Viewpoint: Pinecrest prepares students well for middle school

By Ragan Sawyer

Transitioning to middle school can be filled with anxiety and feel like a mysterious next step for students and parents alike.

Pinecrest School, an independent, private school in Annandale serving preschoolers through sixth graders, offers a special event every year called Life After Pinecrest to prepare students for middle school.

At the event, recent Pinecrest graduates came back and participate in a panel conversation for the soon-to-be-middle-schoolers and their parents.

The panelists consisted of nine alumni currently in the seventh to 10th grade at various schools. They talked about their experience and their perspectives on how Pinecrest prepared them for middle and high school.

The topics they addressed included what it’s like to have a locker, how to adjust to an earlier school day requiring some students to leave home before 7 a.m., how to find one’s classrooms, and the importance of time management.  

Making new friends

The Pinecrest alumni said they had been worried about how different middle school would be and how hard it would be to make new friends.

Some of them said they were glad their new classmates were friends from the neighborhood or from Pinecrest’s summer camp, Pinecrest Pavilion, which is open to the broader community during the summer.

The former Pinecrest students said that having had opportunities to intermingle with other grades and classes during their time at Pinecrest also helped them adjust.

Pinecrest’s classrooms are small by design – with a maximum of 15 students – which provides a safe environment to promote students’ self-esteem. There are also opportunities for students to collaborate across different grade levels and peer groups.

The alumni also talked about the importance of finding good people with whom to surround oneself. This was perhaps the most telling impact a Pinecrest education has on our graduates: the strong sense of self our students develop. One former Pinecrest student appreciated how Pinecrest helped them to “know I have a voice.”

Everyone on the panel spoke about how they looked for friends who reminded them of how people were at Pinecrest – kind, caring, and curious community members.

They advised the younger students to look for potential friends who care about studying and school like they do, who enjoy the same electives and after-school programs, and who are always on time for class.

One said, “Pinecrest helped me figure out who I am,” which is an invaluable lesson, especially when searching for new friends who are like-minded and share the same interests.

Pinecrest’s practice of equally uplifting social-emotional and academic growth supports students in shaping strong values that stick with them for years to come.

Preparing for tougher courses

Alumni students also shared how the academics aren’t too much different from the lessons and activities they had in elementary school. One student said, “Pinecrest did a fantastic job” in preparing them for coursework in honors classes.

Pinecrest’s focus on hands-on, project-based learning was an asset for another former student, who said, “All the group projects we did at Pinecrest made it easier for me to get started with a group I didn’t know, and it prepared me for active work.”

The students said they were ready to take on challenging coursework in honors and Advanced Academic Program classes because Pinecrest had already covered many of those lessons.

“Pinecrest sets you up perfectly for taking that challenge and prepares you well for harder content and a fast-paced environment,” said one of the panelists.

The alumni assured their younger peers and the Pinecrest community that they will find plenty of support in their future schools.

They agreed that self-advocacy is important to ensure the new Pinecrest graduates get the help they need.

“Pinecrest helped me have the confidence to always ask the teacher for help,” said one former student. Another panelist said, “Pinecrest prepared me not to be scared to ask the teacher a question.”

A strong foundation

It was clear that a strong sense of self and academic preparedness were some of the most important elements to ensure students are ready for middle school.

We heard how Pinecrest was influential in instilling strong values and confidence to ensure students’ success as they moved on to the next level.

Parents and future middle schoolers left the session with new resources to ease the transition.

Pinecrest School raises good kids, and while that’s clear every day, it was exceptionally apparent that evening.

There was a meaningful sense of pride in the room during the event – both toward the Pinecrest alumni who volunteered their time to share their experiences and from the alumni who spoke about how Pinecrest gave them skills and character-building opportunities that they now use daily.

To learn more about the value of investing in an independent Pinecrest School education, visit us online or call pinecrestschool.org or call 703-354-3446.

Ragan Sawyer is the engagement and programs director at Pinecrest School.