A LYS Principal asks,

SC,

What are the characteristics of a Senior Elementary?  I COMPLETELY agree with your statement about running a middle school like a Senior Elementary (instead of a Junior High School). I just want to be sure we are on the same page.

SC Response What sets a good elementary school apart from the typical middle and high school is the overriding understanding that the responsibility for student success lies with the adult. There is the understanding that children make mistakes both behaviorally and academically and so we have to teach and re-teach in both areas.  It is understood that it is the responsibility of the teacher to contact parents, to keep track of student work, and help students complete their academic tasks.  

Teachers and students work hard to create a community of “Together” rather than perpetuate an environment of “Us versus Them.”  There is a focus on flexibility and discovery instead of control and conformity.

That’s what I mean when I talk about a senior elementary school.  Yes, I know the middle school has to prepare students for high school.  But there is generally three years to complete that transition.  It does not have to be completed in the first six weeks of the first semester that students arrive to their new campus.

Think. Work. Achieve. Your turn…

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