News Detail
Countdown to Middle School: Sage Hill’s Biggest Transformation Yet
In less than a year, the first day of school will look a lot different as we open our doors to 7th and 8th grade students for the first time, officially becoming the first 7-12 independent school in Orange County.
Construction on the middle school and second gym building has made incredible and visible progress in recent months. Over the summer, construction included masonry work and steel framing of the building. In November, crews hit a big milestone with pouring concrete for the entire gym floor. Interior wall framing is nearing completion, which will help better define the classrooms and learning spaces.
In the coming weeks, crews are working on the bridges that go across from the Lisa Argyros & Family Science Center to the Middle School’s third floor, as well as stairs leading downhill to the lower levels.
“Walking the site and seeing the physical structure rise made the project feel real in a new way,” Head of School Patricia Merz said. “As construction continues, there is a growing sense of anticipation and pride across our community.”
The Board of Trustees and school administration celebrated with a ceremonial “topping out” ceremony at its annual Leadership Donor Dinner on October 16. A topping out ceremony is a tradition held during the building construction to celebrate the placement of the final structural beam, marking the completion of the building's framework and a significant milestone in the project.
When completed, the three-story facility will increase Sage Hill’s enrollment capacity from 600 to 750 students across grades 7-12. The building will include a café, an outdoor Town Square area, and plenty of dedicated classroom spaces for the younger students.
Middle school students will study five core subjects -- math, science, English, history, and a world language -- along with two electives and a required team sport during a near daily Athletics block built into the school schedule.
“Middle school is the time when students try a bit of everything and begin to see what their interests might be,” said Dr. Joseph Moody, Sage Hill’s Director of Middle School. Students will have access to electives such as Model UN, robotics, speech and debate, journalism, and performing and visual arts.
To support the launch of the middle school program, Sage Hill has already hired a number of middle school faculty in nearly every core subject. Longtime Head Football Coach B.J. Crabtree is now on campus full time as the Middle School Dean of School Life and Athletics Coordinator. Hiring for the middle school remains ongoing with a nationwide search to find the best candidates.
Middle school students will enjoy many of the same traditions as upper school students, including Student Council, Student Ambassadors, pep rallies, and grade-appropriate Service Learning and Spring at Sage programming.
“These opportunities will not only create community in the middle school but also prepare students to step confidently into these programs in the upper school,” Merz said.
The opening of the middle school is about more than just a new building -- it represents a transformational moment for Sage Hill.
“We are building more than just new classrooms; we are building futures,” Merz said. “This is just the beginning of what Sage Hill can become.”
Sage Hill School
A college preparatory independent day school for grades 7-12.
20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657
Phone: 949.219.0100 | Fax: 949.219.1399
20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657
Phone: 949.219.0100 | Fax: 949.219.1399
Sage Hill School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs, and athletic and other School administered programs.