English, Math, Reading, Science and Social Studies. Our cadets also participate in four 9-week elective courses – Beginning Leadership, Keyboarding, Introduction to Foreign Language, and Physical Education.

Power Standards

What are power standards?  The term power standard was created by Dr. Douglas Reeves.  Power standards are prioritized standards (benchmarks) that are derived from a systematic approach that distinguishes what knowledge and skills students need to have to be successful in the present and in the future.  They are a subset of the complete list of state standards for each grade and for each subject.

In Indiana each curricular area has its own set of curriculum standards.  It is mathematically impossible to cover every standard.  Universal coverage simply does not exist.  

At the Lower School we reviewed all of the standards for each content area.  We used the following criteria as outlined by Dr. Reeves to identify our power standards:

1. Endurance – What standards endure over time? These standards give students the knowledge and skills to use in the future.

2. Leverage – Will the standard provide knowledge and skills that are applicable and valuable in other academic disciplines?

3. Readiness for the Next Level of Learning – Will the standard provide the essential knowledge and skills necessary for success in the next level of learning?

Prioritizing our academic standards will allow us to focus more on what our students are learning.  This will ease the ongoing conflict of curriculum coverage and ensure that our students are gaining the knowledge and skills that will best prepare them for the future.

Below are the Power Standards for each grade of the Lower School.  Documents are in .pdf format and can be viewed with Adobe Acrobat Reader.  Click here to download Acrobat reader if your computer doesn't have it installed already.

 5th Grade Power Standards (.pdf file)

6th Grade Power Standards (.pdf file)

7th Grade Power Standards (.pdf file)

8th Grade Power Standards (.pdf file)

Eligible eighth graders can elect to take their first year of foreign language or a combination of computer applications and photography for high school credit. With administrative approval, eighth graders can also take and receive credit for other upper school courses.  Cadets in grades five through seven may also take higher-level courses. Cadets in seventh and eighth grade may also try out for the band.

At the end of the academic year, cadets in the eighth grade participate in a memorable completion ceremony held in the beautiful St. James Chapel.

The Lower School places emphasis throughout the academic curriculum on responsibility, study skills, time management, organizational skills, and high school readiness.  Among the features of our approach:

·         Computer-assisted learning

·         Focus on writing and research skills

·         Unique character building efforts

·         Small classes (no more than eight in the 5th grade, no more than sixteen in the upper grades)

At the Lower School, we pride ourselves on what we offer...challenging academics in a nurturing environment.

Our cadets also participate in a wide variety of activities.  Each one of our masters serves as a club advisor.  The clubs we offer are:  Food Club, Lower School Varsity Howe Club, Leo Club (an affiliate with the Howe Lion's Club), Art Club, Logic Club, Computer Club, and Games Club.  The Lower School holds a Spelling Bee, Geography Bee and Science Fair annually.  The Lower School also sponsors an active chapter of the National Junior Honor Society.

We offer the following athletic teams for both male and female cadets.

Fall Season

Cross Country

Soccer

Winter Season

7th grade basketball (for cadets in grades 5-7)

8th grade basketball

Wrestling (male cadets only)

Spring Season

Golf

Track

Howe Military School

5755 North State Road 9

P.O. Box 240

Howe, Indiana 46746-0240

(260)562-2131