Honors Courses & Leadership

Exceptional students may be invited to participate in Laurel Hill’s Honors Program, designed to extend learning beyond the standard curriculum and prepare students for early Regents examinations and high school-level achievement.

Honors Courses are fast-paced, intellectually challenging, and enriched with high-interest projects, advanced content, and real-world application. Students are selected based on academic performance, standardized test scores, character, teacher recommendations, and classroom contributions. To remain enrolled, students must maintain a minimum 85 average per marking period.

Honors Math

Advanced coursework in Algebra and Geometry prepares students for the New York State Regents exams, often taken in eighth grade or earlier. Emphasis is placed on higher-order reasoning, problem-solving, and creativity in mathematical thinking.

Honors Science

Beginning in sixth grade, students progress through a rigorous, three-semester Living Environment (Biology) course, followed by Earth Science and introductory Chemistry. Lab-based learning, formal scientific writing, and Regents preparation are central to this pathway.

Honors English & Language Arts

Students engage with high school-level texts, develop literary criticism skills, and participate in an enhanced Writer’s Workshop. Emphasis is placed on clarity, creativity, and voice across multiple genres. Students assemble portfolios, submit work to competitions, and may be published.

Student Advisory Program

Every middle school student at Laurel Hill is paired with a faculty advisor—a trusted adult who serves as an advocate, mentor, and sounding board. Advisors monitor students’ academic progress and social-emotional development, provide guidance, and facilitate communication between home and school.

Through regular check-ins and one-on-one conversations, the advisory program helps students feel known, grounded, and supported—ensuring that each child has a faculty member who understands the full picture of their school experience.

The Middle School Shakespeareans

Creativity takes center stage with The Middle School Shakespeareans, a beloved tradition at Laurel Hill. Each year, a group of passionate student performers partners with a professional teaching artist to interpret Shakespeare’s original text and craft a 10-minute adaptation for performance at the CUNY Shakespeare Festival in New York City.

Performed at an off-Broadway theater alongside schools from across the region, this project invites students to explore literature in its most theatrical form—merging classic language with modern interpretation, and self-expression with collaboration. It’s a powerful and unforgettable way to bring literature to life.