Darlington School is pleased to announce that Charla Brewster will join BeBe Cline and Perree Collier to round out the fifth-grade teaching team for 2009-10. Beginning next year, fifth grade will be a part of Darlington’s Middle School program.
“With over 70 years of combined experience, these three extraordinary teachers have the expertise and enthusiasm necessary to ensure that every one of our rising fifth-graders makes a successful transition to the Middle School,” said Jim Van Es, director of Middle School. “Together, they will cultivate a learning environment in which every student has the opportunity to flourish.”
Brewster came to the Lower School in 1982 to teach third grade after four years in the Georgia public school system. Cline has taught fifth-grade at Darlington since 2005. She has nine years of middle grades experience in Georgia public schools and taught two additional years at the pre-school level. Collier joined the Lower School staff as a fifth-grade teacher in 1998 after five years in Alabama public schools. But as these teachers move to the Middle School next year, they will no longer be responsible for managing self-contained, grade-level classes.
Instead, each will focus on the core subject that falls within her greatest area of expertise. With a strong academic lineup that includes a new humanities initiative for grades 5-6 and a hands-on, inquiry-based science program, students will be stretched to a higher level of thinking. The new schedule for grades 5-6 includes 60-minute class periods for core classes. Within this model, Brewster will teach humanities, Cline will teach math, and Collier will teach science.
“The strengths and talents of these teachers combined with their dedication and love for their students is a recipe for success,” Van Es said. “I am so thrilled that Charla, BeBe and Perree will be joining us at the Middle School next year. Our new schedule will provide the opportunity for a great deal of collaboration and teaming activities to make each of our grade-level programs even stronger. I have no doubt that these three will make an excellent fifth-grade teaching team, and I look forward to working with them as we all strive to make Darlington the best it can be.”
Teaching teams have become the bedrock of the Middle School since their implementation two years ago, according to Dean of Studies James Hutchins. This regular communication among grade-level teachers has enabled Darlington to be more proactive at helping students with academic and social issues rather than reactive.
“Additionally, it has created a forum for teachers to talk not only about what they’re teaching, but how they’re teaching it,” Hutchins said. “They are sharing ideas about ways to teach different types of learners and it’s working.”
By grouping the student body into two grade-level pods – one for fifth/sixth grade and one for seventh/eighth – Darlington’s Middle School program will take the term “child centered” to a whole new level. Tailoring the curriculum to these two developmentally different groups will allow faculty members to provide an increased level of support so each student can reach his or her greatest potential.
“It is important for our families to see that we are not trying to rush fifth-graders into growing up too fast and, at the same time, we are not trying to slow our eighth-graders down,” Hutchins said. “Not only will the new structure place fifth-graders where they should be, but it will provide an additional year of development for sixth-graders. The Middle School years are an interesting time because students are often on a different maturity level, socially and physically, from one year to the next. We must take this into consideration in all aspects of daily life at school.”
In the meantime, Brewster’s jump to fifth grade creates exciting opportunities for the third grade. The school’s leadership is moving quickly to determine who is best-suited and most qualified to step into this position.
“We are very fortunate to have so many phenomenal teachers here at Darlington, and I have the utmost confidence that we will find the perfect candidate to replace Charla among our talented Lower School staff,” said Steve Bartholomew, director of Lower School. “We are working as fast as we can, but at the same time we want to ensure that the person we select to take on this new role is just the right fit for our third-grade program. We will keep our school family apprised of our progress.”
