Class of 2028 Snapshot
A message from the Principal
Dear NFA 5th Grade Families,
As we look ahead to your child’s 6th grade year at NFA, we want to share with you the many exciting opportunities and enriching experiences planned for our rising Middle School students.. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts, questions, and hopes for your child’s transition to 6th grade - whether by email, phone call, or in-person conversation. Your feedback is deeply valued, and it continues to guide the thoughtful planning we’re doing to ensure a joyful, purposeful, and engaging middle school experience for your children.
In a time when many schools are focused on size and scale, NFA remains committed to depth and intention. We are deeply committed to ensuring that every student is seen, supported, and challenged. We believe this rising 6th grade class has an opportunity to experience a rich, communitybased middle school experience—one that builds confidence, character, and curiosity.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or if you’d like to schedule a conversation. We’re here to support you and your family every step of the way.
Warmly May 2025
Day at a Glance
SampleSchedule
8:00 - 8:25AM 8:26 - 9:10AM 9:11 - 9:55AM 9:56 - 10:05AM 10:06 - 10:50AM 10:51- 11:35AM 11:36 - 12:35 12:36 - 1:20PM 1:21 - 2:05PM 2:06 - 2:50PM
Homeroom&MorningMeetingwithMr. Wood(Therewillbeonehomeroom nextyear)
EnrichmentPeriod(PE,MediaStudies, STEM,Music,Art)
Science(wewillbehiringanewMS scienceteacher)
ScienceLab
Mathematics,Mrs.Preuninger
Religion,Mr.D’Orazio
Lunch&Recessw/7 Grade th
Electives(clickheretoviewthisyear’sofferings)
ELA,Mr.Wood
SocialStudies,Mr.Clark
Small Class Size, Big Impact
Our projected small class size offers your child a more personalized and supportive learning environment.
Our small class size allows for a highly personalized and supportive learning experience. Teachers are able to adapt instruction to meet individual needs, provide meaningful, one-onone feedback, and cultivate strong relationships with each student. This nurturing environment fosters academic growth, close-knit peer connections, and helps students develop confidence, voice, and emerging leadership skills.
Connections
Our 6th grade students will join 7th grade peers for select enrichment classes, as well as for lunch and recess. Electives include students from 6th - 8th grades, creating opportunities for collaboration and connection across age levels.
These shared experiences reflect our SSJ mission "That all may be one" by nurturing a spirit of unity, mutual respect, and community across the middle school. Students grow not only in knowledge, but also in empathy, leadership, and a deeper sense of responsibility to one another.
Mind Masters
For the first time, all 6th grade students will take part in a dedicated, year-long Advisory period featuring our “Mind Masters” executive functioning course led by Mrs. Kelly Guller.
This executive functioning curriculum helps students develop crucial skills such as organization, time-management, study strategies, and self-awareness; all tools that build independence and set the foundation for long-term academic success in middle school and beyond.
We’re excited to begin the 6th grade year with a full-day retreat to Lacawac Sanctuary—a beautiful natural preserve ideal for reflection, exploration, and building community.
In partnership with our STEM program, students will engage in hands-on learning about the role of water in sustaining ecosystems, launching a year-long interdisciplinary and servicelearning focus. This retreat also serves as a spiritual and symbolic beginning to middle school, with water representing new life a fitting theme as students enter this next chapter of growth and discovery.
Service
As 6th graders, students partner with Friends of the Wissahickon for frequent service-learning experiences. Our close proximity to Forbidden Drive and Wissahickon Valley Park allows students to engage regularly in hands-on environmental stewardship. These opportunities align with our STEM curriculum and deepen their understanding of local watersheds and ecosystems reinforcing the year’s central theme of water as a vital, shared resource. Through service, students see the real-world impact of their learning and grow as responsible, engaged citizens of both their community and the planet.
The UN Summit
In collaboration with Dr. Megan Stotz, students will engage in a dynamic year-long research focused on water in our area and around the globe.
This culminates in an interdisciplinary UN Summit project challenges students to become informed global citizens who: practice research, critical thinking, collaboration, and advocacy.
High School Counseling
As part of NFA’s High School Counseling Program, each student receives one-on-one guidance during Advisory throughout the year to support them through the high school admissions and application process.
Middle School students also hear from area high school representatives, and NFA’s full-time registrar works closely with families to ensure a smooth transition to high school. .
After NFA
NFA graduates are actively recruited by the area’s best Catholic and independent high schools and are rewarded with impressive scholarships, awards and financial grants.
Last spring, the Class of 2024 earned nearly $700,000 in scholarships and awards, and had an acceptance rate of 92% to elite high schools in the Philadelphia area.
We’re eager to share Class of 2025's good news later this spring.
