Ninth Grade Sets the Foundation For Success
12/4/2020
Suzanne Romero Dewey
You’ve read the research that indicates how the first year of high school is critical. You’ve watched your child take on challenges and be ready for more. You want to have her high school years be filled with joy, community, and academic success. You want to find a school that can partner with you on helping your child feel empowered and set the foundation for her future. Emma Willard School wants to be that partner and has designed our program specifically to help middle school students make a successful transition into high school. Here’s a glimpse at some of the important features that your ninth-grader will experience at Emma.
Advisor Relationship
Your ninth grade student will be matched with an advisor who specializes in working with students of this age. Our ninth grade advisors are familiar with the ninth grade program and the unique challenges that students face at a new school.
Tailored Ninth-Grade Curriculum
Our ninth graders have a dedicated curriculum designed to enhance first-year success. The focus is on building community and developing reflective practices habitually and across experiences. Teachers use various methods of introducing the essential questions and offering reflective opportunities which may include a syllabus question, a specific lesson, or even a moment of reflection introducing a new unit of study, or embedded in a conversation with advisees.
- “Emma READY” is the launching course and reflects the program’s overall purpose: helping students develop the skills necessary to take advantage of the learning that follows in subsequent years. The year-long course is taught in small seminar groups and will face two foundational questions: What does it mean to be an Emma student? Who am I?
- History Seminar is part of the curriculum and provides six seminar sessions created to support and extend beyond the ninth grade’s traditional history course content. Topics aimed at strengthening and teaching historical thinking include point of view, cultural differences, empathy, the mission of a girls’ school, viewpoint diversity, and charged language and topics. There is a heavy emphasis on examining dialogue across differences and building empathy, tolerance, and humility.
- Reflection practices are embedded in the day-to-day workings of each course at Emma Willard School. Throughout the year, ninth-grade students are asked to reflect on their work and progress in each of their classes.
- Project-Based Learning, Experiential Learning, and Service Learning are foundational tools that allow our students to expand their understanding of what it means to learn. Students experiment, apply knowledge and skills to novel situations and engage in authentic creative expression.
The ninth-grade curriculum was newly designed this year. Assistant Head of School and Academic Dean Meredith Legg, PhD and Director of Curriculum and Innovation Josh Hatala believe the program is working well even during these COVID times because aspects continue to be refined. Mr. Hatala shares, “We have welcomed some fantastic guest teachers to support the ninth graders’ transition to Emma. Learning Support Coordinator Maureen Harrison gave us all an opportunity to think about what makes a successful student and helped the students consider practices they can employ to support their journeys. Time-management skills and the myth of multitasking continue to be important discussion elements. Mental Health Counselors Mary Moore and Erica Brockmeyer introduced students to our many counseling programs and laid the groundwork for ninth graders to consider ‘what is mental health?’ And most recently, Coordinator of Service Learning & Community Engagement and Coordinator of Equity & Inclusion Gemma Halfi discussed the relationship between identity, values, privilege, and access to resources.”
In addition to advising and curriculum innovations, your ninth grader will benefit from:
- Ninth-Grade Dorms For Boarding Students
New students live together in halls with a resident faculty dedicated to ninth-grade students and the living experience. They are specifically focused on ninth-grade students and help with adjustments to living away from home, discuss study skills, and create a sense of camaraderie and comfort within the hall.
- Class Deans Specific to Ninth-Grade
Every class has a dedicated class dean. The ninth-grade class will always have a class dean who is familiar with them, the new environment they are encountering, and specific awareness of ninth-graders' social, emotional, and academic needs.
- Peer Mentorship
Adolescents appreciate various role models and Emma is fortunate to have a strong peer mentorship program through our Proctor/Peer Leadership students. These student leaders have extensive training and are an omnipresent force at the school. The school also has student leaders specifically focused on wellness; they work to promote the well-being of the community and also have comprehensive and continuous training.
- Ninth-Grade Class Trips
Ninth graders enjoy special class trips that in the past have included a retreat to a camp on Lake George and a history field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These trips are an important feature that helps develop class bonding. Team-building activities are just part of the fun. Additional trips are also sprinkled throughout the academic year.
- Ninth-Grade Leadership Opportunities
Trying new things and leaning into leadership opportunities is a hallmark of Emma Willard School. Very specifically, ninth-graders have multiple opportunities for leadership including formal leadership positions like sitting on the leadership council or participating in one of the many clubs.
- Social Events That Build Community
Orientation and class trips are just the beginning of class bonding. All ninth-graders have the opportunity to participate in activities that allow them to get to know one another and explore their own identity and community. Ninth-graders will write a letter to themselves that will be opened when they are seniors. A favorite tradition is meeting with Head of School Jenny Rao for hot cocoa and cookies.
