By: Nick D’Amore
Middle School officials are reviewing proposals and recommendations made by the middle school committees for the transition from one to two middle schools next school year.
The committees on March 21 discussed how sixth-graders will be transitioned into the middle schools next year.
The committees decided that world language classes will be added for sixth-graders, as well as intramural sports. Seventh- and eighth-graders will take part in Encore, a program of classes outside the core curriculum covering a variety of subjects.
The changes are needed because the Upper Elementary School will be converted from a 5-6 school to a 6-8 middle school, as part of a $46.99 million referendum passed in 1999. Under this plan, UES and Crossroads will become 6-8 middle schools called Crossroads North and Crossroads South, respectively in September.
Upper Elementary School Principal Joanne Kerekes said staff from UES and Crossroads School will meet again with parents in May during their spring orientation.
She also said the sixth-grade program will stay basically the same as it is now at UES, except sixth-graders will no longer have recess like they have now.
"They will have a strong intramural program after school and will have more opportunity for physical activity than now," said Ms. Kerekes.
"We’re trying to preserve the best of the sixth-grade," she said.
The athletic committee proposed that students in seventh- and eighth-grade participate in interscholastic sports, while sixth-graders participate in intramural sports throughout the three sports seasons. Seventh- and eighth-grade athletes may also participate in intramural sports.
In the fall, cross-country will be an all-inclusive sport; in winter, wrestling will be all-inclusive and in the spring, the track and field program will be all-inclusive.
The Encore Program Committee, proposed that sixth-graders take integrated music and art, as well as Keyboarding I.
For seventh- and eighth-graders, art exploration, computer applications, life skills/home arts, music exploration and technologies will be offered.
The Middle School Music Committee proposed that the musical performing groups be mixed with sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders.
Each school will perform separate musicals and separate winter and spring concerts.
Ms. Kerekes said students in music programs will be pulled out of their physical education classes for their lessons, as opposed to their academic classes.
Lessons for students in band will take place before school, with busing provided.
Ms. Kerekes said some parents were concerned about the early start for their children.
The committee said Crossroads North will have 210 choir members and 315 instrumentalists. Crossroads South will have 285 choir members and 533 instrumentalists.
The communication committee proposed that the Crossroads report card grading system of letter grades be used for the two middle schools. Ms. Kerekes said the student agenda will continue to be used to record the students’ homework.
"We will also share a common students handbook so that our rules, routines and systems are the same," she said.
She said the Friday folder for students at UES will continue for sixth-graders to take home notices to their parents every Friday.
"There will be a variation of that for seventh- and eighth-graders that will wean them off the Friday folders," she said.
Parents will get e-mailed notices every Friday, as well, said Ms. Kerekes.
An after-school program called Club 678, as voted on by the students of both schools will be located at Crossroads North from 3:05 p.m. to 6 p.m. It will include sports, arts and crafts, homework assistance and games.
Ms. Kerekes said the Parent-Teacher Organization for both schools will be combined to form the Crossroads PTO, with one president that will represent both schools. There also will be two PTO vice presidents, one from each school.
The forum also presented the budget implications for the middle school, including a 6.1 percent increase in professional staff, mostly at the middle school and high school levels.
Also, in the budget are small learning communities for the middle schools; a world language program for sixth-graders; an Encore program for seventh- and eighth-graders; a new keyboarding class for sixth-grade; expanded intramural programs for all middle schoolers; refurbished science labs and refinishing the gym and physical education facilities and the weight room and locker rooms at Crossroads North.
