6th Grade Centers

In August of 2018, North Kansas City Schools opened two sixth grade centers. Sixth grade centers offer a supportive, personalized transitional environment for students as they move from elementary to middle school. Our two 6th grade centers are Eastgate, serving the southern attendance areas, and  Gateway, serving the northern portion of the district. The goal of each center is to support 6th graders through a period of change while providing experiences that address the social, emotional, and learning needs of our students. These experiences are grouped into two major categories: core and encore.

Team Concept

Each sixth grader will be randomly assigned to a team of two teachers. These teams are interdisciplinary and integrate the four core subject areas: English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. The two-person teams will interact with other two-person teams to build a sense of community and lasting relationships.

The educational benefits of a team-teaching structure include:

• Each teacher on the team will share the same group of students.
• Teachers share a common conference and plan period.
• This structure allows teachers to meet together with parents, to plan team activities, and to discuss objectives and instructional strategies.
• Classrooms are in close proximity.

Each team will:

• Strive to create meaningful connections between subjects so that learning is enriched.
• Encourage a sense of community and belonging among the students.
• Ease the transition from elementary to middle school.

For more information about sixth grade centers, please contact Misty Koontz at (816) 321-6425.