June 22, 2026

Dear Middle School Families, 

Below is information to help you prepare for the upcoming school year. 

Summer Reading Reminder

At Columbus Academy, we believe reading and writing are fundamental to our educational mission. Please refer to the resources below for details about our summer reading program, which were originally shared last month.

• Summer Reading Letter
• Summer Reading Website

Important Dates

August 3: Middle school football practices begin

August 6: New Family Orientation (for families new to CA)

August 10: Remainder of middle school sports practices begin

August 24: First day of middle school classes

September 4: 7th grade trip to Urban Air, 8th grade trip to ZipZone

September 9: MS Back-to-School Night

September 16-18: 6th grade class trip (see below)

For a comprehensive list of key calendar dates specific to our Middle School – including field trips, conferences, etc. – please click here.

Class Trips

Class trips will be taken this year for each grade during the dates listed below. Please see the links for each grade’s trip letter below for costs and other preliminary information. Grade-level Team Leaders will send more detailed information in August. If you have questions about class trips in the meantime, contact Lori Robison-Embry in the middle school office.

• Sixth Grade: September 16-18 at Camp Fitch in Pennsylvania
• Seventh Grade: October 14-16 at Deer Creek State Park
• Eighth Grade: October 13-16 in Washington, D.C.

Technology, Supplies & Dress Code

We hope that the collection of our school-issued iPads will help your student unplug a bit over the summer. We will redistribute them on their first day back on August 24. Further, we ask for your continued help to facilitate the appropriate use of technology during the school year. Smartwatches are not allowed at school, regardless of whether they are in “school mode.” Students are allowed to have their mobile phones; however, after 7:40 a.m. and until dismissal, they are to be stored in lockers and turned off. We are intentional about ensuring families can communicate with students throughout the day via the middle school office and would appreciate your continued support for that.

Supply lists for the 2026-27 school year can be viewed by clicking here. If you have any questions about supplies, please contact Lori Robison-Embry in the middle school office.

If you are looking for a place to purchase skirts (with attached skort bottoms), Schoolbelles offers a skort available on this website. Columbus Academy’s school dress code is S2622. There is a “General Catalog” tab on the website's main page that lets you view clothing by gender. In lieu of skirts with built-in skorts, students should wear shorts underneath skirts. As a reminder, aside from the Academy logo, all polos and sweaters must be logo-free. You can shop for dress code items in our Viking Corner store that will reopen next month and anytime via our school’s Lands’ End portal. Please keep in mind that many dress code options are available for free in the Clothing Exchange Closet (normally located on the bottom floor of the Middle School), which will offer a more convenient “pop-up” location to browse in front of Morris Hall beginning on Thursday, July 30.

Please enjoy the remainder of your summer, and contact us if you have any questions about the upcoming school year or would like to share information about your children.

Warm regards,

Shaka Arnold

Head of Middle School

Ed Rhee ’93

Associate Head of Middle School

Amy Berkley

Middle School Dean of Students

Lori Robison-Embry

Assistant to the Head of Middle School