Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/96436
m ade CreatiNg New OppOrtuNities Fifth grade Joins the Middle school T his fall, the Class of 2019 will be the first group of Latin fifth graders to start its year as part of the middle school. The move reflects the changing developmental and learning needs of students in this age group and will provide them with numerous enhanced academic and extracurricular opportunities. For Middle School Director Deb Sampey, this step will mean the culmination of years of careful thought and planning. ���I remember meeting with the fifth-grade teachers in 2000 to tell them about the school���s plans and how wonderful the move would be,��� says Sampey. ���My daughter Charlotte, who will be part of next year���s fifth-grade class, wasn���t even born yet. But I was already professionally invested and very excited about it.��� At the time, Sampey could see that the middle school���s schedule would allow for valuable increased instruction time for the fifth graders. More significantly, she imagined how adding the fifth grade would change the entire dynamic of the middle school by pairing age groups with developmental similarities to create a fifth/sixth and seventh/eighth grade model. As Latin designed and built its new middle school building, which opened in 2007, the advantages in terms of space and facilities for the fifth graders only grew. Since that first meeting, Sampey and a team of lower and middle school faculty and administrators have worked together to create a program unique to Latin that would enhance the fifth-grade experience, but also preserve room Grade Class the nurturing and care of the lower school as well as some much-loved traditions. ���Our goal was to really consider the needs of our fifth graders and how we could improve their program, but at the same time not mess with the fantastic work our fifth-grade faculty were already doing in the lower school,��� says Sampey. The team visited schools throughout the country, researched and had many conversations with faculty and parents. New Opportunities Starting this fall when the fifth graders move into the fifth/sixth grade suite on the third floor of the middle school, the Class of 2019 will add science and languages to its core curriculum, thereby doubling instruction time in these subjects. For languages, students will have the choice of taking Latin, Chinese, French or Spanish, supporting the school���s goal of fully engaging students in a language in which they can attain fluency. Students also will increase time devoted to the arts in an exploratory program that will expose them to band or chorus, drama and visual arts throughout the year. Another addition will be a specialized reading program that will support fifth graders as they learn to read for content and develop study skills. Being part of the middle school also will mean that fifth graders can take advantage of a full range of athletic and co-curricular offerings such as Science Olympiad and Math Counts, age-appropriate interscholastic athletics and a wide array of clubs. ���Our goal was to really consider the needs of our fifth graders and how we could improve their program, but at the same time not mess with the fantastic work our fifth grade faculty were already doing in the lower school��� ��� Deb Sampey, Middle School Director Latin School of Chicago 33