I just found out that ds's new school is K-8th, which kind of concerns me. They did say that they keep the 6-8 grades seperated from the younger kids. They have a later start and end time. Does anyone have any experience with this big of an age group in school?? How was it??

By Mommmie on Thursday, November 13, 2003 - 10:43 am:

My son's school is age 3-12th grade. They don't mingle too much with each other. The 1st floor is age 3 to 2nd grade, the 2nd floor is 3rd-5th, the 3rd floor is 6th-8th and the high school is on the 4th floor plus the high school has a separate entrance and it's own commons/atrium area on the 1st floor on the opposite side of the lower school.

I have talked to moms who prefer to have their kids in a k-8 school. It's just one fewer transition for them to make.

By Kay on Thursday, November 13, 2003 - 12:28 pm:

My children all attended the same school I did, and it is for grades K-8. The 7th and 8th graders are paired with K and 1st grade 'buddies' for reading time, etc. The kids in our school really watch out for each other, and I think it's the best thing in the world.

Yes, it's a parochial school, and that may make a difference, but I think *people* make the difference. Also what makes a difference is the level of commitment that the parents make to the school and its activities.

By Trisa on Thursday, November 13, 2003 - 01:30 pm:

The school I went to when I was young was
7-12th grade. But I grew up in a small town.

By Sue3 on Thursday, November 13, 2003 - 05:41 pm:

Debbie,
I attended a school that was 1-8th grade as did my 5 brothers and sister,we never had a problem with the age difference.
I hope that your ds enjoys his new school and so do you

By Mommyof4 on Thursday, November 13, 2003 - 08:30 pm:

The school I went to was K - 12, so was dh's but we grew up in very small towns 500 people and 250 people.

By Bobbie on Thursday, November 13, 2003 - 08:41 pm:

I went to 8th grade in a school that was k thru 8. Like some one explained above we had diffrent floors for diffrent grade levels. It wasn't any big deal. They managed us all well. And to be honest unless you needed to go to the office you really didn't see the younger kids until it was time to ride the bus home. And then they kept us seperated littlest kids in the very front oldest kids in the very back. This is not uncommon around here. We have a lot of little towns around here that do not have an official Junior High. And many of the local school districts are in the small towns have a school complex. Which consist of a the main school office, a elementary, a junior high and senior high buildings all on one big plot of land. This is how My younger three's school district is. I wouldn't really worry about it.. They will keep them seperated trust me.

By Debbie on Friday, November 14, 2003 - 09:13 am:

Thank you for the encouraging words. This is a small suburb that we are moving to...well, small for us. We are moving from a city that has 242,000 people, to one that has 25,000. Everyone I talked to at the new school has been so helpful. Plus, everyone at dh's new job keeps telling him that the school district is wonderful. So I am keeping my fingers crossed. Ds'
s school now is just K-4, so it is just a big change from what we are used too.

By Ginny~moderator on Friday, November 14, 2003 - 07:03 pm:

I think K-8 is a good idea. Personally, I think the idea of middle schools is one of the worst educational ideas around.

My sons went to K-8 and it was great when one son's 3rd grade teacher called me about my then 7th grader and told me she had scolded him in the hall for misbehavior. Teachers really get to know the kids if you have a school where teachers stay a long time, and keep tabs on them. They also get to know you. When they graduated and went to 9-12 schools, as 13 year olds they had the influence of 17-18 year old seniors, a lot of whom were learning how to be responsible people, and that again was good.

My problem with middle schools is putting all those kids who are 6-8 or 6-9 grade, with all those hormones, in a school where there is no "leaven". They don't have the little kids around to dilute the mass of kids with hormones and to be role models for, or older kids to be (with luck) role models. In K-8 schools (with, of course, good principals and teachers), the little kids are watched out for, the bigger kids get to be role models, and when they move on to 9th grade they are in a group where even with hormones raging there are older kids around who have BTDT, grown out of it (mostly) and are thinking about college and grownup things and can be role models for the 9th graders.

Overall, if they watch out for the little kids, I don't think it will be a problem. It all depends, of course, on the staff and how much they invest into managing behavior as well as education, but that's true of any school.