The New Albany Middle School EXCEL Program serves Intellectually Gifted students in grades 6-8 and Artistically Gifted students in grades 7-8. Currently, there are about 100 students enrolled in the Middle School EXCEL program.
The IG students develop High Order Thinking Skills as they engage in a variety of units of study. Topics of interest are researched and presented by students in a variety of forms. Inventions, Piratical Research, and Junk Art Creations are just a few of the interesting topics covered annually.
The Artistically Gifted students develop visual art skills such as drawing, painting, and 3-D art while learning to appreciate art history. Traditionally, 8th grade art students compete in the Mid-South Scholastic Art Competition. In 2006-07, five students won Silver Key Awards. In past years students have won Gold and Silver Key awards on both the regional and national levels. The 8th grade student artwork is displayed in the local library during the month of April.
Each April, a group of EXCEL students and parents travel to either Washington D.C. or New York City for a fun-filled educational experience. The group spends four days seeing sites, learning the history of our country and our Nation’s Capitol, attending Broadway shows, visiting museums, and experiencing first-hand the culture of these wonderful cities.
In December, The EXCEL program sponsors a Christmas reception for the Middle School faculty and District Administration. Each May, the students showcase their work at the annual EXCEL Art Show and IG Exhibition. Parents, students, faculty, and community are invited to attend the event and reception.
Teachers of the EXCEL program at New Albany Middle School are Julie Eaton, Artistically Gifted, and Kate Swords, Intellectually Gifted.
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