How are our children about to be middle schoolers? Are they ready? Are we ready? These may be some of the thoughts crossing your mind now that your child is about to start 6th grade. I’m right there with you. I’m certainly not an expert, but I have been through this before and I’m happy to say my first child came through just fine; better than fine. He’s happy. He’s doing well academically. He’s actually ready for high school (although that brings up a whole other list of worries!) And isn’t that what it’s all about? We may be nervous about the challenges sure to come in middle school, but we want our children to learn the skills to succeed there and beyond. The DMA middle school experience does exactly that. Your child is ready! You may be nervous about your child switching for classes. At DMA we have teachers that specialize in Math, Social Studies, Science, Language Arts/Reading, Religion, Spanish, Music, Art, Gym and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). He/she will have multiple teachers with different teaching styles and expectations.[1] Our middle school teachers are a close team. They talk with each other and work to help each other out. And most importantly they care about our children. They wouldn’t want our children to have multiple major tests on the same day and hours and hours of homework. I truly believe they want them to succeed and learn all they need to know as painlessly as possible. Communication is our best friend here. If your concerned about too much homework on a particular night or anything else, reach out to the teachers. They respond and adjust when necessary. Fun fact, according to the DMA Handbook “Daily homework assignments should take approximately 1 to 1 ½ hours for 4th and 5th graders and approximately 2 hours for 6th-8th grade to complete.”[2] That’s only a 30 minute increase. If it’s consistently taking your child more than two hours, talk to the Guidance Counselor. Our not-so-little ones will learn in middle school how to get organized and be responsible for their own work. My advice is to encourage them to write things down. You know that Catholic Schools assignment book they are all given in September? Sit down with your child and make sure they know how to use an assignment book. It may sound old fashioned but it works. And of course we have the benefit of social media. Make sure you’re on the Facebook page for your child’s class and post questions there. No matter what style of organization your child prefers, learning to keep track of assignments and deadlines is something they NEED to learn how to do on their own. What better time than now? This is a skill needed in high school, college and in the work force. Another tool that we have at DMA is a growing Guidance department. Our Guidance Counselor meets with each class for one period a week for SEL but she offers a lot of other services behind the scenes. You may not be aware of it but she is monitoring all of our DMA students throughout the year keeping an eye out for signs of academic or emotional struggles. She is in constant communication with all the staff and the kids love to talk with her. If your child needs extra help in managing any of the challenges of middle school she is right there to coach them. I am confident that DMA is the best place for my children to experience middle school. We have a loving and dedicated principal, teachers that believe in their vocation, the support of Father Zig and multiple parish communities, and other families that are willing to sacrifice to give their kids better opportunities. I expect my child to be challenged, to grow, to be happy and to come out ready for the future.
[1] The middle school teachers will meet with the 5th graders before the end of the year to discuss specific details about scheduling and teacher expectations at the middle school level.
[2] Divine Mercy Academy Calendar & Handbook 2020-2021, p.8