What About K-6 Schools

To The Editor:

May we suggest an alternative to the proposed 5/6 school? Perhaps we should consider building a fifth elementary school and making all elementary schools K through 6. This would relieve pressure on the existing grade schools and on the middle school as is needed. But mostly, it would help students maintain a sense of community with their schools all through the grade school years.

We realize this is not as efficient as putting all 5th and 6th graders in one school, but we think one of the many lessons from Columbine is that our children are not cars and our schools are not factories. They need a sense of community to thrive. They need to feel that they belong. They need to spend their days in a place where they are known. It is hard to get these things when their 5th grade class is one of nineteen 5th grade classes in a building that they are only in for two years.

Sincerely,

Leslie Boehmer and Kirk Morrison

30 Key Rock Road, Newtown                          September 25, 1999