Middle Division Summer Initiatives!

Read how Casady Upper Division has prepared for the 2019-20 school year and embrace the new and exciting schedule!
Greetings! I have yet to meet many of you, and I am eager to get to know and serve you and your children. I am truly blessed to have the opportunity to serve as Middle Division Director, and I will be looking for opportunities to meet each of you in person very soon.
 
One of the things I have always loved about education is how the school year changes like the changing of seasons. We are about to see the close of summer and welcome the freshness of a new year. I am sure your summer has been filled with adventures great and small, and I am eager to trade stories of trips to the lake, long hikes in the woods, backyard games and great books read! As we pivot to a new school year, one of the adventures that we are all about to embark on is the new Middle Division schedule. I would like to remind you of our “why” around this change and what new opportunities you can expect in the Middle Division.
 
The journey towards our new schedule began two years ago when teachers, administrators, and students began to dream about how a new schedule might encourage balance, purpose, and joy in the lives of everyone in our community. These conversations, along with consultation with Dr. Bryan Smyth of Independent School Management, led to the development of a schedule that reflects the following priorities: student wellness, student engagement, community engagement, durable learning, and the development of skills and knowledge. You can view the 5th and 6th grade schedule and the 7th and 8th grade schedule from your MyCasady Resources page.
 
In the Middle Division, students will have the same total number of classes in each term but will meet with fewer classes in a day. This change will create space for longer class periods that offer opportunities to dig deeper, ask bigger questions, and work collaboratively. The class periods are organized so that cross-curricular work can happen between English and History and between Math and Science classes.
 
Fewer class periods means that students will have fewer cognitive transitions during the day and while completing homework in the evenings. The need to prepare for fewer classes each evening will also allow families more time to connect and students time to rest. Additionally, 7th and 8th grade students will experience longer advisory time to encourage community growth and connection.
 
How a school spends its time is a good reflection of what it values. One of the many things that attracted me to Casady is the School’s commitment to encourage students to live lives of balance, purpose, and joy. This new schedule is just one example of how this lofty goal is lived out practically. There will likely be times when patience is needed as we learn to make the most of our new schedule, and I am confident that our students and teachers are moving towards deeper, more engaged learning, and that our patience will be rewarded.
 
I hope you enjoy the last weeks of summer! I look forward to seeing you soon!
 
Blessings,
 
Jason Scheer, Ed.D.
Middle Division Director
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9500 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73120     |     Phone: (405) 749-3100
Casady School is an independent, co-educational, college preparatory, Episcopal day school serving students in pre-k-12. Educating Mind, Body, and Spirit.
Casady School is a PreK-12, independent, college preparatory Episcopal day school committed to deeper-level learning. Casady School welcomes a student body that reflects the diversity of the world around us and therefore does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, nationality, or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletics, and other school-administered programs generally accorded or made available to students at the School.