Middle School Athletics/Activity Blocks

At Play in the Attic! is a fall theatre course that makes use of Pingry's acting studio space, the Attic Theatre. Students will choose a piece of theater, audition for parts, and collaborate in staging the production. They will select costumes, props, as well as devise a set, all from the Attic Theater’s own collections. The final show will be performed under lights, at the end of the trimester, for an audience. Rehearsals will incorporate acting warm-ups, creative blocking and staging exercises, and basic character work that will help young actors gain movement skills, self-confidence, as well as have fun putting on a play.

Head: Trish Wheeler

For a list of our Middle School interscholastic sports teams, which are open to students in Grades 6-8, see the chart above or visit Sports Offered.

To access team schedules by season, visit:

Fall Sports Schedules

Winter Sports Schedules

spring Sports Schedules

Every year the Middle School puts on a musical production. All students are welcome to participate; auditions are held for specific parts.

The Pingry outdoor adventure team will explore the wild areas of the Pingry campus and beyond. Guided by experienced wilderness “coaches,” participants will learn valuable backcountry skills, including map-and-compass, route-finding, fire-building, backcountry cooking, basic plant and animal identification, risk identification and management (safety in the backcountry), team care (pace-setting, group dynamics, etc.), trip-planning, and Leave No Trace principles. On most days, Pingry’s Outdoor Leadership team will “practice” during the normal middle-school athletics period on the beautiful “back forty” of the Basking Ridge campus, which includes nearly one-hundred acres of woods, streams, and pastures. Approximately once a week, participants will travel to nearby parks such as Chimney Rock, the Great Swamp, and Hacklebarney to apply the skills learned on campus to different environments. These will be the equivalent of “game days” for other sports teams.

Head: Jeff Feinberg assisted by Felicia Ballard

P.E. Fit/Sport Academy allows students to both vary their daily activity and become more deliberate about fitness. Each day, students will engage in a different game or activity, including but not limited to basketball, dodgeball and its many variations, hiking, four square, water polo, soccer, football, wall ball, spud, and team handball, with a particular focus—in the fall and spring—on ultimate frisbee. One day per week, students spend time in the Greig Strength and Conditioning Center with Pingry's strength and conditioning coaches to focus on these elements of fitness.

Co-Teachers: Matt Composto and Wade Bryant

Ultimate Frisbee is a highly active team sport incorporating the skills associated with throwing and catching a frisbee. Team play and strategies are also developed in this activity as teams are formed within an intramural league and games are played daily.

We are thrilled to announce that, starting in the upcoming school year, the Middle School will be introducing the FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) Challenge program! Designed for students ages 9-16, the FLL Challenge offers an exciting opportunity for students to enhance their skills in robotics, problem-solving, and teamwork—providing a strong foundation for more advanced challenges in high school.

As part of our Middle School Athletics and Activities program, the FLL Challenge will be available in both the fall and winter seasons. Below, you’ll find key information about the competition and how students can get involved:

1. Introduction to FIRST® LEGO®: 
Fall only, 2:25–3:30 p.m. 
Non-Interscholastic Option
The FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge will kick off in the fall season. Students will participate in a scheduled 2:25–3:30 p.m. session for preparation and practice. In these sessions, students will explore STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and robotics and develop an innovative solution to a real-world problem pertaining to the season's theme. At the end of the fall season, we will host an intra-school competition where all participants will showcase their creativity and skills. Prizes will be awarded to the winning team! 

2. FIRST® LEGO® Interscholastic Team: 
Two season requirement: Fall and Winter, 2:25–3:30 p.m. with additional practices until 5:15 p.m
Students interested in competing against LEGO® League teams from other schools must elect Robotics for both fall and winter seasons.

• Fall season: Students will learn all the principles of Robotics from 2:25–3:30 p.m. In addition, students will have some additional mandatory after-school sessions (one day a week from 3:35–5:15 p.m.) to focus on building additional skills in coding, problem-solving, collaboration, and presentation which are essential for the competition. Regular attendance is crucial for eligibility. 
• Winter season: The competitive team will continue to meet during the winter season Athletics and Activities block (2:25–3:30 p.m.) to further refine their projects and prepare for the official FIRST® LEGO® League competitions against teams from other schools. This season is focused more specifically on preparing for the competitions. This will include practice, strategy development, and project enhancements to ensure that the team is ready for the challenges ahead. As the competition date approaches, additional practices and preparations will be scheduled. Regular attendance is crucial for eligibility.

3. Sign-up Details:
Students who are interested in participating in the Introduction to FIRST® LEGO® League or the FIRST® LEGO® Interscholastic Team can sign up this spring when they choose their athletics and activity options for the following school year. 

4. FIRST® Team Size and Selection:
In addition to the school-wide competition, students who choose to be on the interscholastic team will represent the school in the official FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge. Because each team has a maximum of 10 students, team members will be selected based on their interest, commitment to after-school sessions, and participation in the program. If space permits, additional students may be invited to join the team in the winter season, provided they participated in the fall season.

We are thrilled to introduce this exciting new program and encourage all students with an interest in STEM, robotics, and teamwork to sign up and get involved. It promises to be a rewarding experience!
 

Every year in the spring trimester the Middle School puts on a musical and students are responsible for all aspects of the production, including tech. This is an opportunity to learn all about and be responsible for the lighting, set design and construction, sound, etc. All students are welcome to participate and be part of this exciting behind-the-scenes team.

This course is designed to empower young teens with practices they can use to create healthy bodies and minds. Today we live in a very fast paced and digital world, with implicit and explicit expectations of achievement. This can create stress which affects the ability of young people to learn, grow, and thrive. We will develop skills to handle stress, maintain emotional balance, and develop empathy for self and others. Physical poses and flowing movements which connect the poses will strengthen, stabilize, and open up the body, creating a sense of vitality and well-being. Breathing exercises, games, visualizations will open up the senses and allow for a feeling of being present, one breath at a time, in a safe space. Yoga, along with relaxation and meditation, has been scientifically proven to increase brain health. Everyday, we will explore ways to relax, nourishing our own lives and enriching the lives of others in the process.