Elementary School to Middle School Transition
Transitioning 5th and 6th grade students from all seven Abington School District elementary schools to Abington Middle School in September 2022
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Philosophy
Philosophy
The middle school in Abington School District will be a welcoming and supportive school community committed to providing students with an educational foundation to excel and achieve to be college- and career-ready.
The middle school is organized around four essential principles: developmental responsiveness, a challenging curriculum, an empowering school environment, and an equitable school culture.
Benefits of the new Abington Middle School schedule:
Maintains or increases instructional minutes in the areas of math and English Language Arts (ELA)
Allows for blocking (or combining) periods for longer stretches of instruction and less time spent moving around the building
Incorporates regular, social emotional learning and academic supports through an advisory period and workshop rotation
Provides a career and study skills curricula
Establishes a project-based encore class for grade 6 that is focused on i4C skills (innovation, creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking)
Provides new modes for enrichment and intervention
Creates smaller schools within Abington Middle School through teams
Provides common planning time for teachers
Sample Schedule
Sample Schedule
Example of how a student's block schedule might look (each student's day will be scheduled differently)
Example of how a student's block schedule might look (each student's day will be scheduled differently)
Class of 2028
Class of 2028
The Grade Span Reconfiguration will have minimal impact on the Class of 2028, as they would have already attended Abington Junior High School beginning in September 2022. As 7th graders, they will not be the youngest in the building, and will still benefit from the experiences of the new middle school philosophy.
Class of 2029
Class of 2029
The Class of 2029 will enter Abington Middle School as 6th graders in September 2022. They will have the benefit of transitioning to the middle school alongside their peers that are a year ahead of them.
Classes of 2030 and Beyond
Classes of 2030 and Beyond
In September 2022, the Class of 2030 will enter 5th grade, and their culminating, year in ASD elementary schools. Celebrations and events typically held in the past for 6th grade students will instead take place during the 5th grade year. This will be the standard practice for all future classes moving forward as part of the Grade Span Reconfiguration.
Upcoming Events for the Transition to Middle School
Upcoming Events for the Transition to Middle School
Parents/Guardians should check the calendars of their individual schools for culminating celebrations and activities for 5th and 6th graders.
August 29, 2022 - Open House for Incoming Families and Student Tours (6th grade, 9 a.m. - Noon; 7th grade, Noon - 3 p.m.)
August 30, 2022 - Open House for Incoming Families and Student Tours (all grade levels/open to any new students, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
September 6, 2022 – First Day of School for Grades 6 and 7 / Orientation Activities
Resources
Resources
Board Orientation: Secondary Program Changes for 2022-2023 (January 2022)
ASD Parent Council Meeting (January 2022)
Abington Junior High School to become Abington Middle School in July 2022 (October 2021)
Superintendent's Elementary Sub-Committee Regarding Reconfigured Grade Spans Update (October 2021)
For examples of grading, schedules, etc., at the middle school level, please read slides 20-32 in the following presentation to the Board of School Directors (September 2021).
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