RSU 22 principals outline yearlong plan to build cross-school connections for middle-school students
6495477 · October 16, 2025
Summary
Reedsbrook and Wagner middle school principals described a program of shared units, trips and joint activities intended to foster belonging as students move toward Hampton Academy.
Two RSU 22 middle-school principals told the board the district is launching a series of shared academic and social activities designed to help students from different feeder middle schools form earlier connections.
"We recognized through our belonging work and certainly the equity work that our district had done, that data showed us that students coming from different middle schools lacked a connection and that was a risk factor that we needed to mitigate," one principal said, describing the program’s goals.
Planned activities include joint sixth-grade field experiences (the Hudson Museum, a planetarium visit and Page Farm), an integrated salmon-release unit for seventh grade and a combined engineering expo and interview projects for eighth graders. Principals said some activities will have students visit sites separately and then gather for shared learning; others will mix cohorts during the on-site events.
"So each school is doing their own unit with their own students, going through that process. And then in the end, they're going to come together for that shared learning," a principal said, describing a model meant to keep cohort sizes manageable while increasing cross-school interaction.
Principals emphasized the initiative is ongoing throughout the year and built on prior joint events such as mixer dances, combined athletics teams and previous field trips. They said the intended outcomes include stronger peer connections, smoother transitions into high school cohort structures and more equitable academic experiences.
Board members and other speakers praised the work. Board member Ashton said hearing from students was important because students are the population most affected by the policy; another board member thanked staff and principals for the effort.
The presentation was an informational item on the board agenda; no action was taken.
