Dear Middle School Families,
Today marks seven weeks into the school year. Students have settled into the routines of new grade levels, and the learning is in full swing. As I make my “instructional rounds” through each classroom, I am consistently amazed at the curiosity, engagement, and visible thinking that I encounter in each space.
As you can see above, 7th graders have been immersed in “Animal Farm,” reading critically, annotating, and discussing the novel’s historical context, culminating in an analytical essay (all those post-it notes are annotations from one chapter!). 6th graders have jumped into their Water Perspectives Project, in which they research a water-related current event and generate four solutions, including pros and cons, culminating in a presentation to their peers. I’ve loved connecting with 8th graders as they prepared in groups for science class debates about the use of imperial versus metric systems of measurement. This process not only builds mathematical, scientific, and writing capacity, but also challenges students to engage in collaboration, communication, active listening, and perspective-taking – critical soft skills that we know will equip them for their future success. 5th graders have embarked upon their independent research projects in Explorers of the World, where topics include the business of basketball, the solar system, medicine, coding, and physics. Each of these academic experiences represents a smattering of the spectacular learning on display at Wellington each day!
We also know that feedback is an essential component of the learning process. On Thursday, October 10, at 4 p.m., you will find in Veracross interim reports from each of your child’s teachers. I encourage you to talk through these narrative comments and Willing Learner Metric ratings with your child to celebrate progress and identify opportunities for growth. In addition, you are always welcome to reach out directly to a subject-area teacher with questions.
At Wellington, learning also extends beyond the walls of our classrooms. Last week, our 8th graders took a service-learning trip (featuring the Wonderbus!) to Scioto Audubon Metro Park, where they helped pull invasive plants from the ecosystem and generated their own unique pitches for community projects to help greater Columbus. On the (early!) morning of October 22, 7th and 8th graders will depart for their fall trips to Washington, D.C. and Chicago, respectively, returning on Friday, October 25. These trips are hallmarks of Wellington’s middle school experience, as students engage in experiential learning and relationship building. I’ve been training all summer to keep up with Ms. Burkhalter as she takes us on a 30,000-step-a-day tour of all the history and culture that D.C. has to offer!
In the spirit of building community, I always relish the opportunity to connect at our grade-level Parent & Caregiver Coffees, including 5th grade last week and 6th grade this morning. I invite 7th and 8th grade families to join me and other middle school leadership in the Doerschlag Den next week:
Please RSVP to Jamie Fencl at fencl@wellington.org to let us know you are planning to attend!
A few other fall reminders to keep on your radar:
- Students will be off this Friday, October 11, and Monday, October 14, for Fall Break.
- We will have a late start on Tuesday, November 5, for Election Day. School will begin at 10 a.m.
- Experience Wellington (a new weekend admissions event!) is happening on Sunday, November 17, from 1-3 p.m. If you have friends, family, or neighbors with students entering grades 5-12 who are interested in learning more about Wellington, please invite them to this engaging and fun event. Prospective families can register here. Thank you for being a Wellington ambassador! And if you want to take it to the next level, yard signs will be available in the admissions suite beginning October 17.
Thank you, as always, for your partnership at home, and Go Jags!
All the best,
Louis