September 28, 2026

Dear Middle School Parents and Guardians,

Fall Break is this Friday, October 2, and the last break until Thanksgiving, which will be here before we know it. Since the start of the year, whether in our assemblies, grade-level meetings or advisories, we have spent time discussing expectations for how we interact with each other, both adults and students. Self-discovery is a significant aspect of child development during the middle school years, and learning to manage relationships is an important, ongoing process. Last week, I reminded students that each child is to be treated with dignity, and that our faculty strives to model the same in how we interact with them and one another. Thank you for everything you do at home to reinforce kindness and teach your children the nuance of managing peer relationships at such a pivotal time in their lives. Your partnership and its results are among the reasons our Middle School is such a special place.

Our first parent coffee, for sixth grade, is this Tuesday at 8:15 a.m. in the dining hall. It will be an opportunity, after a little more than a month of school, to learn about student expectations and the details of the sixth grade experience, including grades. Both seventh and eighth grade coffees will take place the week of October 5, all before parent-teacher conferences later in October.

Fall parent-teacher conferences are designated days for all families to meet with teachers about their children’s progress in their classes. For sixth-graders, fall conferences will take place only with the child’s advisor, rather than with each individual content-area teacher. Advisors will schedule those conferences individually with each family.

All conferences are held online, which allows flexibility if you are traveling, and they take place only on the scheduled days. We ask that you do not attempt to schedule conferences outside of these designated days. They are a significant event for you and our teachers, as reflected in the dedicated time set aside for them.

Key Dates

Please refer to the Middle School Key Dates Calendar in the middle school section of parent resources on the school website for important upcoming dates for the remainder of the month and the school year. You can click here to access it.

September 29: 6th Grade Parent Coffee*

October 2: Fall Break (No School)

October 6: 7th Grade Parent Coffee*

October 8: 8th Grade Parent Coffee*

*Parent coffees take place in the dining hall from 8:15-9:00 a.m.*

October 10: Viking Rampage Run

October 13-16: 8th Grade Trip to Washington, D.C. 

October 14-16: 7th Grade Trip to Salt Fork State Park

October 20: Snapshot Grades Released

October 21-23: Advisory Conferences for Grade 6, Parent-Teacher Conferences for Grades 7-8

In my last newsletter, I shared a resource from a retired head of school and experienced educator. I wanted to highlight it again. Here is the link to view Raising Resilient Children.

Feel free to contact the middle school office at robison-embryl@columbusacademy.org if you have any questions.

Have a great week,

Shaka Arnold

Head of Middle School



Lori Robison-Embry

Assistant to the Head of Middle School