High School Admission Day
For the past several days, our Middle School has taken center stage. Last Friday, we changed up the normal schedule so that our 8th Grade students could participate in a special day dedicated to High School admission. On the docket: practice entrance exams and test-taking techniques, mock interviews with the administrative team, who were very happy to help out, and to wrap things up, meetings (on Zoom, must we even say it?) with former students from The École, who are in High School now. They were happy to share feedback about their experience.
Middle School Information Session
Yesterday evening, Middle School continued to be the topic of discussion at the presentation organized by Middle School Director, Rachel Loble. She, along with four teachers, met with 3rd through 5th Grade families. It was an opportunity to share about the wonderful work that our team does on a daily basis. They expounded on the quality and richness of our program. The team also highlighted our high marks in terms of Exmissions as our students are regularly accepted at the best schools in New York and elsewhere. These achievements are no accident. They are the result of a collective desire to give students the tools—methodological and technical, cultural and scientific—that will allow them to approach High School without worries, and generally with a leg up compared to their future classmates.
A Growing Endeavor
The Middle School is a very important concern for The École. We have put a significant amount of resources towards ensuring that our students have the proper facilities and support. We created a Middle School Scholarship program, we built a Science Lab, a Music Room and a Maker Room. All of these developments seem to have made an impact, as we currently have 19 students in 6th Grade. That is an incredible accomplishment for a school of our size. The loyalty of our families as well as the arrival of new students who are impressed with our program are encouraging to us. But increasing numbers in our Middle School classes are also beneficial on a pedagogical level for all grades. This growth is actually everyone’s concern.
A Strong Middle School Benefits Everyone
Indeed, having a strong Middle School provides many benefits to a school. I saw this firsthand in Taiwan, where our numbers in those grades more than tripled during my time there. Stronger teamwork, sharing methods and different perspectives, a more structured link between Elementary and Middle School, a revamped image. These are just some of the advantages for the school. And for families, they benefit from a clearer path even within their own school. Thus, they understand everything that is at stake in order to be able to make the right decisions for their children.
We are not naive. Indeed, we know very well that many families do not straightaway see their children staying at The École through 8th Grade. We know that they are often plagued by doubts, that they are not sure which path to take. At The École, everyone who works here knows how much an education here has to offer. They know that it can be a difference-maker for our students. Now we just need to convince our families. We must show them that our Middle School offers everything our students need to enter the High School or future of their choice. You will hear me repeat this message often because I am thoroughly convinced of this. And because I have seen excellent results in other places. So, I invite any families, who would like to, to contact us—Rachel, myself, the teachers—so that we can continue this discussion. It’s never too early to get started. Elementary parents are lucky enough to have a little gem of a Middle School in the same building. It would be a real shame if they didn’t know about it!