Major shift to be made in middle school schedule at NCES in fall

NORTH CANAAN — A plan to realign two grade levels at North Canaan Elementary School was well-received by the Board of Education May 12.Two fifth-grade and two sixth-grade teachers will team up to teach students in those grades beginning in the next school year.Fifth-graders will see the biggest change. Instead of remaining in the same classroom for academic subjects taught by the same teacher, they will move to different classrooms and subjects taught by team teachers with special expertise in, for example, math and science. It will offer an easier transition to the middle school schedule, where students are responsible for keeping to a schedule and keeping track of things. They will also be eligible for detention.For sixth-graders, it will offer a slower transition into middle school, allowing them an extra year to bridge the maturity gap between students in grade six, seven and eight. “Fifth and sixth together is more age appropriate,” said fifth-grade teacher Beth Johnson. “The sixth-graders are being exposed to some middle school things too early. There is a big difference between the ages. Fifth and sixth will have lunch and recess together, so they will only socialize with each other.”Sixth-graders will no longer be eligible for the honor roll, but can receive academic awards.Report card style will change and homework help during lunch will be dropped.At the meeting May 12, teacher Claire Walton explained new scheduling blocks devised by the team. The new format offers more instructional time in math, social studies and science. Some 80-minute blocks are included, which will allow lengthier lessons and science experiments to be completed all at once. Each student will receive at least one 40-minute block of extra help or enrichment each week.“One of the best things about it is we were able to schedule in common prep time for all four of us each day,” Walton said. “We can talk about problems we might all be having with a student and ways to teach across the curriculums. Now, we all have daily prep time, but it’s not usually at the same time.”School board members endorsed the plan, and spoke of a new philosophy that is critical of the three-grade middle school arrangement. Team members include Renee Slonaker and Fern Weisman. The team will offer a presentation on the new approach to parents of fourth- and fifth-graders on June 2, prior to the band concert.