The middle school is very small – about the same as McKinley Thatcher in that there is one 6th grade, one 7th and one 8th grade. There are about 28 students in the current 6th grade. The middle school is geographically segregated from the elementary school but they share facilities like the library, gym, lunch room, and computer lab. The size of the school and the middle school portion of the school made me quite comfortable that any child could handle the environment – changing classes, lockers and so on without being overwhelmed. The school felt very welcoming to parents (this may be because it is a K8.)
They run a blue/white schedule so they have longer blocks for each class and the student will only see 5 teachers in any given day. 2 core subjects in the morning, 1 core subject in the afternoon, and 2 electives. There are 4 core subjects and the electives are PE, band, and other offerings like drama, Spanish, forensic science, and math.
There are only 4 middle school teachers at this time, one for each of the core subjects, 2 of whom have been at the school for over 10 years. The special ed teacher for middle school is also the Soc. Studies teacher. She is one of the teachers that has been at the school for over 10 years. The middle school has about 8 students with IEPs and probably about the same number of kids who are on the gifted slant. So we would see an academic diversity at this school. The principal has been there for 3 years coming from Hill Middle school.
The school was very much under control and orderly. The facility has been updated and is in good shape – it is a very attractive school that seems to be very connected to the surrounding neighborhood.
Bell time is 8:10
They have an afterschool program that is 5 days a week that runs until 5pm (approx) and provides homework help, snack time, outdoor time and so on. It is available for all grades, including 6th, 7th, & 8th. The afterschool program is coordinated with the summer scholar, lights on afterschool, and the parks and rec dept.
About 60% of the 6th graders are returning 5th graders with the rest being students new to the school. Many of the new students were girls – I think I saw a heavier girl population at this school although I didn’t ask what the split was. The middle school is designated as a “choice” school, it is not a home school for anyone in the city but rather, all students are there by choice. The only application process at this time is the choice process.
