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Hello, In my area of VA, there are a couple schools that have Middle School (7th/8th) and Senior (9th-12th) combined under one roof - for a total of over 4000 kids. I'm not sure there is much separation, except for different classes... If you have considered sending your children to a combined school, please let me know why you decided to, or not to, send your kids to such a school.
One reason I am considering it is because then my 2 kids (18 months apart) would spend a couple more years together in the same school.
I went to a school with 425 students, grades 8-12. I knew everybody. There weren't 4000 people in my end of the state, so I don't know how that would work, but I didn't see anything wrong with having the 8th graders with the 12th. After all, 5 years difference is nothing in real life, of which school is suppose to prepare them for.
I went to a combined middle/high school. Total school population 7-12 was comparable, probably a bit more, maybe 5000 students. I was only there for 8th and 9th grades but we were well separated. We had different wings for classes and you were not allowed in the high school wings if you were in middle school, etc. They shared the gym, pool and athletic fields but that wasn't an issue at all. There are several schools in our area like this with no issues at all. I would go visit the school and see what they have in place.
Classes for all students are in the same hallways with the same bell schedules. The only places they are separated (besides individual classrooms) is in the cafeteria and gym classes.
my school was like this too. the 7th graders were referred to as "sixies" b/c they would be there for 6 years (assuming, of course, you weren't kept back!). the sixies technically had their own cafeteria seating area, but it wasn't uncommon to see juniors and seniors mixed into that room (very rare to see sixies in the junior/senior area upstairs, but it happened).
I guess for the most part it worked out ok, we cohabited peacefully (study halls could have people of all grades mixed in, same thing w/ clubs). I've known people who've gone to 3 schools (elementary, middle, and high) and am glad I didn't have to go through that middle step
Most schools do a good job of separating the kids, they are technically under one roof but generally, the middle school and the high school kids are separated. Again, this is most secondary schools which is what they are usually called.
I think there are pros and cons. One argument is that we do not want 7th and 8th graders around older kids because things like drugs will become more accessible. However, with the rampant drug use, even in middle schools these days, they will get it somehow, at school or in the neighborhood.
My kids are in a private school that covers grades PK-12. The lower school is PK-6 and upper school is divided into middle (7-8) and high (9-12). Middle and high school kids do not take classes together but they do see each other in the upper school lunch room. High school kids have some more freedom than middle school kids.
The school has about 150 kids in each grade. That is much smaller than the public schools around here which can have a thousand kids in each grade.
In our neck of the woods many public middle schools have really curtailed sports, drama, art and many clubs. Being in a combined 7-12 environment allows the kids to participate in many things that are only available elsewhere to high school students.
I have to admit that I was a little bit worried when my (then) 7th grader joined the wrestling team and when he was asked to play JV lacrosse as an 8th grader. I was worried that the older kids wold be a bad influence on him, but the exact opposite was true. He had a whole team of "older brothers" who really looked out for him at away meets and in school. His younger brother is going to be in the marching band this year, something not available in our public schools until high school.
Location: Jonquil City (aka Smyrna) Georgia- by Atlanta
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I would oppose that. Senior High should be such and so should Junior High. Junior High kids are much different than the older high school kids are. Most high school kids are settling down and beginning to plan futures while middle school kids are entering the ages of rebellion and acting out.
When I was in school, Jr High was grades 7,8 and 9 and high school was 10,11 and 12. I like it that way myself.
Our middle and high schools are apart. I like it that way. To save energy and resources, our buses have had combined routes with middle and high schoolers on the same bus. I think that is a recipe for disaster. Many negative incidents have happened on those bus rides. Sexual contact, bullying, etc. Bad idea.
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