Sixth Grade Academy

The Academy is an intentional, specific approach to middle school for all incoming sixth graders at St. Joseph’s.

Sixth grade is a significant transitional year for most students. With more classes, more teachers and more students, more movement, coordination and organization is required. To help with this transition, our Academy provides a unique place and structure, as well as a dedicated teaching staff, to help sixth graders ease into middle school with strong support and guidance.

• Responsive schedule that is flexible and adaptable to meet identified student needs
• Focus on team-building and belonging, including activities that help integration into a new school
• Graduated access to Chromebooks and technology, with education on appropriate use
• Virtue and character formation within the curriculum
• Opportunities for field trips and guest speakers

All sixth graders participate in Middle School Households with seventh and eighth graders, and lunch time includes all middle school students. Physical education and Fine Arts classes take place outside of the Academy space. There are also many opportunities for sixth graders to participate in a variety of co-curricular activities, and this helps to foster relationships across a wide range of friend groups.

Yes. The benefits of single-gender classrooms at this age are well-documented, and we are committed to this important aspect of our middle school educational model.