Why would you send a sixth-grade boy to boarding school? Shouldn't a ninth-grade student start high school? What is a junior boarding school? Make an appointment to visit us today and learn why Eaglebrook, a boarding and day school for boys in middle school, might be the right place for your son.
Eaglebrook School was founded in 1922 by Howard Gibbs as a private boarding and day school for boys in middle school. Learn about our school in Deerfield, Massachusetts then and now, and read about the Core Skills we think every boy should know.
At Eaglebrook, we recognize that all students learn in different ways, vary in their innate abilities, and come from a variety of educational backgrounds. Classes at Eaglebrook are organized to meet the needs of each boy.
Eaglebrook is a close community of middle school students, teachers, and their families. Activities outside of the academic classroom are important to the intellectual, social, physical, and emotional development of boys in middle school. Learn about the programs we offer at Eaglebrook, from athletics to arts.
At Eaglebrook, boys learn more than they ever thought possible, discover inner resources, develop self-confidence, and have fun along the way. Delivering on our mission is only possible through the incredible generosity of alumni, parents, parents of alumni, and friends.”
There are many fabulous elective offerings at Eaglebrook, including various design courses. Mr. Jim Poulin offers a course where students design four-wheeled wooden vehicles that are able to drive downhill. The class built a total of five vehicles and each vehicle utilized the same type of wheels and method for attaching them to the vehicle. Each car also had the same method of steering, which involves moving the front axle with the driver’s feet. However, all further design elements were developed and designed by the students. Each group came up with its own braking method and size of their vehicle. Some of the vehicles could fit just one person and other vehicles could fit up to three people. In total, there were three one seater cars built, one double seater, and one triple seater.
The majority of the designing and building was done by the students, including the axle boxes, which are the structures that the wheels are attached to. The cars were made out of wood, and for simplicity’s sake, the cutting of large, dimensional lumber was done for the students. While building the vehicles, the students learned many valuable skills. “Perhaps the greatest skill that the students developed during this class was the ability to solve problems,” said Mr. Poulin. He went on to say “They were given assistance if they truly needed help, but for the most part, the students developed the solutions for every problem they faced.” His students needed to figure out how to build a strong vehicle, stop the vehicle safely, and simply get the car out of the classroom. Many of the solutions to these challenges were derived from instances where mistakes were made. The class was forced to solve problems if they wanted to have fun while driving their vehicles! See video of the vehicles in action by clicking here.