Fifth Grade to Join Our Middle School

Gilman has expanded significantly in the last 15 years. Most notably, the School created a kindergarten program in 2009, and, as part of our current strategic plan, we successfully launched a pre-kindergarten program in 2019 (while simultaneously expanding kindergarten). Our strategic plan also called for the development of a campus master plan. That process included a thorough space analysis of our buildings, which has demonstrated both a clear want for space in the Lower School and the capacity to add students to our Middle School.

The real driving force behind this realignment: thinking about what will work best for the boys in a school that now has 15 grades, eight of which are in the Lower School. Our fifth grade boys are midway through the Gilman progression, and we have the opportunity to pace their movement in developmentally thoughtful ways. The newly structured Middle School experience will pair fifth and sixth graders as the division's younger cohort, with seventh and eighth graders forming the older cohort, essentially creating two steps within the Middle School as our boys make their way through Gilman. This allows for developmental differentiation and will provide opportunities for boys to benefit from cross-grade-level interaction with four grades in the same building.

By having fifth grade join the Middle School, we can focus our Lower School program on the foundational needs of our youngest learners while better meeting the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical needs of our fifth graders. The number of students in the division will decrease, and the age span between the youngest and oldest boys will tighten by a year. As the oldest Hounds on the north side of campus, fourth graders will enjoy new opportunities to help set the tone for the division, and we are excited to make this year a fitting culmination of the Lower School experience.

Adolescence is a period of exponential growth, a time for students to expand their interests and try new things, to develop communication, organization, and time management skills, and to practice their independence. In a fifth through eighth grade Middle School program, new possibilities will arise for extracurricular clubs, cross-grade collaboration, and student leadership.

The Class of 2032 will be the last class of fifth grade students in Gilman's Lower School. Our fourth graders during the 2024-2025 school year, the Class of 2033, will be the first class of fifth grade students in Gilman's Middle School beginning in the fall of 2025.

At the end of the 2024-2025 school year, we will hold separate closing ceremonies for both classes of students to celebrate and reflect on the end of their time in the Lower School.

Yes. Tuition for fifth grade will match that of the Middle School for the 2025-2026 academic year. Current tuition rates are available on our Affording Gilman page and updated annually in February.

While sixth grade will remain a significant entry point at Gilman, it is worth noting that we have seen an increase in applications for fifth grade in recent years, and we anticipate this trend will continue. Over time, we envision a Middle School with both fifth and sixth grades as large entry points.

Our Middle School Admissions Team is happy to answer your questions or can connect you with Assistant Head of School for Pre-K–8 Shonique Alexander, who is leading the fifth grade transition process at Gilman.