With over 100 kids, the new sixth grade class claims the record for most kids in one grade in Emery history. But how will this new standard impact the Emery community?
Emery is known as a small school–that’s part of the appeal for many. The new boom in enrollment presents potential challenges in the school’s future, particularly for the class of 2031. Admissions directors Fannet Nater and Jorge Arciga comment on some challenges the school adapted to over the course of the past few weeks, including the individual class sizes and physical capacity of the middle school.
“We added additional faculty and staff to make sure we’re not losing that [small class size],” Arciga informs. The average class size in the grade is around 14 students per class, an increase from previous years but not significantly more to cause an issue.
“We already knew the middle school hallways were crowded in passing periods.” Nater reflects. “They moved the Hebrew classroom down to Ms. Mackoff’s old eighth-grade history class, so now they [sixth graders] are never having to go upstairs, period.” This change prevents the hallways from becoming more crowded with the increase in students, as each grade, for the most part, is confined to one region of the middle school.
A lack of connection is another large concern for the sixth grade as the small numbers used to allow for a student to know almost their whole grade within the first year, but the new population could muddy the waters of relationships. History teacher Lindsay Washechek, who has been at Emery for four years now, gives particular insight on what she anticipates the change in enrollment will bring.
“For one, I feel I can have a better connection with the kids,” ponders Washechek in relation to smaller class sizes, especially those Emery had in the past. Thinking about the current numbers, Washechek predicts, “It [large class size] kind of whittles away that personal connection. You still have it, but it’s less pronounced.”
However, despite these impending challenges and concerns, optimism still surrounds the population increase. Sixth grader June Seff describes her experience at Emery thus far as actually being very intimate and connected despite the large number of classmates
“I made some new friends, and they’re super nice and… very supportive, and they’ve helped me through my first few weeks of school,” Seff asserts, grinning over at a group of her friends.
Seff also notes a continued feeling of community she experienced last fall during her shadow day and adds that she was able to carry on the connected interactions she saw into her time at Emery, even with more students cramming the halls.
“I say hi to people in the hallway, even if I’m not super close friends with them. And I do the same with teachers, too.”
However, despite the impending challenges that the sixth-grade faces, more students could mean more diversity in personalities and talents. Nater describes the changes that had to be made in order to accommodate the immense range of skills the sixth grade class brings, especially in extracurriculars.
“Athletics didn’t plan to have so many of the student body apply for the football program here,” Natter informs. “The staff will also comment that they have never had an intermediate team with such athletic ability.”
“It’s amazing that we were able to provide these students with an extra opportunity to shine.” Natter also remarks in regard to the addition of a sixth grade musical in order to accommodate the intense interest in theater from just the sixth grade class.
In spite of, or perhaps due to, their large size, the sixth grade class at Emery may prove to be an incredible class. Washecheck admonishes that everyone will have to wait and see as the class will grow in character throughout their time at Emery as the school evolves with them.
“Well, it’s really nice to see that we are growing.” Washecheck smiles. “To see these classes go into the 80s, 90s, and now I think the sixth-grade is 108, that’s pretty awesome.”
