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Three fifth graders share with prospective students their favorite things about Rowland Hall.
7 Reasons to Choose Rowland Hall, as Shared by Three Fifth Graders

By Nicky C., Kyeran G., and Nora S.

Hi, and welcome to Rowland Hall. We’re so glad you’re considering our school!

First, let us introduce ourselves. We’re Nicky C., Kyeran G., and Nora S., and we’re all fifth graders at Rowland Hall.

We think Rowland Hall is a great school and want you to get an idea of why it’s so special here. As three kids who have been at the school for many years (Nicky started in kindergarten, Kyeran in 4PreK, and Nora in 3PreK), we know a thing or two about Rowland Hall—and we want to share them with you.

1. It’s easy to make friends.

We know the most important thing you’re thinking about is if you’ll make friends at Rowland Hall. The answer is yes! Making friends is easy at Rowland Hall—students are kind, and the school helps everyone feel like they belong. This is really important because it’s easier to learn when you have friends and feel safe at school.

2. Our community is welcoming.

One of the great things about Rowland Hall is that the adults are so nice. The teachers are very welcoming, and can help if you are having a hard day. They’re also understanding, and if you need help, they are always there to help you. And no matter who you are, you’re accepted at Rowland Hall. There is a place for everyone here. We even have affinity groups for students with divorced parents, learning differences, and other identifiers, so you’ll be supported by kids and adults who understand you.

3. You can attend Rowland Hall from preschool through high school.

At Rowland Hall, kids can start as young as three years old and attend all the way through high school. This means if you like the school, you can stay here! This is great because then you don’t have to start over at a new school that has its own ways of doing things, you can remain with your friends, and you can get to know the teachers better.

4. Our classes are small and we learn about a lot of fun stuff.

At Rowland Hall, our classes are small, so we get more focus from teachers. We also get to take specialty classes, which are a great way to find out about different subjects and exercise your brain. Specialties include science, art, music, Spanish, and TREC, which stands for technology, robotics, engineering, and coding.

5. Our playground is the best.

We love learning, but it’s also nice to have breaks. Rowland Hall has a great recess program, which is important because more recess helps your brain (it’s scientifically proven!). Our playground is so fun and has a basketball court, sandbox, playset, four-square courts, and a large field with enough room for football.

6. Students have lots of fun experiences.

There are many fun activities at Rowland Hall. We can’t name them all, but a few of our favorites include field trips to places like Timpanogos Cave, Little Cottonwood Canyon, and the Great Salt Lake (which you get to do with the 11th graders when you’re in fourth grade). We also love the Buddy Program, which connects kids in the lower and beginning schools, and the fifth-grade internship program.

7. We have a fun before-school and after-school program called Extended Day.

Extended Day is a great way to do some extracurricular activities, with lots of classes happening on all days of the week. Some of the classes/clubs include Pokémon Club, chorus, karate, fencing, and music lessons. If you aren’t there for classes, you can hang out in the dining hall or on the playground and do your homework if you really want. You can even go there if you’re in the Middle School. Extended Day is so much fun, and it’s also really helpful for families that need childcare before or after school.

We hope these examples helped you get a better idea of why Rowland Hall is such a great place. There’s so much more to learn about our school, so we definitely recommend you visit campus—you might even meet one of us while you’re here! Ask your parents or caregivers to reach out to our admission team for more information.

About Nicky C.
Nicky’s favorite subjects at school are recess, math, science, and TREC. He also loves to play soccer and basketball, both during and after school, take chess lessons, and draw. His favorite places to travel are California, to visit his grandparents, and Mexico.

About Kyeran G.
Kyeran’s favorite school subjects are math and PE because he gets to learn so many new and fun games. When he’s not at school, he likes to skateboard and play with his dog, a Labrador whose DNA has been labeled 10% mystery.

About Nora S.
Nora’s favorite thing to do at school is to write, and her favorite thing to write is fantasy fiction. She also loves reading, playing volleyball, doing gymnastics, and going to the beach (especially in Oregon!).

Choosing a School

Supporting Middle School Students in All Areas of Their Adolescent Development Through the Advisory Program

At Rowland Hall, each Middle School student is part of a grade-level advisory, a small group that meets regularly and becomes a tight-knit community within our larger Middle School community.

We support students in all areas of their adolescent development, knowing that the most impactful learning happens when students feel known, cared about, safe, and advocated for. Each advisor’s main focus to build a strong connection with each child and foster positive relationships among the advisory group. Advisors encourage, support, and motivate student growth, serving as guides and main touchpoints throughout the school year for academic, social, and emotional support.

Advisory further serves as a platform for students to develop their individual and collective skills, as well as the resiliency required to navigate all aspects of adolescent life, and to build a toolkit of metacognitive, social, emotional, and civic skills. Through advisory, students engage in lessons and activities focused on social-emotional learning, academic advising, positive identity development and cultural competency, and community engagement—four key areas of the work we do throughout the Middle School.

  • Social-emotional learning: Also known as SEL, social-emotional learning includes five core themes: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship management, and responsible decision-making. There is a strong correlation between academic success and social-emotional learning.
  • Academic advising: It is important that all students see themselves as effective learners and that they can accurately assess and develop skills to achieve that goal. Executive functioning skills can be learned, but they have to be taught and require practice.
  • Positive identity development and cultural competency: This work can be summarized as: Who am I? Who are you? Who are we? Why are we better together? To help create a positive sense of self-identity, students explore identity markers and investigate tropes, biases, stereotypes, power, privilege, and culture. This includes developing a greater understanding and appreciation of our culture and the cultures of others, and exploring how the principles of inclusion and equity help communities function positively and healthfully.
  • Community engagement: Helping students find a place in our community and society is an important function of schools, inspiring students who make a positive difference in the world. Through community engagement and service learning, students learn to see themselves as positive agents of change in their communities.

Community

You Belong at Rowland Hall