Adding a year in elementary school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an FCPS parent, I hated having 6th grade in ES. 7 years with the same kids was too much, the kids had physically outgrown the school, and the staff was not at all equipped to deal with the issues and drama of 6th graders.

I know so many ppl who say this yet have no problem with a jr/Sr high combo. Personally I don't think 11 and 12 year old kids should be in a school with 16,17 and 18 yr olds. Plus, I really do think the kids themselves want the chance to be kids a little longer.

Then why are kids always eager to be older and more independent than they are?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an FCPS parent, I hated having 6th grade in ES. 7 years with the same kids was too much, the kids had physically outgrown the school, and the staff was not at all equipped to deal with the issues and drama of 6th graders.

I was in an elementary school that had K-6 and my kids did K-5. While I did have initial apprehension about my 11 year olds going to middle school for 6th, after seeing it both ways, I vastly prefer 6th in middle school.

The comment above about ES not being able to deal with social drama of 6th is spot on. 6th grade was my worst year of school. I did much better with a brand new group of kids and kids in different classes when I finally got to middle school in 7th.

Don't you feel like 6th grade in middle makes the kids grow up a little bit faster than they have to though?

What does this even mean? Do you mean they don't get to play on the playground at recess anymore? Do you think keeping them at elementary schools is keeping them secluded from temptations, vaping, sex, drugs? What do they have in common with K-5ers?

Don't you think maybe "staying a kid" until 12 or 13 might make the jump to 7th even bigger?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do some of you feel like the benefits of Middle school starting at 6th or even 5th are? Or having a middle school at all?

I'd be fine with K-8 programs -- but we don't have the capacity in our buildings for that. I'd be fine with it theoretically, assuming the school is administered in a way that the older grades are essentially/primarily independent of the youngest grades. Just like 6th grades are generally managed in our middle schools - kept kinda separate; but still part of the larger community because they're gonna have to transition to that community at some point.

I definitely wouldn't start middle school in 5th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle school is usually awful, why would anyone child or adult want more years of it? Let kids be kids.

You are not holding your kid back for your kid, you are hold him or her back for you and your own comfort. That isn't what your kid needs, tho. Your kid needs to keep growing toward adulthood. You are raising an adult, not coddling a kid.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parent of 7th and 10th graders here. They were at a middle school in Fairfax that started in 6th grade and I much prefer it that way. My daughter in particular couldn’t stand how the elementary teachers talked to the 5th graders like babies. In 6th it was more about the academics and getting to explore particular interests (like engineering). Having three grades in the school allows the seventh graders to be more confident and relaxed because they’re not new and also not just looking toward high school.

Exactly! If the 5th graders weren't treated the same way as the kindergartners, it would be different. But they make everyone do things the same way. Having a bit of that now even in high school as my upperclassman is annoyed about having their trips to the bathroom tracked now, and not being allowed to eat lunch outside like they used to but now only in the courtyard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an FCPS parent, I hated having 6th grade in ES. 7 years with the same kids was too much, the kids had physically outgrown the school, and the staff was not at all equipped to deal with the issues and drama of 6th graders.

I know so many ppl who say this yet have no problem with a jr/Sr high combo. Personally I don't think 11 and 12 year old kids should be in a school with 16,17 and 18 yr olds. Plus, I really do think the kids themselves want the chance to be kids a little longer.

Then why are kids always eager to be older and more independent than they are?

It seems exciting to them, it happens to us all, doesn't mean we shouldn't let them be kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an FCPS parent, I hated having 6th grade in ES. 7 years with the same kids was too much, the kids had physically outgrown the school, and the staff was not at all equipped to deal with the issues and drama of 6th graders.

I was in an elementary school that had K-6 and my kids did K-5. While I did have initial apprehension about my 11 year olds going to middle school for 6th, after seeing it both ways, I vastly prefer 6th in middle school.

The comment above about ES not being able to deal with social drama of 6th is spot on. 6th grade was my worst year of school. I did much better with a brand new group of kids and kids in different classes when I finally got to middle school in 7th.

Don't you feel like 6th grade in middle makes the kids grow up a little bit faster than they have to though?

What does this even mean? Do you mean they don't get to play on the playground at recess anymore? Do you think keeping them at elementary schools is keeping them secluded from temptations, vaping, sex, drugs? What do they have in common with K-5ers?

Don't you think maybe "staying a kid" until 12 or 13 might make the jump to 7th even bigger?

I apparently don't think that 6th graders are as old as you do. I don't think having them in elementary is harming them in anyway. What do they have in common with k-5? They're kids they probably have more in common than you think. Do I think this will solve all problems, vaping, drinking...no, but I think it will help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an FCPS parent, I hated having 6th grade in ES. 7 years with the same kids was too much, the kids had physically outgrown the school, and the staff was not at all equipped to deal with the issues and drama of 6th graders.

I know so many ppl who say this yet have no problem with a jr/Sr high combo. Personally I don't think 11 and 12 year old kids should be in a school with 16,17 and 18 yr olds. Plus, I really do think the kids themselves want the chance to be kids a little longer.

Then why are kids always eager to be older and more independent than they are?

It seems exciting to them, it happens to us all, doesn't mean we shouldn't let them be kids.

You’re not preventing them from being kids by placing them in a school with a more appropriate age cohort.

[Anonymous]

I live in a state north of you, but the public schools here are K-5 and 6-8. I think it has worked well. The students seem eager to leave their neighborhood elementary schools and meet new kids at the middle school. The middle schools try to separate 6th graders from 7th and 8th graders. 6th grade is considered a transition year, and there is a lot of "hand holding" to walk them through the procedures and expectations, as well as strong reinforcement of study skills so they will be able to handle the more intense coursework in 7th and 8th.

One of my children attended private school, and middle school was grades 5-8. The 6th grade was bigger than the 5th grade because they add a lot of students in 6th and 9th grades. They tended to have the 5th and 6th grades separate from the 7th and 8th grades because of the developmental differences. It was an interesting concept that imo also worked well, but they had the facilities to do this successfully.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an FCPS parent, I hated having 6th grade in ES. 7 years with the same kids was too much, the kids had physically outgrown the school, and the staff was not at all equipped to deal with the issues and drama of 6th graders.

I was in an elementary school that had K-6 and my kids did K-5. While I did have initial apprehension about my 11 year olds going to middle school for 6th, after seeing it both ways, I vastly prefer 6th in middle school.

The comment above about ES not being able to deal with social drama of 6th is spot on. 6th grade was my worst year of school. I did much better with a brand new group of kids and kids in different classes when I finally got to middle school in 7th.

Don't you feel like 6th grade in middle makes the kids grow up a little bit faster than they have to though?

What does this even mean? Do you mean they don't get to play on the playground at recess anymore? Do you think keeping them at elementary schools is keeping them secluded from temptations, vaping, sex, drugs? What do they have in common with K-5ers?

Don't you think maybe "staying a kid" until 12 or 13 might make the jump to 7th even bigger?

I apparently don't think that 6th graders are as old as you do. I don't think having them in elementary is harming them in anyway. What do they have in common with k-5? They're kids they probably have more in common than you think. Do I think this will solve all problems, vaping, drinking...no, but I think it will help.

Well, PPs are telling you it was harmful to their children. Great that it worked out well for yours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle school is usually awful, why would anyone child or adult want more years of it? Let kids be kids.

You are not holding your kid back for your kid, you are hold him or her back for you and your own comfort. That isn't what your kid needs, tho. Your kid needs to keep growing toward adulthood. You are raising an adult, not coddling a kid.

+1

I'm not holding my kid back at all for them or myself. They will grow up, move on eventually as they should, it just doesn't need to be at 11 years old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an FCPS parent, I hated having 6th grade in ES. 7 years with the same kids was too much, the kids had physically outgrown the school, and the staff was not at all equipped to deal with the issues and drama of 6th graders.

I was in an elementary school that had K-6 and my kids did K-5. While I did have initial apprehension about my 11 year olds going to middle school for 6th, after seeing it both ways, I vastly prefer 6th in middle school.

The comment above about ES not being able to deal with social drama of 6th is spot on. 6th grade was my worst year of school. I did much better with a brand new group of kids and kids in different classes when I finally got to middle school in 7th.

Don't you feel like 6th grade in middle makes the kids grow up a little bit faster than they have to though?

What does this even mean? Do you mean they don't get to play on the playground at recess anymore? Do you think keeping them at elementary schools is keeping them secluded from temptations, vaping, sex, drugs? What do they have in common with K-5ers?

Don't you think maybe "staying a kid" until 12 or 13 might make the jump to 7th even bigger?

I apparently don't think that 6th graders are as old as you do. I don't think having them in elementary is harming them in anyway. What do they have in common with k-5? They're kids they probably have more in common than you think. Do I think this will solve all problems, vaping, drinking...no, but I think it will help.

Well, PPs are telling you it was harmful to their children. Great that it worked out well for yours.

I'm not ppl said it was harmful, I think that's an exaggerating a bit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an FCPS parent, I hated having 6th grade in ES. 7 years with the same kids was too much, the kids had physically outgrown the school, and the staff was not at all equipped to deal with the issues and drama of 6th graders.

I was in an elementary school that had K-6 and my kids did K-5. While I did have initial apprehension about my 11 year olds going to middle school for 6th, after seeing it both ways, I vastly prefer 6th in middle school.

The comment above about ES not being able to deal with social drama of 6th is spot on. 6th grade was my worst year of school. I did much better with a brand new group of kids and kids in different classes when I finally got to middle school in 7th.

Don't you feel like 6th grade in middle makes the kids grow up a little bit faster than they have to though?

What does this even mean? Do you mean they don't get to play on the playground at recess anymore? Do you think keeping them at elementary schools is keeping them secluded from temptations, vaping, sex, drugs? What do they have in common with K-5ers?

Don't you think maybe "staying a kid" until 12 or 13 might make the jump to 7th even bigger?

I apparently don't think that 6th graders are as old as you do. I don't think having them in elementary is harming them in anyway. What do they have in common with k-5? They're kids they probably have more in common than you think. Do I think this will solve all problems, vaping, drinking...no, but I think it will help.

Well, PPs are telling you it was harmful to their children. Great that it worked out well for yours.

I'm not ppl said it was harmful, I think that's an exaggerating a bit.

Again, that is your experience. It is incredibly harmful to be at a school where the administration, counselors, and teachers do not understand the social dynamics of 6th graders and try to handle bullying and relational aggression by that age group with techniques designed for first graders. Or when you are a kid who doesn't really fit in and you are with the same two classes in your grade that you have been shuffled between for 7 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an FCPS parent, I hated having 6th grade in ES. 7 years with the same kids was too much, the kids had physically outgrown the school, and the staff was not at all equipped to deal with the issues and drama of 6th graders.

I was in an elementary school that had K-6 and my kids did K-5. While I did have initial apprehension about my 11 year olds going to middle school for 6th, after seeing it both ways, I vastly prefer 6th in middle school.

The comment above about ES not being able to deal with social drama of 6th is spot on. 6th grade was my worst year of school. I did much better with a brand new group of kids and kids in different classes when I finally got to middle school in 7th.

Don't you feel like 6th grade in middle makes the kids grow up a little bit faster than they have to though?

No, I don't, especially if the schools do a good job supporting them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an FCPS parent, I hated having 6th grade in ES. 7 years with the same kids was too much, the kids had physically outgrown the school, and the staff was not at all equipped to deal with the issues and drama of 6th graders.

I know so many ppl who say this yet have no problem with a jr/Sr high combo. Personally I don't think 11 and 12 year old kids should be in a school with 16,17 and 18 yr olds. Plus, I really do think the kids themselves want the chance to be kids a little longer.

Then why are kids always eager to be older and more independent than they are?

It seems exciting to them, it happens to us all, doesn't mean we shouldn't let them be kids.

You’re not preventing them from being kids by placing them in a school with a more appropriate age cohort.

Seriously. Middle schoolers are still kids!