6th graders in middle school

Sixth-graders should be attending middle, not elementary schools. Young adolescence is a time of rapid intellectual, physical, social and emotional changes, and middle school staffs are not only specifically trained to handle it, they enjoy it.

I was a middle-school counselor for 20 years. Middle schools offer rigorous and relevant course work based on how adolescents learn best. Middle-school educators are experts at developing relationships with 11-14 year-old students and work closely with families to create positive, caring schools.

I worked hard to develop an informative and fun transition program for fifth-graders and their parents who were entering the middle school for the first time. Typically, I began in February visiting all elementary feeder schools along with some seventh grade “ambassadors” for small group Q&As. It wasn’t until May that fifth-graders visited our school, touring the campus and learning about the myriad courses and extracurricular activities offered. In August, the new sixth-graders came to campus a day before other students to get their class schedules and practice opening lockers.

I can assure parents, there is plenty of time remaining to acclimate your fifth-graders to middle school for next year.

Patti Livingstone

Spokane