The ‘tween Year (Feb 08)

Sorry! I don’t want any adventures, thank you. Not today. Good morning!
But please come to tea—any time you like! (Bilbo Baggins, The Hobbit)

Many adults (those who survived middle school and have lived to tell about it) regard middle school as an adventure—an unpleasant one at best.

At The Girls’ School, middle school is an opportunity to acknowledge the unique expression of each student and to develop each girl’s voice. We welcome adventures and challenges as part of the "work" of middle school. So it is not surprising that our middle school teachers have determined that "facing challenges" should be the theme of our new middle school grade five.

The year begins with Ranch Romp with grades five and six heading off to Highland Lakes Camp. Ranch Romp provides an opportunity for fifth grade girls to bond with classmates and with an older class (the sixth grade). Removing students from their regular, comfortable environment heightens their awareness and sparks new and deeper friendships. And, supported by their peers, they are more likely to take a risk. At Ranch Romp, girls meet their tree and climb it.

There is a lot of history out there (more so all of the time) and trying to decide which history or whose history to study is problematic, at best. Given the growing complexity (or is it just that the world is starting to feel much, much smaller?), we have shifted our emphasis from US History to world history in fifth grade, providing a context for the sixth and seventh grade courses, which focus on cultures and issues. US History will continue to be taught in eighth grade and is taught again in eleventh grade.

The world history theme will permit many excellent interdisciplinary projects with language arts. Many of you will remember the fifth grade production of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream this past December and the crests that adorned the bulletin boards in the fifth grade room. Imagine studying "the Bard" at the same time that you are studying the events and beliefs of the culture at the time.

And in math, we are making a sea change. Our girls are smart, motivated and focused. All of our girls should complete algebra in eighth grade; however, the current trajectory does not necessarily have them landing there. Beginning next year, we will introduce a slightly accelerated math program that leads all students to algebra by eighth grade. Obviously, this decision has admissions implications in that we will need to select new middle school students who can be successful in the accelerated program. Additionally, it is worth noting that the math program that we will be adopting next year in the lower school leads to algebra in the eighth grade. (See the March newsletter article on Everyday Math.)

The fifth grade science curriculum emphasizes the life sciences but also includes an introduction to physical sciences: the properties of matter and energy, Newton’s laws of motion, sound energy and light energy. The course wraps up with topics in Earth science and meteorology.

Fifth grade students will participate in afterschool study hall next year, and in addition to extra help, it will provide a time for the girls to check-in with their advisor and practice specific study skills, which should ease the transition to sixth grade. It will also provide a time to supplement the health curriculum or provide other "just-in-time" instruction.

With the emphasis on risk-taking combined with structure and creative interdisciplinary work, the fifth grade will be an adventure that even Bilbo Baggins could approve of!