Dear Middle School Families,
As I hit the home stretch of my second year at Wellington, I am reminded each day of what makes this school so special. One of the unique and most admirable traits lies in our shared commitment to growth: we prioritize reflection, feedback, and listening, and we partner with intentionality to elevate the experience for students, educators, and families.
Our commitment to continuous and substantive improvement empowers us to keep students at the center as we live out our values. With this in mind, I'm excited to share updates to our middle school program for the 2025-2026 school year. Rooted in our strategic priorities to advance academic excellence and deepen student engagement, these changes are designed to expand opportunities for extension, exploration, and connection, and to ensure that every student is challenged and supported every step of the way.
Expanding Math Pathways
In math, middle school students have historically had access to two course options: at-level and advanced. Starting next year, we are introducing a three-track structure for students in grades 6 through 8. While 5th grade will continue with two tracks (at-level and accelerated), students in 6th grade and beyond will benefit from an additional third accelerated track that bridges the two. This model will allow us to differentiate instruction more effectively, ensure appropriate pacing and support, and create clearer transitions to upper school math. It also narrows the instructional range within each classroom, helping teachers meet student needs more precisely. Students in the at-level track will be prepared for either Algebra 1 or Geometry in 9th grade; students in the accelerated track will be prepared for Geometry in 9th grade; and students in the advanced track will be prepared for Algebra 2 in 9th grade. Student placements in each course will be determined by teacher recommendations, academic data, and placement testing, and we will iteratively revisit placement to ensure that students are receiving appropriate instruction.
6th Grade World Language Offerings
In our current model, all middle school students take French in 5th and 6th grade before choosing between French, Spanish, and Latin for 7th grade. Starting next year, we will offer an exposure year for 6th graders, with students rotating through a trimester each of French, Spanish, and Latin. This structure introduces greater diversity in language learning, fosters earlier engagement, and provides helpful context as students prepare to select a language elective in grade 7.
6th Grade ELA Instructional Time
In English Language Arts, we are increasing 6th grade instruction from four to five days per week to match the meeting cadence of 5th grade ELA. This shift will strengthen literacy development and align with our broader institutional emphasis on writing. 7th and 8th grade will continue to meet four times per week to accommodate our elective schedule, and we will also offer extension opportunities for humanities in those grades, as articulated below.
7th and 8th Grade Humanities Extension
We are excited to introduce a new honors humanities course for 7th and 8th graders to extend their learning further. Taught by our writing support specialist, Mason Roulston, this course will meet twice weekly for 30 minutes in place of supervised study and offer deeper engagement in literature, history, and writing for students seeking additional challenge in the humanities. Students will apply for entry, and this course will be graded and appear on academic reports as its own class. Mason’s experience as an MFA candidate, ELA teacher, and social studies teacher will create interdisciplinary learning experiences to spark students’ curiosity and stretch them as readers, writers, and thinkers.
Elevating Instructional Time on LEAP Day
As we continue to refine our LEAP Day schedule, we remain committed to preserving the elements that make it meaningful and distinct, such as advisory and community time, experiential and service learning, and clubs and dives. This programming will remain in next year’s schedule, and we are also elevating academic time in the mornings. Our new LEAP Day schedule will feature four periods for AM rotations, ensuring that class sections can meet, similar to the new Upper School model. In this revised schedule, LEAP Days will continue to reflect the values of our program while aligning more closely with our academic goals.
Learning Support
We are also elevating our approach to learning support through shifts in staffing. Erica Clark will take on an expanded role as Director of Student Success for grades K through 8, providing greater alignment and continuity across divisions, while Mikki Joseph will continue in her role as Middle School Learning Specialist. In addition, Laura Trubulowicz will serve as a part-time member of the Student Success Team: she will continue as a 5th grade advisor and teach two sections of 5th grade ELA, with the rest of her time devoted to learning support. Laura’s role also expands our capacity to more intentionally teach and integrate executive functioning skills, such as organization, planning, time management, and self-advocacy, into the student experience.
We look forward to sharing more details about these changes in the weeks ahead. As I shared above, these shifts are informed by feedback from students, families, and faculty, and we’re eager to continue learning from your experiences. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey to share your perspective. The strength of our community lies in our shared commitment to each other, our students, and our values. I’m proud to be a Jag!
With gratitude and optimism,
Louis