Transition and Transformation

FEATURE STORY:

Transition and Transformation How Langley prepares every student to step wisely and confidently from eighth grade into high school Middle School Head Ryan Jefferson loves talking about Langley’s high school placement program because he knows how unique it is – and how well it works. The carefully planned, student-led process of selecting, applying for, and transitioning into each student’s best-fit high school forms a critical capstone to the preschool through eighth grade Langley journey.

The results – poised, energized, mature, engaged alumni – speak for themselves, eloquently and eagerly. As Mr. Jefferson puts it, “Our graduates step into high school with tremendous confidence. They’re not just prepared for what’s next. They’re craving it.”

The schools Langley graduates attend clearly recognize the program’s impact. “I constantly hear from day and boarding schools that Langley students are truly prepared, both academically and socially,” Mr. Jefferson says. “They

6

WINTER 2016

enthusiastically take on leadership roles. They’re joyful, active, engaged members of the school community – and that’s what every school wants.”

Parents agree wholeheartedly. Stephanie Akbari, mother of recent graduate Andrew, observes, “To say that Andrew loves Landon is an understatement. The work is hard, the sports are demanding, and he comes home tired and happy.

It’s the perfect high school for him, and Langley’s high school placement process helped significantly in making this decision.”

This rigorous, empowering experience prepares Langley graduates not only for high school, but also for college applications – which seem to come up much more quickly than almost anyone imagines.

So how does Langley’s high school placement process unfold?

A community effort – and a personal journey Officially, the process begins in the spring of seventh grade, when Mr. Jefferson hosts an informational coffee for parents to provide an overview of the coming year’s activities and deadlines. Each family then signs up for a one-hour conference with Mr. Jefferson, during which the student, with the parents’ input, begins to form a list of schools that might make a good fit.

Based on the intimate knowledge we have of each student’s interests and academic profile, Mr. Jefferson often suggests additional schools that align with the student’s particular goals and talents. Students and their parents are then tasked with an exciting project: researching their list and preparing numerous questions to discuss in the fall.

“After she got the list from Mr. Jefferson, my daughter Keira spent days pouring over the schools’ websites and learning everything she could about them,” says parent Kerrie Dent. “Then she talked with us about which schools she wanted to visit and why. She surprised us by saying she was very interested in a girls’ school. We hadn’t expected that, but that shows the independence she’s developed at Langley.” Many families find that their list of top-choice high schools looks very different when their children reach eighth grade than when they were in third, fourth, or fifth grade. Children grow and change enormously during these years – so the high schools that best suit them often change as well.

The eighth-grade year begins with another parent coffee, during which Mr. Jefferson answers questions and sets the stage for what’s next – a very exciting and revealing fall trimester. Students take an SSAT prep course, leading to a practice exam and the formal test in the fall. With guidance from Mr. Jefferson and their teachers, students undergo mock interviews, write essays that effectively articulate their best selves, and meet representatives of local day and boarding schools at the Life After Langley fair.

Families also begin visiting schools and – in frequent consultation with Mr. Jefferson – adjusting their school lists. “We encourage students and families to go into every school with an open mind, allowing an unobstructed view of the possibilities,” says Mr. Jefferson. They’re often surprised and delighted to find that a school previously not on their radar has risen to the top of their list.

That’s exactly what happened for eighth-grader Ollie Bernasek. “I went to visit what I thought was one of my first-choice schools, and I realized I couldn’t see myself there at all. To me, it felt like students just punched the clock – in and out. I went to another school and I immediately felt the warmth of the community. I could tell that everyone wanted to be there, and now I do, too.”

During this period, teachers begin writing recommendation letters, which the Middle School administration reviews and formats, while also assembling transcripts and other documents for each student’s applications.

As the pinnacle to the full Langley program, the transition to high school becomes a once-in-alifetime learning opportunity that few other schools offer. It’s also a critical “reset point” in students’ lives.

7

“By January, there are stacks and stacks of manila envelopes in the conference room,” says Mr. Jefferson. “We make sure we have everything each application requires well before the deadline.”

But tasks and deadlines form only one part of Langley’s high school placement process.

Doing well – and being well At Langley, children’s emotional well-being means just as much as their academic success – each depends upon and fuels the other. The high school application process may appear stressful, but, as research shows, exposure to balanced, productive types of stress actually pushes students to excel, reflect, and self-advocate – all lifelong skills Langley vigorously promotes. To this end, Mr. Jefferson, Middle School teachers, and staff members constantly check in with eighth-graders, making sure they’re not just on track with their applications, but feeling comfortable and in control at all times. At Langley, applying for high school is important – but so is perspective.

Throughout the process, students and families experience the insightful, personal attention that makes the Langley community one-of-a-kind. In the winter, Mr. Jefferson visits

every high school within a two-hour driving distance to which Langley’s eighth-graders have applied to personally advocate for his students. For boarding schools outside that radius, Mr. Jefferson telephones the admissions head to ensure they carefully consider Langley’s applicants. As decision letters arrive, he meets with families to help them make choices and plan for what’s next.

And then it’s spring again, and time for another cohort of rising eighth-graders and their families to begin their high school placement journey. Except that’s not really the beginning after all.

When the process really starts It’s tempting to think that the high school placement process only kicks into gear during students’ final year at Langley. In fact, though, the process both draws on and encapsulates the entire preschool through eighth grade Langley journey. Challenging yet empathetic, focused on the individual yet involving the larger community, Langley’s program fosters self-awareness, self-advocacy, and earned confidence.

And that’s what makes the Langley high school placement program work so well: when students reach eighth grade,

Langley Grads Reflect on Their First Year of High School “Langley taught me skills like organization, time management, and how to contact teachers when I need help, and these skills have helped me get work done faster and more efficiently in high school.”

-Neil Coakley, Flint Hill School

“Langley taught me to be organized and responsible about my school work. Because of that, I am able to balance challenging classes with my extracurricular activities, like volleyball and the school musical.”

-Emma Weed, The Field School

“Langley prepared me really well for the increased academic demands of high school. In addition, Langley gave me the confidence to make new friends and try a bunch of extracurricular activities such as debate, jazz, and crew.”

-Lucas Rozendaal, Georgetown Day School

8

WINTER 2016

they already know how to harness these capabilities to propel themselves to the next level. After all, they’ve been doing it, day in and day out, throughout their childhood.

Eighth-grader Nikki Debayo-Doherty has taken this year as an opportunity to review and reflect. “I started here in preschool,” she says. “Now I have a Little Buddy in kindergarten, and that helps me remember all my years at Langley. Recently I’ve been an advisory rep and a student ambassador, and I can see how Langley helped me mature into those leadership roles.”

As the pinnacle to the full Langley program – rooted in a deep understanding of children’s development – the transition to high school becomes a once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunity that few other schools offer. It’s also a critical “reset point” in students’ lives. On the brink of young adulthood, they seize this opportunity to create new friendships, tackle new challenges, and even reinvent themselves as they embark on an exciting new journey.

Seeing how all the steps of the Langley journey fit together helps turn the once-daunting prospect of high school applications into an abiding and exciting promise for the future. Parent Stephanie Akbari sums up why the complete

Langley program works so well: “While my older son is now thriving at Landon, my younger son, Alex, may very well not choose Landon when the time comes,” she says.

“He needs to make the decision that’s right for him, and the Langley maturation process will make sure he does that. I wouldn’t trade that process for anything.”

“Langley prepared me to manage my time well. I get all my work done and have time to be social and get to know new people.

Academically, I was very ready for biology.

Langley’s biology class was hard, but it prepared me well for high school. In fact, most of the ninth-grade concepts were review for me.” -Ellie Cook, Madeira School

“The minute I walked into The Field School, I felt at home.

Langley prepared me for Field’s small classroom size, friendly teachers, and supportive community. Even though I didn’t love writing papers for language arts at Langley, it really is making my freshman year easy now. Freshman biology is pretty easy, too. I don’t think I could have picked a high school that wasn’t just like the Langley I’ve known since preschool.”

-Jack Gillespie, The Field School

“Langley has taught me so many things over the years.

Time management was the most important skill I developed at Langley to prepare me for high school.”

-Andrew Akbari, Landon School

For a complete list of high schools that Langley graduates attend, visit the high school placement page on our site at langleyschool.org.

9