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Choosing A Middle School
Learn the basics about Middle Schools, what the learning focus is, and questions to consider when choosing a school.
Middle school typically covers grades 6-8 and is a great period of change for children as they enter adolescence and their bodies are changing rapidly due to puberty. Middle schools typically have students moving through a schedule similar to how a high school may operate.
They are learning how to handle more independence while also coping with increased social networks and peer challenges. Social media will play a huge role in how your child socializes with friends so it will be important to develop trust and clear boundaries for how you want them to engage in various social media platforms and technology in general. Let us help with choosing a middle school.
Middle school is often where after-school programming becomes important to your child as a time to be with their friends, whether it is an athletic activity or one focused on the arts. Helping your child focus on what they like to do and how they build relationships with other children in person is another part of the middle school journey.
Questions To Consider When Choosing A Middle School
- What are your feeder elementary schools?
- How are students grouped within grades?
- Do teachers work within grade-level teams, subject-area departments, or both?
- How are elective classes included in the curriculum?
- What sports are available for students to play?
- What does a typical day look like?
- Does the school use a homeroom model or do students move through the day with class periods (going to different classes at specific times)?
- How do you help students apply to high school?
- What high school do a majority of your students attend after 8th grade?
Next Steps
- Search all St. Louis middle schools
- Middle School Readiness Checklist (English)
- Lista de preparación para la Secundaria(Español)
- Preparing for Middle School Resource Kit
- Kit de Recursos Preparación para la Secundaria (Español)
- Get help finding a school with a school navigator
- Sign up for email updates and reminders