A buzz fills MB27 as Upper School students putter into the classroom. A quiet chatter surrounds students settling into desks and preparing for the class to begin. Tucked into the corner of the classroom, away from the class, sit four eighth graders: Charlotte H., Cece O., Alyse L., and Rebecca U.G. These four eighth graders leave their comfortable Middle School home of Mudd every other day for the last two years to attend their upper level Spanish class. They are among the roughly 20 students who are affectionately referred to by the Lower and Middle School Office as the “crossover kids,” students who take courses outside of their typical grade level.

At Westridge, students can take an upper level language or math class if they’ve demonstrated readiness through a placement test. Students who come from a dual immersion program or are considered heritage speakers now have more access to courses that meet their learning needs.

In the past, if a student had more experience with a language, beyond the regular grade level offerings, they were required to take a different language. At that point, the Middle School program and schedule simply did not accommodate students with more experience. Students with more experience were in a way penalized.

Caitlin P., an eighth grader in Spanish III, had previously attended a dual immersion program before she arrived at Westridge in fifth grade. Even though she arrived with some Spanish language background, she had to wait until middle school to be placed into Spanish II as a seventh grader. “In Lower School, I didn’t practice Spanish that much because I didn’t have the need to, so my Spanish feels really like it really dwindled,” she said.

Students with more experience in math have also faced similar challenges. Previously, the only courses of study for Middle School students were Pre-Algebra and Algebra—with honors placements. Students in seventh grade are now able to take Algebra, and eighth grade students have special access to Geometry, after taking placement tests and receiving recommendations from teachers. 

Anoush J. ’30 takes Honors Algebra along with a handful of other seventh graders. “I actually really enjoy it because it’s one of the only times in a math class, specifically, that I’ve actually been learning and not have been bored,” she said.

Making additional learning options more accessible for students has been a challenge due to the way Middle and Upper School schedules and programming have lined up. The challenges in supporting student learning needs was expressed by Director of Teaching and Learning Mr. James Evans, “Thinking about how to honor people’s identities and all the work they’d put into language acquisition before they arrived at the school…we didn’t want to make that for nothing.”

While a handful of students were taking upper level courses last year, the new 2024–25 schedule aligns more and gives more students more access to upper level courses.

Last year the Middle School students taking Spanish II at lunch ate at a different time than their peers. “It was just very difficult, like missing half of the lunches with all my friends and not being tuned into half of what they said,” Charlotte H. ’29 said.

While providing more academic opportunities for students has been at the front of the change, there have always been social concerns. “I think that the developmental stage of a middle schooler is appropriately nurtured within a Middle School environment, and putting a middle schooler into a high school setting is, I think, asking a lot,” Middle School Curriculum Chair and 8th Grade English Teacher Mrs. Kara Ramirez said.

It is true that Middle School students might be exposed to more mature topics. World Languages and Cultures Department Chair Dr. Vicki Garrett spoke to her experience with having Middle School students in her Upper School Spanish class. “I really try to create opportunities for the sort of divide to be broken down, and for people to come together across grade levels and connect in that way,” she said. She also spoke of students growing in confidence and finding their voices after having a positive crossover experience.

Middle School students also face unique challenges. Meeting with teachers, group projects, and communication expectations can be hard to schedule and navigate for middle schoolers who don’t have the same relationships and access to their teachers and classes.

“One of the best things I think about our Middle School program is the easy access to teachers, and because the Upper School teachers are on a different schedule and are in different geographical locations, students have verbalized that they don’t understand,” said Mrs. Ramirez.

Despite the inconveniences and concerns, students’ best interests are truly at the heart of offering crossover learning opportunities…Most students in these advanced courses are grateful for the program. For Alyse L. ’29, keeping her Spanish skills strong is a priority. “[Upper School Spanish] really enhanced my experience in general, and how I communicate with my grandparents,” she said.