We are gratified with the interest and support of combining Eton Prep's 4, 5, 6th grades with Veladare School's 7th and 8th grades. We invite questions and have answered some of them here.

Why is this happening?
The reason Eton School is realigning with Veladare School is to create an option for our students to have a program through eighth grade which will take them up until they enter high school. Often parents tell us they feel pressured to apply to other schools sooner than they would like because admission can be so competitive in sixth and seventh grade. They would prefer to complete Eton Prep's full program through grade 6 but worry about where their child will go next. Thus adding two grades provides a great advantage to link with an existing successful program. A new school of 4th through 8th grade offers eastside parents another choice for their children.

What are the advantages for my child?
The advantages to the fourth through eighth grade student are many.

• an option of continuing in a small nurturing middle school
• a simple application process and good communication between Eton and the new school
• a community that values global studies and cultural diversity
• an academically rigorous program
• guidance with high school choices and application process

Having the new school available will also enhance Eton's lower elementary program just as the pre-elementary is stronger because we have elementary. Both the students and staff expand their horizons when the next echelon is visible.

Weren't you all one school, through grade 8, in the past? Yes, Eton School covered ages 3 through 14 from the time that the first eighth grader graduated in 1984 until we cut back to sixth grade in 1997. At that time, we were a Montessori school whose upper elementary curriculum wasn't in alignment with the local public schools. We wanted to expand our middle school, fourth through sixth grade, and didn't have space to keep the 13 and 14 year olds. (There were a total of 45 students in our upper program.) We felt there were other options for seventh and eighth grade students but a broader peer base for the middle school age was a goal.

Was the separation successful?
Our plan worked as our enrollment for fourth, fifth and sixth grades expanded to nearly 80. We altered the curriculum to include Washington State, U. S. and world history. We provided teachers specialized in subject areas. We made the fourth grade a little more self-contained as a transition from Eton Montessori to Eton Prep. We acquired more space in the Casa Building for a laptop computer lab and math room. In short, we formed a vibrant "school within a school."

Veladare School continued the seventh and eighth grades, offering a unique option, mainly to Eton graduates. There has always been a close relationship between the schools and Veladare is very proud of their alums, who graduate and attend a variety of private and independent schools. The 7th and 8th grade configuration was successful because Eton continued to offer 6th grade.

Why realign now?
Since our last accreditation with PNAIS, Eton School has made a distinction in the age 3-6 and 6-9 Montessori programs and the preparatory component of the upper elementary. We even changed the name to Eton Prep to clarify this difference in our programs. We can now expand the scope further. A stronger educational experience will emerge from the combination of two mission-driven schools. There is strength in offering a program that is specifically addressing the needs of upper elementary and middle school. There are several educational choices in the Bellevue area, but none really focus on the middle school years.

What would be the same and what would be new or different in the new school?
We expect continuity in the staffing and in the facilities of both schools. The combined faculty will coordinate the curricula so there is flow from grade to grade. The mission and vision of both schools are akin as there is a strong connection to the Montessori philosophy and approach to education. The schools already share their Music and Latin teachers. The methods are student-participative and interactive.

Many activities from both schools can be enriched and expanded in the new school. Dramatic productions, Latin chorus, yearbook, school newspaper, Math Olympiad, Math Team, community service projects, science publications, and study skill classes will continue and expand to fit each grade level. As teachers collaborate to design the program, interests forming classes in robotics, woodworking, creative writing, scientific illustration, and other art forms will likely emerge.

Some additional possibilities in the new division are another foreign language, web design, research skills, and more opportunities for collaborative learning. The Veladare students will benefit from the many services available at Eton. The Eton Prep students will benefit from Veladare''s nine years of success working with young adolescents, including small group interchange and community connections. Families of both schools will benefit from a larger base of resources and more parents with similar interests.

Who will be in charge?
The founders, Pat Feltin and Gwen Williams, will continue to guide and help form a Board of Trustees. A new organizational structure will allow the 4-8 school to develop more quickly and with a much richer format. It also allows for perpetuity and, in a sense, "gives the school to the community." This is a responsible next step.

What about the future of Eton School, Montessori age 3 through 9?
Pat Feltin is committed to offering a high quality program for pre and lower elementary age students. Eton will maintain a superior staff and outstanding facilities. We will assist our students by sustaining a positive relationship with the new school, where students can make a natural transition with a streamlined acceptance process.

It is Dr. Feltin's personal wish to continue to develop Eton School (Montessori) into a strengthened institution that will guarantee its future. This has been an ongoing effort for several years. Eton is a premier school of the Montessori Method and is a model to other schools around the country. We live our aphorism of "I am Becoming."

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