Capstone of the PS-8 Model: The Eighth Grade Experience

Swain has been a home away from home.  I have friends here that are like family.To me, I can be who I am at Swain.                        - David, Class of 2011

Throughout my time in independent schools, I have worked in two preschool - eighth grade schools and two preschool - twelfth grade schools.  Each structure is unique to the independent school world in that these models are not typical in public education.  The preschool-12 independent school experience is neat in many ways, namely watching a child progress from kindergarten through high school is special -and usually only reserved for parents.  Talk to any experienced educator in the independent school world, though, and they will tell you that there is just something magical about the preschool-8 model.

Academic engagement, joy, liveliness - these are just a few of the feelings and emotions currently present in our hallways.  Take a walk down the prekindergarten and second grade hallway and see their special work displayed on bulletin boards. Or, cruise by the humanities classrooms upstairs in the middle school and witness the enthused discussion around the tables.  Either way, you can feel the energy in the hallways and classrooms; the sense of joy and community that is present in schools like Swain is palpable.  Of course, schools of all different sizes and structures enjoy some sense of community, even if it only exists in pockets, but the preschool-8 size and structure lends itself nicely to the concept of community.  The existence of buddy programs, the camaraderie among teachers and staff, and the accessible school functions - just to name a few - all contribute to the human phenomenon we call community. 

Swain is like a journey to learn new things that will prepare me for high school, college, or just life in general.                                       - Ebony, Class of 2011

More specifically, the eighth grade experience in this type of school is distinct, unique, and central to the community.  Yes, many public schools end at eighth grade and students move buildings for ninth grade, but many of them move together and thus they do not experience the sense of nostalgia that is felt upon graduation at Swain, for example.  Eighth graders at our school have an opportunity to forge friendships in a small, lively, and loving environment, and those combinations tend to produce strong bonds and real emotion.  In addition, relationships with teachers develop that last a lifetime.  We recently hosted an alumni event for Swain graduates who are in college, and - while eating pizza and garlic bread in the Community Room - they fondly reminisced about many teachers who are still going strong here at Swain.

· Every eighth grader performs an Inspiration speech in front of the entire middle school at Town Meeting.  They choose a person in their life who inspires them, and then they write a speech and design a multi-media piece to formally present.  These speeches begin in February, and it is truly a highlight of the  

spring term.

· Outside of our regular community service program, eighth graders serve an additional 8-10 hours of independent community service outside of the school.  They choose an organization, perform their hours, reflect in writing, and then present to the community
in May.  

 

· Eighth graders enjoy special opportunities to lead community events, such as facilitating educational breakout sessions on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and leading discussions at Town Meeting revolving around a film or a topic
such as relational aggression or comparative religions.
 

· For 40 years, eighth graders have been serving lunch at our Holiday Boutique. They dress up in formal wear, organize themselves into small serving units, and then spend several hours serving lunch and interacting with adults.  If you have never sat for lunch at the Boutique, mark your calendar for next year.

 

· Many field trips dot the calendar, but the eighth grade class takes a special three-day trip each year in the spring, most recently to Washington, D.C.  It is a great opportunity to celebrate their time at Swain, and we also mix in some educational stuff (shh, don't tell them).
 

My eighth grade class is like an extended family. We see each other every day, working and learning together. As eighth graders, we are leaders in the school and others look up to us, modeling our actions. The Swain School has brought me up and I know I will never forget the school and my classmates - my best friends.

                                                                                  -Ashley, Class of 2011

Digressing for a moment, many prospective families and Lower School parents are often interested in where our students go after eighth grade.  Post Swain, students attend independent day and boarding schools, private schools, and public schools.  In the class of 2010, 83% currently attend independent or private schools, with five students at boarding schools (Blair, Linden Hall, Master's, West Nottingham, and Westtown). This year, approximately 90% will attend independent or private schools, with six students looking to board.  In total, 19 students this year made 41 applications to 16 different schools from St. Paul's in New Hampshire, to Moravian Academy, to The Hill School in Pottstown.  Selecting the right school for your child is critical, and - although the process is intense in the fall of the eighth grade year - it should begin as early as the spring of sixth grade.  

Swain has been a great journey for me.  It has taught me about the challenges of life and how to overcome them.  Swain has changed me to be a better person and to explore beyond my comfort zone.  The Swain experience has been awesome.

                                                                                    - Peter, Class of 2011

At the end of it all, we are left with fourteen-year-olds who are ready for the challenges of secondary school.  The foundation has been set, and the opportunity to build whatever structure they choose is there.  

Last year, Ms. Kristin Noonan, a 2002 Swain graduate and daughter of Board Vice-Chair Linda Noonan, spoke at graduation about painting a canvas.  She talked about her experiences at Swain and how those experiences provided her the tools and the foundation to paint her canvas moving forward (which turned out to be Moravian and then Wellesley College, among other aspects of her canvas).  Of course, there is a feeling of sadness when children leave a tight-knit community, and we certainly feel that in the spring of the eighth grade year, but there is also a sense of pride and hope that when our students walk across the stage at graduation in June that they are brave enough to change the world.

So, when you are on campus this spring, please take some time to say hello to our soon-to-be graduates.  Just like every year, they have loved their time at Swain, they are excited about the opportunities in eighth grade, and they are looking forward to new experiences.  Participate in their joy, and celebrate the beauty and meaning of the preschool-8 experience.
 

This year is my last year at Swain and it means a lot to me.  Not only does it mean that next year I will be in high school, but it means that the little kids look up to me.  I remember looking up at the bigger kids as a child and thinking "I wish I was him."  Now, I am glad to be him.  That's what the eighth grade year means to me.                                                        - Anonymous, Class of 2011

Book Recommendations

The Imaginations of Unreasonable Men by Bill Shore.  Ideas can sometimes seem unreasonable - until the end when they breed success.  Examples of bravery and leadership from those attempting to find a cure for malaria.  An inspiring read.