Welcome, ECFS families
Welcome 6th Graders and Families!
Welcome back! Please review the following information to help you prepare for the new school year ahead.
July 2026
Welcome Families of the Class of 2033!
I hope everyone is having a restful and enjoyable summer. I am delighted to welcome you and your children to Fieldston Middle School!
Over the next few years, we’ll work together as your students navigate through middle school: we’ll celebrate growth, navigate challenges, and stay connected through the ongoing exchange of ideas. The beginning of middle school is an exciting milestone, and the middle school team looks forward to partnering with you as your children grow into confident and curious members of our community.
This year, our shared focus in sixth grade is on building a healthy community and fostering meaningful connections. In advisory groups, classrooms, and grade-level gatherings, students will be encouraged to consider how their choices affect themselves and those around them.
We recognize that the transition to middle school brings many new experiences: your children will learn to navigate a larger space, encounter different personalities, and interact with more adults and students in our community. Our goal is to support the students through the transition. Your partnership is an essential part of your child’s success. The sixth-grade team is excited to work with your children, and I look forward to collaborating with you throughout the year to ensure every student feels supported, challenged, and encouraged.
The middle school team has been hard at work preparing for a wonderful start to the school year. Below, you’ll find some important details about the first few days of school and what to expect as students arrive on campus.
OPENING DAYS:
On Wednesday 9/9, we will hold our sixth-grade orientation for students and families. That morning, students will meet their advisor, reunite with friends and meet new classmates, familiarize themselves with the campus, and set up their lockers and organize materials.
WEDNESDAY 9/9, 8:00–11:00am
Arrival
- Arrive between 8:00 and 9:00am.
- Once you’ve dropped off supplies in your child’s advisory space, please head to the quad (rain location: Dance Theater Lab) to have your child’s middle school ID photo taken. Pictures can be taken between 8 and 9 a.m. (Please note: the photographs taken at this time will serve as students' “official” school photo for the year and can be ordered from the vendor at a later date!)
- Afterward, feel free to connect with other ECFS families and teachers in the Student Commons from 8:30–9:00am.
What to Bring
- School supplies! We understand that you might not have all the supplies ready on this day. That’s ok! Just bring what you have. You will be able to leave supplies at your child’s advisory location (as indicated on your child’s schedule, to be sent in late August).
- In middle school, students are expected to store their backpacks in their lockers and to use their lockers throughout the day. The school will provide locks for students, and we will help them learn to use them. Please note that if the lock we provide doesn’t work for your child, you may buy a different type of lock. If you make this decision, your child will share the serial number and combination with their advisor.
Orientation
Wednesday’s formal orientation begins at 9:00am with students and their families in advisory locations. Here you will meet your child’s advisor and the rest of the advisory group. After an initial overview, 6th Graders and parents/guardians will then attend separate programming, including tours with 8th Grade student ambassadors, learning more about the advisory program and the advisor's role, and meeting the Middle School Leadership Team.
The Wednesday orientation will conclude by 11:00am, and advisors will bring your children to meet you. This is a wonderful time to mingle with other families and/or to do the following:
- Go to a tech session: Families experiencing difficulties accessing their ECFS accounts may go to the 2nd floor Academic Center in the Middle School Building from 10:45–11:15am
- Learn about the after-school programs: a representative will be available to answer any questions
THURSDAY 9/10 + FRIDAY 9/11 (REGULAR SCHOOL DAYS)
6th Grade Student Orientation – Days 2 & 3 (Thursday 9/10 and Friday 9/11)
As mentioned at our spring meet + greet, we have found that the best way to orient students to middle school is to have them experience it firsthand! As such, the first two days of school will generally follow a typical schedule, with some additional time built in for advisory and organizational setup. Throughout the day, students will be introduced to the middle school environment through regular class attendance.
Finally, please submit a photograph for your parent/caregivers ID by Monday 8/24 at 3:00pm.
If you have any questions between now and September 9th, please do not hesitate to reach out!
Looking forward to seeing you all soon and to a wonderful year ahead!
Warmly,
Mollie Glasser
Dean of the Class of 2033
English Teacher
Preparing for the Start of School
Major Assignments Calendar
6th Grade Experience
Sixth grade is about answering the question: Who am I?
- Who am I as a student?
- Who am I as a learner?
- Who am I socially?
When students enter the Middle School in 6th Grade, much attention is paid to the major transition they are making from elementary school. Many are moving from classroom to classroom for the first time, with individual subject teachers instead of one or two homeroom teachers. Many, for the first time, are now responsible for signing themselves up for extracurricular opportunities, and many are self-dismissing and riding a bus with Upper School students. At the same time, many of the students are new to each other, as we blend students from both of our Lower Divisions with brand-new students from various settings.
To ease the transition, 6th Graders visit the Middle School for an orientation day before classes start to get to know the campus and each other. Each student is assigned a faculty advisor and an advisory group, and that group eats lunch together for the first two weeks of school.
Our programs in 6th Grade reflect this:
- We take students on a two-night overnight trip early in the year, during which students can build deep connections and explore topics in science and environmental education that they will revisit later in the year.
- We introduce Community Conversations, a curriculum that uses SEED principles in order to build community through identity development with the goal of moving towards positive community change.
- We educate them about the use and overuse of technology, especially given that it is an age where many are more exposed to it and social media than before.
- We engage them in a capstone project spanning the year, in which they create their own profile as a learner. Ultimately, this project is presented to parents in their final conference.
