Crookston High School has been renovating the middle school area in the building, and the progress is continuing through the month of July.
RENOVATIONS TO CROOKSTON MIDDLE SCHOOL
The middle school in the Crookston School District will include grades 6 through 8 in a sectioned-off area at the high school. The construction crew has essentially left every classroom as is in these sections, but they built walls that separate pods from each other.
Each grade, 6 through 8, will have its own assigned pod, each containing four classrooms for their core classes of Science, English, Mathematics, and social studies. Middle schoolers will also have the chance to take elective courses such as physical education, shop classes, and the newly added Agricultural program. Each grade in the middle school will also be sectioned off from each other while they attend their core classes.
CROOKSTON SCHOOL DISTRICT FOCUSING ON DEVELOPMENT OF MIDDLE SCHOOLERS
Faculty and Staff in the Crookston School District are on board with the idea that the returning and incoming middle schoolers will be able to be only exposed to other middle schoolers. This is an essential aspect of the development of these younger students. “From my experience as a middle school principal, typically high school students and middle school students don’t have many interactions,” said Superintendent Randy Berquist. “We’re going to continue to try and do that in Crookston because we want to ensure every student has a smooth transition coming into middle school.” Middle school students will not only be sectioned off into their pods for most of their days in school but also be scheduled to have their 25-minute lunch period at different times than the High Schoolers. “They will not be having lunch with 11th and 12th graders. They will have the opportunity to eat for 25 minutes; then for 15 minutes after that, they can go outside or use their free time to get some energy out,” said Berquist. “We all know that middle schoolers have a lot of energy.”
Berquist explains the importance of development for middle school-aged students, which will be better with the remodeling at the high school. “I think sixth, seventh, and eighth grade are crucial years for kids to grow and take opportunities,” said Berquist. “There are opportunities for students to explore different things so they can better make informed decisions when they become ninth graders, and they can branch out and do what they enjoy doing.”
Berquist also stated that middle school is important for emotional and social learning. Berquist explains mental health emphasis for students.
BENEFITS OF CROOKSTON IMPROVING MIDDLE SCHOOL
Faculty and staff believe the middle school concept favors students transitioning from elementary to middle school. “I think the addition is so positive for middle school students, some of the things that go along with that are mental health components, elective classes, and advisory time,” said Berquist. “All of those things are critical components to helping young people become successful into the next step of their life, which is high school.”
There is no estimated completion date for the renovations, but the staff does expect it to be completed before the first day of school on September 5.
