Fifth Grade Transition to Middle School

Roland Park Country School is proud to announce that the fifth grade will
join our Middle School for the 2025-2026 school year!

As leaders in all-girls education, RPCS is proud to announce the elevation of our fifth grade class to become the primary entry point of our Middle School experience, beginning in the 2025-2026 school year. This change allows us to enhance the academic and extracurricular experiences of an increasingly dynamic and exceptional group of young women at RPCS who exhibit advanced maturity, intellectual curiosity, and academic and social-emotional intelligence.

Moving fifth grade to Middle School offers an incredible opportunity to continue widening and deepening curricular and co-curricular journeys for fifth grade students. Given our strong understanding of the increased benefits of these opportunities, this new structure will be centered on creating a bridge between the exceptional efforts of our Lower School and the new opportunities available for these students in the Middle School.

Rest assured, this transition allows us to preserve and evolve the wonderful traditions our students, parents and alumnae treasure so deeply here at RPCS. In addition to celebrating what we already do well, we are eager to add new, exciting, and meaningful experiences in both the Lower and Middle Schools.

School Updates

The New RPCS Middle School Design: A Journey of Growth and Empowerment - Oct. 7, 2024

Dear Roland Park Country School Community,

As we continue to shape an exceptional Middle School experience for our students, I'm excited to share updates on our progress and vision for the future. We ground this transformative journey in research-based best practices, a deep understanding of adolescent development, and an unwavering commitment to empowering every girl to thrive.

A Student-Centered Approach
Our redesigned Middle School will prioritize health, wellness, and the pursuit of excellence, fostering a supportive environment where students feel safe to grow, explore, and learn. We acknowledge that the middle years bring significant change and opportunities, and we will customize our approach to cater to each student's unique needs. Extensive research in adolescent development highlights the unique needs and characteristics of students in the middle years (grades 5-8). They are navigating a pivotal period of rapid physical, emotional, and intellectual growth, seeking greater independence and challenge while still requiring support and guidance. Our redesigned Middle School is built upon this understanding, incorporating best practices and evidence-based strategies to create a truly empowering experience.

Grade-Specific Themes

Grade 5: Emerging: Building Foundations: Fifth graders will embark on their Middle School journey with a focus on building strong academic and social-emotional foundations.
Grade 6: Wayfinding: Growing Independence: Sixth graders will continue to develop their independence and self-advocacy skills, exploring their interests and passions while building confidence and resilience.
Grade 7: Belonging: Cultivating Leadership: Seventh graders will deepen their sense of belonging within the RPCS community, while also cultivating leadership skills and exploring their potential to make a positive impact.
Grade 8: Advocating: Leading with Purpose: Eighth graders will step into leadership roles, using their voices and influence to advocate for themselves and others, and to create a more just and inclusive world.

Fostering a Supportive Environment

We are committed to creating a Middle School experience that is both challenging and nurturing. We will:

Implement a House System: Four houses will foster a sense of community and belonging, providing opportunities for mentorship and leadership development across grade levels. We envision vibrant house activities like retreats, field days, and convocations to further strengthen connections and create lasting memories.
Enhance Advisory Programs: Advisory will provide personalized support and guidance for every student. Meetings will focus on life skills, core values, dialogue, reflection, and problem-solving, fostering a safe space for students to connect and grow. Fifth and sixth grade homeroom-model advisory will meet at the beginning and end of each day.
Optimize Facilities: The Board of Trustees and school leaders are working with master planners to ensure that our facilities and spaces evolve to support the desired pedagogical shifts, curriculum rigor, and enhanced support systems.

Curriculum and Instruction: Inspiring Excellence

We will design our academic program to challenge and inspire students, fostering intellectual curiosity and a lifelong love of learning. We will:

Align with Upper School & Expand Opportunities for Inquiry: Implement a vertically aligned curriculum that prepares students for success in Upper School, while expanding opportunities for inquiry-based and hands-on learning, promoting deeper engagement and understanding.
Promote Inclusivity, Dignity, and Empowerment: Create a culture of inclusivity through Building Inclusive Culture (BIC) classes and an expansive, rigorous curriculum that fosters understanding, empathy, and celebrates diversity, ensuring a sense of belonging for all students while meeting their developmental needs.
Prioritize Wellness: Enhance wellness education through PE, nutrition, health education, and girl empowerment programs that promote self-worth and self-love, aligning with our core value to "live healthy and be well."
Build Leadership Agility: Create opportunities for sisterhood, collaboration, empowerment, advocacy, and positive impact that nurtures the next generation of leaders.

Grade 5 Transition and Support

We understand the importance of a smooth transition to Middle School. To support our fifth graders, we will provide:

Grouped Classrooms: For easy access and transition, fifth grade classrooms will be clustered together.
Phased Independence: Gradually increase student independence in navigating the Middle School environment throughout the year.
Study Hall Plus and Support Labs: Provide dedicated time for study skills development, as well as additional support labs for language, problem-solving and organizational skills.
Instructional Time Analysis: Conduct a thorough review of the allocated instructional time for Grade 5 to determine if it adequately supports opportunities for deeper learning and student engagement.

Partners in Student Success
We believe that strong partnerships between home and school are essential for student success. We will actively engage parents and guardians as partners in this journey, providing opportunities for communication, collaboration, and feedback.

Grounded in Research and Best Practices
Extensive research on adolescent development and the unique needs of middle school girls forms the foundation of this transformative vision. We have also drawn inspiration from successful 5-8 middle school models across the country, incorporating best practices such as differentiated instruction, social-emotional learning, collaborative learning, and family engagement.

Aligned with RPCS’ Strategic Plan
Our new strategic plan prioritizes championing teaching and learning, maximizing student wellness and engagement, and expanding transformational leadership experiences, all of which fully align with this initiative.

We are confident that this reimagined Middle School experience will empower our students to flourish academically, socially, and emotionally, preparing them to become the confident, compassionate, and capable leaders of tomorrow.

Please visit our website for answers to frequently asked questions about this transition. We invite you to join us on this exciting journey as we continue to shape a brighter future for our students.

Your Partner in Student Success,

Dr. Nadine Richards

Educational Consultant, Nadine Inspires

Sources of Inspiration:

Turning Points: Preparing American Youth for the 21st Century (Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development, 1989)
An Investigation of the Concerns of Fifth Graders Transitioning to Middle School (Cavazos, Bailey, & Hooper, 2014)
Why Start Middle School in 5th Grade? (Laura Jeffrey Academy)
Grade 5 Transition to Middle School (King School)
REL Ask A REL | What does the research say about the relationship between middle school configurations (grades 5–8 or grades 6–8) and social-emotional development in comparison to a K–8 configuration? (Institute of Education Sciences)
Developmental Characteristics of Young Adolescents (AMLE)
Characteristics of young adolescents (Scales, P. C. 2010)
Moving into adolescence: The impact of pubertal change and the school context (Simmons, R., & Blyth, D. 2008)
Research & Quick Facts (International Coalition of Girls' Schools)
Middle Grades Research & Best Practices (Education Northwest)

Fifth Grade Transition Update - Aug. 20, 2024

Dear Lower and Middle School Parents and Guardians,

As we prepare for the upcoming transition of moving our fifth grade to the Middle School beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, I am pleased to share that we have engaged the services of Dr. Nadine Richards to assist us with this important initiative through June 2025.

Dr. Richards is no stranger to RPCS as she served as the Assistant Head of School for Institutional Strategy from 2021-2022 before moving away for personal reasons. She is a highly accomplished educational leader and consultant specializing in transformative change within schools and nonprofit organizations. She has served in the public and international educational systems for over 20 years. Prior to working at RPCS, she served as the Principal for the American School of Dubai (ASD) and before that as Head of School for Al Maaref Private School in Dubai. She also served as a Deputy Principal in the Glen Cove, NY school district. With in-depth expertise, Dr. Richards brings a unique blend of strategic vision, practical expertise, and a profound understanding of Roland Park Country School’s culture and community to guide the fifth grade transition.

“Roland Park Country School holds a special place in my heart due to its longstanding commitment to empowering girls and young women,” Dr. Richards told us. “I am excited by the opportunity to collaborate with this exceptional community, rich in history and potential, to further support girls' education and growth.”

Over the next 10 months, Dr. Richards will collaborate with key stakeholders to design a seamless and successful transition of fifth graders into the Middle School. This work will include curriculum review, alignment, and differentiation; structure and scheduling to align with the six day Middle School cycle; facilities recommendations, and more. Most importantly, she will ensure a positive experience for students, faculty, and parents and guardians and create a shared vision that fosters a sense of ownership in the transition process, while remaining committed to student-centered learning, where excellence, joy, and well-being are paramount.

Please reach out to your daughter’s division head if you have any immediate questions. As part of our commitment to transparent and ongoing communication, you will hear more directly from Dr. Richards in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, please join me in welcoming Dr. Richards back to RPCS!

Warmly,

Joan Smith, HA

Interim Head of School

Important Update About Lower/Middle School - Feb. 7, 2024

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are excited to share some important updates regarding the structure and alignment of our Lower and Middle School divisions. Commencing at the start of the 2025-2026 academic year, the Lower School will become a kindergarten through fourth grade division, and the fifth grade will become the initial entry point within our Middle School division. We wanted to share this news with you now as we seek to partner with families, faculty, and staff on our planning, transition, and implementation phases.

As you know, the RPCS leadership team and Board of Trustees have been engaged in a comprehensive strategic planning effort. We have focused on enhancing the academic and extracurricular experiences of an increasingly dynamic and exceptional group of girls and young women at RPCS who exhibit advanced maturity, intellectual curiosity, and academic and social-emotional intelligence. The strategic planning process has clarified that our school is uniquely positioned to offer all students multiple pathways to individualized and collective success. One of the defining strengths that has emerged as a key asset for us as a school involves the variety, depth, and breadth of our offerings within and across divisions. Elevating fifth grade to Middle School offers an incredible opportunity to continue widening and deepening curricular and co-curricular journeys for fifth grade students. Given our strong understanding of the increased benefits of these opportunities, this new structure will be centered on creating a bridge between the exceptional efforts of our Lower School and the new opportunities available for these students in the Middle School.

Our strategic planning initiative has also confirmed one of our greatest strengths: as a school under one roof, RPCS students benefit greatly from enhanced interactions with their peers, regardless of age and academic division. The divisional shift to move fifth grade into the Middle School will continue to enhance the leadership and learning experiences for students in both divisions. Our newest members of the Middle School will enjoy the benefits of increased leadership development opportunities and peer mentorship from our sixth grade students. And our fourth grade students will take on increased mentorship roles in the Lower School with this divisional realignment.

The Middle School offers essential areas of growth and learning through the expanded presence of the Gore Leadership Institute in this division (offering leadership and wellness classes and grade-specific leadership experiences, such as the 8th Grade Capstone Fellowship program in the Middle School), expanded athletics, and access to a broader and more specialized range of courses. As you know, in our current model, our Middle School faculty teach in discipline-specific departments that provide students with specialized approaches to their academic pursuits. When this transition commences in 2025, our fifth grade team will be structured to provide department-specific academic offerings for these students by aligning the skills and experiences they need for their eventual transition to the Upper School.

Our core planning team, which includes key senior leadership team members, is now mobilized to partner with a Fifth Grade Transition team, which includes faculty from Lower and Middle School focused on the academic program, co-curricular offerings (arts, athletics, etc.), student experience, and marketing and communications/admissions. As this team develops plans for all areas under consideration, we will host opportunities for parent questions and feedback as our planning efforts continue. Rest assured, we will strive to preserve and evolve the exceptional traditions you and your daughters treasure so deeply here at RPCS. In addition to celebrating what we already do well and the experiences your children enjoy so much at RPCS, we also see the potential to add new, exciting, and meaningful experiences in both the Lower and Middle Schools.

We look forward to our parents partnering with us in this critical undertaking. Your comments and questions via this Google form will be reviewed with much care and consideration. Following this brief survey, we will send information about parent sessions in the coming weeks.

Warmly,

Caroline Blatti

Head of School

W. Kyle Gore, P’15, P’17, P’20

President, Board of Trustees

Frequently Asked Questions

How will this realignment meet the developmental needs of the girls?

Our realignment will be distinctly designed to:

build trusting relationships between students and teachers
allow time for students to bond together with their peers
provide opportunities that foster greater independence and resilience
address social-emotional needs through Wellness and Leadership classes

Including fifth grade in Middle School is supported by research and what we know about the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual needs of ten and eleven-year-old girls. This is an important phase of development. Developmental psychologist and author Dr. Laurence Steinberg asserts that adolescence as a stage of life has transformed over time, demanding that we radically reconsider how adolescents are raised, schooled, and viewed by society. This is due to the fact that the onset of puberty in girls in the United States is around 11 or 12 years old and the end of pubescence has expanded to mid 20s.

How will the program be structured to support academic excellence?

In our current model, Middle School faculty teach in discipline-specific departments that provide students with specialized approaches to their academic pursuits. When this transition occurs in 2025, our fifth grade team will be structured to provide department-specific academic offerings for these students by aligning the skills and experiences they need for their eventual transition to the Upper School. Building on our strong Middle School academic model, the core academic content areas of English, history, math, science, and world languages will be departmentalized. On a six-day cycle, students will participate in year-long core academic courses with our talented Middle School faculty. Scaffolded teaching and learning experiences will be integrated into the schedule to support academic success and multidisciplinary goals, such as digital technology skills, organizational skills, study skills, and research and library skills.

Additionally, with our shift to a discipline-specific department model for fifth grade students, we are also introducing RPCS to a successful model that is already implemented by many other high-performing independent schools. This model is centered around a structure that connects fifth and sixth grade programs so that these two grades function as an upper elementary program within the Middle School.

What changes should we expect to the fifth grade curriculum and/or the approach to transitioning the fifth grade to the academic expectations of the Middle School?

The primary focus for fifth grade students in their first semester in Middle School will center on the transition regarding expectations of the Middle School academic program. To prepare, the Middle School Transition Team will be working on implementing programming that provides increased study, organizational, and research skills for these students who are new to Middle School. This new transitional program will be created with the success of each student in mind and the understanding of the skills and habits of mind students will need for optimal success in Middle School and beyond.

Some learning modules we are working on include:

Organization and planning support for students in the earlier transition at the start of fifth grade
Partnering with the library staff to provide additional experience with research skills
Collaborating with grade level teachers to support division specific skills, such as the writing expectations for Middle School
Increased practice around time management, academic technology and study skills

What will the co-curricular experience look like for a fifth grade Middle School student?

Co-curricular classes contribute to children's overall development and allow students to develop talents, explore interests and develop new skills. Participating in co-curricular programming can also positively influence academic performance. Like the Lower School, Middle School schedules currently include co-curricular classes such as art, music, dance, PE, and wellness, but will also include an introduction of STEM and theater classes. Additionally, students will have access to leadership experiences through the Gore Leadership Institute. In the performing arts, students will continue to have performance based experiences in fifth grade. The athletics experience is explained in detail in another section below.

How will this transition affect the Lower School?

Our Lower School will realign our kindergarten - fourth grade academic and co-curricular experiences to reflect a new endpoint for the division. The fourth grade year will reflect more leadership opportunities, as well as a new focus on culminating experiences that will become the memorable traditions that cap each division. Some traditions will be adapted from the traditional fifth grade experiences, such as the Alumnae Pen Pals and Luncheon and the Maypole Dance, while others may be new and unique in their conception.

During the transition year 2024-2025, both our fourth and fifth grade classes will experience the culminating activities traditionally enjoyed in prior years, for example, the Poetry Recitation at Closing Exercises.

How will this impact space? Where is the fifth grade going in the Middle School?

Will fifth grade be in homeroom or advisory structure?

The advisor plays a significant role in helping new Middle School students acclimate to the demands of a new division. We know that there are developmental needs that require more interactions and mentoring by adults. The fifth grade students will have an advisor that is like a Lower School homeroom teacher. Fifth graders will begin and end the day with the same advisor. Our students will benefit from added touch points with their advisor to provide scaffolds, check-ins, and community time to assist them in academic and student life.

What athletic programs will be offered to fifth grade Middle School students?

Fifth graders will have the opportunity to participate in RPCS Athletics extracurricular programming. Athletics for fifth grade will follow an intramural model; there will be no interscholastic competition. Students will learn and practice with coaches after school, but there will be no competitions against other schools. The calendar will be consistent with the current Middle School framework: three seasons (fall, winter and spring). The time and days of the week of athletics are to be determined. One sport per season may be offered.

Will fifth graders be able to join the Middle School clubs and organizations?

Will fifth grade keep field trips including Genesee Valley, Annapolis, DC, etc?

Will I have to pay Middle School tuition starting in fifth grade?

How will learning support and counseling operate in the Middle School with the addition of fifth grade?

Our goal is to support the continued development of all learners. Faculty will be made aware of students with identified learning needs and learning plans, team communication and collaboration will regularly occur, and students will be encouraged to develop their self-advocacy skills and to reach out to the Middle School learning specialist(s) for support as needed.

Emotional, physical and intellectual development is critical between ages 10 and 14. During this time, social concerns may increase. Our counseling department cares deeply for students and centers their social-emotional needs. Fifth graders will receive counseling support and wellness programs that foster strong social and emotional competencies through wellness workshops facilitated by a school counselor.

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