Grade 8 Important Dates
Mark Your Calendars!
Grade 8 is a year marked by significant growth, expanded leadership opportunities, and the transition to the Upper School.
Please put these dates on your family’s calendar in preparation for this important year. Additional information will be shared in advance of each event.
Introduction to the Upper School + Grade 8 Attends Upper School Chapel
8:15 – 9:30 a.m. on Friday, October 20, 2023
Current Grade 8 parents are invited to join Head of Upper School, Beth Miller, on the Greenway Rise campus to learn more about high school life from the students and adults who know it best. Following a brief presentation, parents will be invited to tour the campus with the Gold Keys, our Upper School student ambassadors. This same afternoon, eighth graders will join Upper School students and faculty for the annual fall outdoor chapel followed by a barbecue lunch on the soccer field. Students will be transported on buses to and from the Upper School, and dismissal will occur at it’s normal time and place on the Belfield Campus.
Upper School Visits for Grade 8 Students
October 30 and November 1, 2023
Grade 8 students will visit the Upper School in their advisory groups on either October 30 or November 1 from 2:45-4:00 pm. Their visit will include time with Upper School leadership as well as tours of the campus with the Gold Keys, the Upper School student ambassadors. Students will be transported on buses to and from the Upper School, and parents should pick up their children at 4 pm in the CCC Circle on their designated visit day. Visit day assignments will be shared with Grade 8 parents as the event approaches.
Getting to Know the Academic Program
8:30 a.m. on Tuesday December 5, 2023
Grade 8 parents are invited to join Beth Miller, Head of the Upper School, for a preview of the Upper School academic program. Gold Key Tours will be offered to interested parents following the program.
Grade 8 Hot Cocoa & Conversations
December 6 and 8, 2023
In early December, 8th graders return to the Greenway Rise campus for student-to-student “hot cocoa conversations” focused on student life programming beyond academic courses. Students will be assigned a visit day based on their advisory groupings. Students should be dropped off by parents at the Greenway Rise campus, and following the event, students will be bused to the Middle School to begin their academic day. Additional details and a campus map will be shared via email with all Grade 8 parents in advance of the event.
Rising Grade 9 Transition Conferences
January 16 and 18, 2024
Designed to be a highly personalized and information-rich experience for both students and parents, transition conferences are required, 45-minute meetings between an Upper School faculty member or administrator, the parent(s) and the Grade 8 child. This meeting lays the groundwork for a student’s academic coursework, athletic participation, and advisory placement for the 2024-25 school year. The student and at least one parent/guardian are required to attend and should expect the meeting to take one hour. Sign-up details will be provided in the winter.
Rising Grade 8 Transition Chat
Thursday, April 11, 2024
Grades 8 – 12 Attends Chapel at the Upper School
Friday, April 12, 2024
Eighth graders will join Upper School students and faculty for chapel. Students will be transported on buses to and from the Upper School, and dismissal will occur at it’s normal time and place on the Belfield Campus.
Substance Abuse Prevention: Grade 8 Student and Parent Roundtable
Required of all Grade 8 students and parents.
7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 18, 2024
Brenda Conlan, Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist, will lead a series of workshops with Grade 8 students throughout the week of April 15-19, 2024. On the evening of April 18, she will facilitate a roundtable discussion between grade-level parents and students in support of open communication about this important topic. Please note that the success of this program is dependent upon full engagement by Grade 8 students and parents, so we ask that each eighth grader and at least one parent from the household plan to attend.
Middle and Upper School Moving Up Chapels
Friday, May 24, 2024
Grade 8 students will participate in both the Middle School and Upper School Moving Up Chapels on this day. An important St. Anne’s-Belfield tradition, the Moving Up Chapel marks a child’s transition from one grade to the next, and in this case, from one campus to another. Please note that the exact times of these chapels will be announced closer to the date. Students will be transported on buses to and from the Upper School, and dismissal will occur at it’s normal time and place on the Belfield Campus.
Last Day of School and Grade 8 Class Day Rehearsal
Required of all Grade 8 students
Wednesday, May 29, 2024
The final day of school for Grades K-8 is Wednesday, May 29, 2024. Grade 8 students will use this final day to prepare for Grade 8 Class Day. Among their final preparations will be rehearsing Exhibitions and the Class Day Ceremony as a full grade. Please make every effort to ensure that your child attends school on this day.
Grade 8 Dance
7 – 9 p.m. on Wednesday, May 29, 2024
The Grade 8 Dance is a grade-wide social event planned by the Grade 8 parents and hosted on-campus. Please hold the date and time on your family’s calendar and look for more information from the Grade Level Representatives in the spring.
Grade 8 Exhibitions and Class Day
Required of all Grade 8 students. Families, including siblings and special friends, are encouraged to attend.
8 a.m. - 12 p.m. on Thursday, May 30, 2024
Class Day marks the conclusion of a student’s time on the Belfield campus. Each eighth-grade student prepares and presents an Exhibition, an original composition in which the student reflects on their growth and accomplishments during the middle school years. Exhibition presentations are followed by the Class Day Ceremony in which the accomplishments of the class are recognized and celebrated. Family, including siblings, loved ones, and special friends, are encouraged to attend both the Exhibition presentations and the Class Day Ceremony.
Important Resources and To Do Items
