Why a junior boarding school could be the reset your child needs
If you have never heard of a junior boarding school, you’re not alone. They are boarding schools for middle school students, found mainly in New England. They can be an excellent option for students who know they want to attend a boarding high school, would benefit from the structure and consistency of a boarding school during their middle school years, need a more customized or supported academic experience, or are young (both chronologically and developmentally) and want to repeat their 8th or 9th-grade year. This could also be an option for an 8th grader who didn’t get offers from the high schools to which they applied this year or continues to be impacted by learning loss (or a lack of foundational skills) from Covid and want to strengthen their profile for next year. (If you want to learn more about the benefits of boarding school, see here and here.)
Young 8th graders who would benefit from an extra year don’t have a lot of options in the Bay Area. Repeating 8th grade in a new school can be a great way to solidify skills, improve grades, increase confidence, and gain a little time so that they’re developmentally ready for the demands of high school. Junior boarding school teachers are exceptionally attentive and focused on students and their growth. The decision to attend a junior boarding school may be just as much about enhancing emotional readiness as academic readiness. A student can then apply to 9th or 10th grade with the gift of time. A student walking into 10th grade at a boarding school or at a day school at home after two years at a junior boarding school brings a tool box of skills, academic preparedness, and self-knowledge that would be hard to find elsewhere.
Last week I visited two junior boarding schools: Cardigan Mountain School, an all-boys 6-9 boarding school in Canaan, New Hampshire, and Rectory School, a co-ed 5-9 boarding school in Pomfret, Connecticut.
As Cardigan makes clear, they know middle school boys. Cell phones are held by the school so that the boys can be immersed in and play on their 550 acres. As their Head of School, Chris Day stated, “we can fix broken bones, but we can’t fix broken minds and souls.” There are sports teams for each boy, including excellent ski and mountain biking teams, and new this year, crew. They have one of the best engineering and innovation labs I’ve seen at any school and make hands-on learning a hallmark of learning at Cardigan. Finally, they make clear that you don’t need to have a title to be a leader. Most boys stay for their 9th grade year (the best year, as everyone told me) and then apply to a boarding high school.
Rectory serves a truly international community (42%) and can personalize a student’s education. Featuring the most beautiful and inviting Learning Centers I have ever seen, complete with couches and individual offices for one-on-one or small group work, their large team of learning specialists can offer remediation and support, as well as challenge and enrichment work. In May, students participate in the MELP (May Experiential Learning Program), engaging in hands-on learning both on and off campus. Their beautiful campus and facilities are nestled in the rolling hills of rural Connecticut, next door to Pomfret School.
It may take some time for most Californians to wrap their minds around junior boarding school or repeating 8th grade, but in many ways, it’s similar to summer camp, with a focus on academics. For some middle schoolers, this could be precisely what they need to catch up, grow, or get the push they need to thrive in high school.
