What are the advantages of sending my child to a school that ends in 8th grade?
It is during the elementary years that a child’s academic strengths, interests, and learning styles are developed. They discover themselves as learners, friends, and community contributors. It is important to find a school that provides a good fit for their needs at that age. According to the statistics, few students begin in kindergarten and graduate as seniors from the same school. We believe that nine years is a long time to be in one school, and children are ready for a new venue, new friends, and new challenges. Experts suggest that the choice of a school in early childhood and the choice of high school should be independent decisions. By the time students are 13 years old, the best “match” for high school is easier to determine, and they can participate in the decision, with the support of our high school advisors. Older students at TPS serve in student government, publish their own yearbook, become part of interscholastic athletic teams, serve as “buddies” to the younger student
The program, environment, and size of school most appropriate for students 5-13 years old are often not the best for students of high school age. The choice of lower school and the choice of upper school should be independent decisions. The experience of being among the oldest students of an entire school and of being a leader in that school can be extremely important and positive to a child of 13 or 14, an age which often needs all the encouragement it can get. The daily presence of older high school students can put subtle pressures on impressionable middle school students to grow up too quickly. The belief of some parents that they must send their child to a particular school to be certain of a place in high school is unfounded. With rare exceptions, the TPS student that will be comfortable in a specific school will be accepted by that school in the ninth grade. Most independent schools expand their classes to accommodate the influx of students from K-8 schools.
