Next year the middle school will include the sixth grade—that is the big news this week at BJA! The news has been met with favorable response and excitement but has generated a number of questions—some for which we have answers and others to be determined.
Why, you may ask. Programmatically, the change will provide additional academic offerings and expanded extracurricular opportunities for sixth graders. The students will relocate to the middle school Hutto building, change classes, and have multiple teachers as do the seventh and eighth graders. Their teachers will have access to the iPad and Chromebook labs. They will participate in the middle school chapel and Bible classes and be able to participate in the community ministries. The middle school athletic program will be open to the sixth grade students as well.
Practically, it will allow us to make more efficient use of the facilities. Moving the sixth grade out of the elementary building will provide much needed space for anticipated growth while utilizing available space in the Quadrangle buildings.
There are plenty of questions that still need to be answered, but we are working diligently with teachers and parents to identify the questions and the solutions. Will the fifth graders be part of CSO? Can the sixth graders still have a science fair project? What courses will the teachers teach? We should have answers to these questions and many more in the upcoming weeks.
If you have questions or would like more information, let me invite you to join us at our next BJA Briefing, scheduled for Wednesday, February 6, where it will be the main topic of discussion.
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