FAQ's

In Dec. of 2014 we chose to combine two grade 2 classrooms into one so that we could move a teacher to 6th grade to divide that one class into two classrooms.  That was a reactive approach to fluctuating enrollment, it was how this type of situation was handled.

Later that school year we decided to pilot a grades ½ combination for the 2015-16 school year.  In March the two teachers began actively researching and visiting/talking with other schools.  They worked over the summer to plan their curriculum.  The school board discussed this option and approved it on June 1.  We held a parent meeting on June 2 and implemented it in the fall.

In 2016-17 school year we met and talked about how to expand the multi-age program at MES.  It was discussed at a board meeting in March and May.  There was no official vote recorded.  In May the board approved the assignments of staff in non-public which they do each year in May.  In April of that year we held a parent info night.

Important to Note: We design programs for students, not for staff.

There are several reasons that have initiated this decision.   Since the pandemic when everything was shut down and protocols were set in place, our young children had diverse experiences in their early developmental years.  A K-2 structure will allow us to personalize learning for all students in the primary grades both academically and social-emotionally.  This structure will also provide our students and families three Grades K-2 classrooms.  We will be able to better match children to teaching style and create classrooms where we consider group dynamics.   These are things that are available to students and families in all of our grade level groupings 1-6.  Having a single Kindergarten classroom restricts our ability to do this.

Having a K-2 structure will better provide for students' needs as we can create peer groups more appropriately.  Working with students for multiple years right from the beginning will allow for more instructional time as relationships are worked out quickly and the teacher already knows how a student in grades ½ learn and where they are at on the learning continuum. 

For those students who are ready for academics like reading and operational math, we can provide that.  For those students who need more of the social skills, we can provide that.  In the end this structure will provide us a way to meet students’ needs in a more personal and individualized way which will then give them a successful primary grades experience preparing them for third grade.

Students are naturally grouped K-2 throughout the school day (lunch, recess, school play) and outside of school for sports, before & after school programs, activities, etc...  Having K-2 classrooms extends this community of learning that we have in other parts of our day into our daily lives.

Children have access to different students, teachers, and experiences.

We are able to teach children K-2 on a learning continuum so that each child gets what they need.

We build a sense of family as a classroom who are together for several years, while rotating roles of being the younger, the middle, and the older.

We are able to expand our Play-based Learning approach piloted this year in Kindergarten to all students in K-2.

A lot has changed in education in 30 years, even just in 10 years.  

We know more about how children learn.  We understand the impacts of trauma, mental health, and social-emotional needs.  We have a competency based system to guide instruction and provide students instruction based on current levels.

What hasn’t changed?  Children still learn through play, relationships, a sense of belonging, and through interacting with others.  As adults, this is true for us.  Want to learn how to use your new technology- you need to play around with it to explore.  

We know that children (typically) up to age 8 are developing and hitting milestones at different rates in the following areas: speech and communication, physical (gross and fine motor) development, social-emotional, and cognitively.  This 3 year span allows us flexibility to meet their developmental needs through appropriate groupings and our intentional approach to every detail from setting up the classroom environment, creation of centers that can be differentiated, lessons that are directed towards students’ skills, etc...

There are things we do throughout our school that are common in every classroom as we work to build a classroom family.  We use the word "family" intentionally as it connects us to how each individual family is different in its constructs.  Activities such as Morning Meeting are appropriate for all of our students K-6 and provide an excellent opportunity for connection and personal growth.

During our core academic times for math and literacy students will be grouped by skill level which typically places them with their grade level peers.  We use flexible grouping to make adjustments as necessary for students so that they are getting what they need.

Time- Time to meet, time to talk with other schools, time to visit other schools, time with Dr. Hart, time to plan, common planning time during the 2023-24 school year

Opportunities: Visit other schools, communicate with other schools (even those with a K/1), personalized professional development dependent on needs - grade level skills and content, differentiation, etc…

Collaboration:  This creates a team who can share the work, build understandings and ideas, provide support for each other throughout the year

Staffing: We will maximize our staffing resources to support student’s growth and development.  We are fortunate to have RTI teaching and para support staff who currently work with K-2.  We will be able to better allocate those resources to provide direct, targeted support as needed.

Integrated Arts Teachers will be given support too.  We will work that out when we have finished hiring for our IA Team.

We will schedule 3 mornings in August for incoming Kindergarten students to attend school.  Each day all of the students will be in one of the rooms with all 3 teachers.  The room will rotate so that they experience each room over the course of the 3 days.

After that, our teachers will know the students better and be able to finalize Kindergarten student classroom placements.  

Exploration Time is a time for students to learn through a play-based model.  

Play-based learning, specifically guided play, maintains the joy of free play while allowing children to connect authentically with content. When children co-construct their learning with their teachers and peers, they apply it to their own lives making meaningful, personal discoveries as they progress towards learning goals. Children naturally learn through play by engaging in and making sense of their world. Guided play is self-chosen, enjoyable, and process-oriented. These opportunities are experiences that are child-directed and teacher-facilitated in which teachers take an active role as intentional planners, observers, and guides.

The continuum of play-based learning ranges from free play to teacher-directed play. These various forms of play are largely defined by the level of child agency and the role of the adult within each play-based experience. 

Research has shown that children benefit in different ways from all forms of play across the continuum. Yet guided play experiences lead to the most significant learning and developmental outcomes for children.