K-8 schools are great, educators say...

According to a recent article in the Detroit Free Press by Peggy Walsh-Sarnecki (Education Writer) the concept of combining traditional elementary schools grades (K-5) with middle school grades (6-8) stems from the idea that middle school aged children do better in a more nurturing environment. Other benefits of a K-8 school include, but are not limited to:

• Improved consistency in learning, especially in the area of curriculum coordination.
• More time for teachers to get to know their students.
• Convenience for parents whose children might otherwise be attending multiple schools.
• Improved academic achievement, as test scores often slide when students make the transition from elementary to middle school.
• Smaller class sizes. (Researchers also feel this has a significant impact on improved academic performance.)

Guardian Lutheran School can certainly attest to all of these benefits, as well as many others, that are linked to K-8 schools.  It's hard to deny the relationships that the students have with one another as a result of sharing one building; one simply has to attend a Wednesday chapel service and observe the "chapel families" or visit the preschool classroom on a day when "buddies" are visiting to see the love, respect, and caring between the children. The older children also benefit from serving as role models for the younger children, who look forward to the day when they transition to this role.

Researchers are discovering what we at Guardian have been blessed to experience all along...that improved relationships and a nurturing environment are the starting point for the many benefits K-8 schools have to offer.