I’m nervous about the social aspects of a smaller group

Many parents worry about moving from an environment of 20+ age peers to less than ten. What if my student doesn’t find a friend? What if there’s someone in the class they don’t get along with? These concerns aren’t unreasonable, but actually we’ve observed that a smaller tight-knit group leads to better relationships and stronger social skills. Working alongside the same handful of peers in close proximity makes commonality and friendship inevitable.

Of course there are occasional grudges and rivalries, but without a way to avoid one another the students are forced to resolve the issue, learning empathy and resilience in the process. When a gifted 5th grade boy joined our class there was initial tension and status jostling with the incumbent gifted 5th grader; after accepting they’d have to coexist they’ve now become best friends. As an additional benefit, because the entire school and teachers share the same single space, there is no opportunity for bullying or mischief to escape awareness.