Middle School vs. K-8

[Anonymous]

I agree with 20:20.
All I know is I was SO eager to go to middle school from an open-ed class in 6th grade that went to 7th in suburban California...I thought having separate periods and lockers and P.E. was going to be so cool. It sucked! Everybody was so focused on their hair, who is dating who (at age 12 & 13 yuck!) the next girl fight after school, the hormones were raging and it was literally unsafe. A terrible environment for learning. My best friend and I quickly came to the decision that we had made a terrible mistake. But by then it was too late to switch back.

[Anonymous]

I went to a big suburban H.S. (2000+ students). I came in through a feeder Jr. like most students, and there were several Jr. high schools that fed the H.S.

There were also a number of students who came in from the K-8 parochial system (Catholic schools were pretty strong where I grew up).

The Catholic school kids all seemed so much more confident than the rest of us. It wasn't just the academics, it was something about going to school with the same kids since they were learning to tie their shoes. They just didn't seem to be struggling so much to create and establish their identities.

[Anonymous]

But 12:56, you are also saying that you came from a public Jr. High (which is not a middle school) and the others came from a private (Catholic) school.

And anyway I do think that changing a DC public elementary school to a PS - 8 school is a totally different ball of wax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But 12:56, you are also saying that you came from a public Jr. High (which is not a middle school) and the others came from a private (Catholic) school.

And anyway I do think that changing a DC public elementary school to a PS - 8 school is a totally different ball of wax.

Sorry, I thought Jr. High and Middle School were the same thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But 12:56, you are also saying that you came from a public Jr. High (which is not a middle school) and the others came from a private (Catholic) school.

And anyway I do think that changing a DC public elementary school to a PS - 8 school is a totally different ball of wax.

I agree with you poster. Many of these pp are talking about Catholic schools and Maret, a private school. I mean Maret is a campus with mulitple buildings and acres of land to build more facilities if needed. In DCPS you are talking about one old building that has not been equipped with laboratories for science or gyms equipped for twelve and fourteen years olds. Its apples to grapes when making the comparisons and it's not fair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But 12:56, you are also saying that you came from a public Jr. High (which is not a middle school) and the others came from a private (Catholic) school.

And anyway I do think that changing a DC public elementary school to a PS - 8 school is a totally different ball of wax.

Sorry, I thought Jr. High and Middle School were the same thing.

They are!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But 12:56, you are also saying that you came from a public Jr. High (which is not a middle school) and the others came from a private (Catholic) school.

And anyway I do think that changing a DC public elementary school to a PS - 8 school is a totally different ball of wax.

Sorry, I thought Jr. High and Middle School were the same thing.

They are!

Well then why does this say they aren't?

[Anonymous]

Jr High is usually 7-9, kind of retro
Middle School is 6-8
Then there are Intermediate Schools, 5-8

[Anonymous]

Jr High is 7-8 or 7-9. Middle School is 6-8. When I was growing up, my school district had just converted from junior highs to middle schools a year before I went to 6th grade. Thus, I started sixth grade at the middle school rather than staying at the elementary school for sixth. My school district instituted a wing for the sixth graders so we were isolated from the bigger kids and we just had two teachers. I think that worked well. In 7th and 8th, we started having different teachers for every subject. So sixth was a good transition year, rather than the shock of going from elementary to jr high, different teachers for every subject.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with 20:20.
All I know is I was SO eager to go to middle school from an open-ed class in 6th grade that went to 7th in suburban California...I thought having separate periods and lockers and P.E. was going to be so cool. It sucked! Everybody was so focused on their hair, who is dating who (at age 12 & 13 yuck!) the next girl fight after school, the hormones were raging and it was literally unsafe. A terrible environment for learning. My best friend and I quickly came to the decision that we had made a terrible mistake. But by then it was too late to switch back.

I was at the parent orientation for my child's upcoming 6th grade class camping trip and the science teacher said "there's a reason why we do this this year, it's because next year they'll be seventh graders. . . "

Sixth graders turn into seventh graders wtih raging hormones, and focus on their hair, regardless of where they go to school. Those of us who teach in K-8 program can verify that for you. Some schools do a better job than others of managing it, but noone can prevent it from happening.