Raymond L. Young Elementary

Upper Grade Academy Program

A good place to learn and grow…

Organization of the Program

• Students rotate four times during the day

• Reading is taught in the homeroom

• Core subjects taught among 4 teachers

Academics…Why this works!

• Teachers can spend more time preparing for a core subject for all 5th and 6th graders

• Students experience the expertise of 4 educators during the day

• Narrowing the teaching focus to dig deeper into content

• Teachers compare notes when a learning or discipline issue arises

Life Skills

• Using planners and organizing for 4 classes

• Time management

• Interacting with four different

instructors

• Adapting to four different

teaching styles

• Interacting with other grade level

and serving as role models

What do the students say…The UGA is awesome. We switch 4 times, all the teachers are all nice. I love that we do 4 different subjects with for

different teachers. Payton McDonald, fifth grade

I love all of my classes. The teachers are so sweet. But my favorite subject in the UGA is science. Yesterday we looked into microscopes to look at germs and all sorts of things. Next in Mrs. French’s class I learned that D.C. stands for District of Columbia. Then we went to math with Mrs. Harris. My whole table did good. So the UGA is fun! Chloe Dates, fifth grade

What do the students say…My first few days were awesome. I learned lots of new things. I think that Science is the best subject. Social Studies with Mrs. French was very fun. We learned what symbols on the map mean. Math with Mrs. Harris is energetic. She doesn’t teach you boring math. She puts math into life stories. She really does put math into stories so you can learn much better. As you can see, the UGA is Awesome.

LaQuez Weed, fifth grade

What do the students say…We still get to go to our old teachers.

Todd Peters, 6th grade

I like the four way swap because it lets you exercise a lot. I feel so much like a grown up. Nolan Atchison, fifth grade

Teacher thoughts

“I like the four way swap. I enjoy working with different teachers daily. Sharing input with four teachers is beneficial in helping students succeed.” Mrs. Valerie Harris

“Sharing four different teachers makes the day run smoother for both teachers and students.” Mrs. Reva French

Teacher thoughts “I enjoy being a part of the upper grade academy. We do a four way swap that I think is very beneficial to the students as well as the teachers. The students enjoy having 4 different teachers during the day and they get a variety of teaching styles. It also helps them with the transition of swapping classes at the middle school.When the 6th grade students return from the summer, a rapport has already been established. It makes it easier when you know their abilities. It also helps the parents when problems come up because they are able to get the feedback from four teachers as opposed to one.”

Mrs. Selena Nelson

“It’s a great way to bridge the gap between upper elementary and middle school.” Mrs. Roxanne Lamberth