What is the purpose of a vertical grouping?
At SRV, first and second grades are grouped together (Primary Circle), third and fourth grades are grouped together (Main Circle) and fifth and sixth grades are grouped together (Oldest Group). This enables children to be in the same group, usually in the same room with the same teacher, for a two-year span of time. This reduces or eliminates the time it usually takes a student to learn new classroom routines and expectations, and the time it takes a teacher to get to know a student as a learner and a member of a classroom community. A vertical grouping allows for more flexibility, enabling children to be exposed to a greater range of instruction based on skill level and not age. There are also more opportunities for children to emerge as leaders or mentors in the areas in which they excel.
