Exciting Updates for Rising 5th & 6th Graders at TPVS: Looking Ahead to 2026-2027

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we constantly strive to provide the best possible educational experience for our students, we want to share an exciting transition happening in our 5th and 6th-grade classrooms for the upcoming school year.

After careful consideration, many conversations, and alignment with educational best practices, our school will be shifting from a traditional self-contained classroom model (where students stay with one teacher for all subjects) to a departmentalized model. In this new structure, students will move between classrooms and have specialized teachers for different core subjects.

We understand that change can bring questions, so we want to outline the intentional reasons behind this shift and share how it will directly benefit your child, while also reassuring you about the core experiences that will remain unchanged.

Why This Shift Benefits Your Child

  • Teacher Expertise: Instead of teaching every subject, our educators will focus on their specific areas of passion and expertise, bringing deeper, more engaging lessons to your child.

  • A Consistent, Equitable Experience: Every student in the grade level will receive the exact same high-quality instruction, skills, and curriculum. Math, Reading, Writing, Science, and Social Studies will now be taught every single day.

  • A "Bridge" to Middle School: Moving between classrooms helps students practice independence, time management, and organization in a familiar, supportive environment before making the big leap to middle school.

  • A Stronger Community: This structure allows us to build a more connected student body. We are excited to introduce a whole-school community lunch, alongside more school-wide celebrations.

  • More Alignment and Coherence with District Curriculum: Departmentalization allows our teachers to align more deeply and coherently with district curriculum standards. It creates a seamless academic progression that ensures students are meeting and exceeding benchmarks.

  • Intentional Focus on Executive Functioning Skills: We will embed intentional teaching, practice, and modeling around vital executive functioning skills. Students will actively learn time management, material organization, and how to adapt to different teaching styles; skills that are essential for long-term academic success.

What We Love About Prosper That We Won’t Change

While the academic schedule is evolving, the heart of the Prosper experience remains the same. We are keeping the beloved traditions and structures that make our school special:

  • Homeroom Cohorts: Students will still belong to a dedicated homeroom group that they travel with to all core classes, ensuring a tight-knit peer community.

  • Daily Community Building: We will continue to start and end the day in homerooms to focus on connection, belonging, and care.

  • Two Recesses a Day: We still firmly believe in the power of play and physical breaks!

  • Outdoor Learning & Field Trips: Our commitment to nature-based classrooms and hands-on, experiential trips remains fully intact.

  • Celebrations of Learning: We will continue to joyfully showcase student work through our signature projects (like the resistor exhibit and food trucks!).

Your 2026-2027 5th & 6th Grade Team

  • Francine Franich: 5th/6th Writing (5th Grade Homeroom)

  • Allison Greene: 5th/6th Math (5th Grade Homeroom)

  • Kelly Jean: 5th/6th Reading (6th Grade Homeroom)

  • Mackenzie Hendricks: 5th/6th Social Studies (6th Grade Homeroom)

  • Andy Wood: 5th/6th Science (6th Grade Homeroom)