Jr. High or Middle School?

[porschegrl]

I went to a jr. high, grades 7-8. Some time later they added 6th grade and started calling it a middle school.

Whether there's any "dictionary definition" distinction between the two, I distinguish them in my own mind based on my experience.

 

[disney-inspired]

Where in CA? It was middle school up in Northern CA when my sister was in it. And it's Middle School down here in OC also.

Then it must be just our area. I'm 30 miles north of LA.

 

[clori]

Growing up I had
elementary 1-6
junior high 7&8
high school 9-12
but buildings wee
1-6, 7th grade only 8&9th (but 8th was middle separate from 9th being high school) and 10-12

Now same city k-5 elementary 6-8 middle school (one building) 9-12th high school (one building)

My kids k-8 elementary but curriculum is different for grades 6-8 called middle school curriculum)
high school 9-12

My husband I think was k-6 in one building 7-12 in another but 7&8 was still jr high and high school 9-12

 

[TippyThomas]

I've always known them as Junior High. Grades 6 - 8.

 

[ronandannette]

In our school district? Neither exist. We have elementary (K-7) and high school (8-12). In some other towns around us they have elementary (k-5), middle (6-8) and high school (9-12).
Just to confuse things, when I was growing up the school district I was in had elementary (k-7), high school (8-12) and there were also some jr high schools (8-10).

Did they still have Grade 13 when you went? When did they discontinue that in BC?

 

[2letterwords]

I grew up on Long Island, and mine was the first 6th grade class to be part of the middle school (6-8). My oldest is in 5th grade this year and is in middle school, 5-8 (Lehigh Valley, PA).

 

[design_mom]

Mine was just "grade school" (1-8) and "high school" (9-12) but my husband calls his 7-8th grade years "junior high." My kids's school was elementary (k-5), middle (6-8) and high (9-12).

 

[piccolopat]

Back in the early 70's my grade 6-8 school on Staten Island, NY was called an Intermediate School.

 

[Skippyboo]

Graduated high school in 1990. Grew up in SW Pa about a hr south of Pittsburgh. We had elementary school K-6, junior high 7-9 then high school 10-12. The year I finished the 9th grade they switched to a middle school system so the incoming 9 graders move to high school along with my 10th grade class. I remember having to tell my band director that I would not be playing at graduation my senior year, because I was actually graduating (#2 in my class) I think he thought I still had 1 more year to go.

 

[bcwife76]

Did they still have Grade 13 when you went? When did they discontinue that in BC?

I don't think BC ever had grade 13? I thought that was only in Ontario?

 

[Allison Joy]

Like a few others, around here, it was Jr. High when it was 7-8, and when it switched to 6-8 (a gradual change by district) then it was called middle school.

I attended k-6 in the 90s, when I feel many other areas had already switched to k-5, 6-8. I am so very glad I was still at the elementary school in 6th grade. I was already tiny, about the size of most 3-4th graders in 6th grade, and I don't think being the size of a 3rd grader in the same school as 8th graders would have been much fun. I'd probably have hated passing period even more than I did. Ha!
Fun Fact: It took my until only a few years ago for me to realize that my issue with passing period was not anxiety about getting to class on time, but anxiety about passing period itself and trying to get out of the hallway as quickly as I could. It's not exactly comfortable to be surrounded by people a foot taller than you in narrow hallways. To this day, I shudder a bit thinking about passing period. Ha!

Sorry for that random tangent. I now return you to your regularly scheduled topic.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

Did they still have Grade 13 when you went? When did they discontinue that in BC?

13th grade? Really? This sounds like something told to the incoming freshman to prank them, like the pool on the third floor, when the school has neither a pool nor a third floor. Well, I’m not falling for it!

 

[Mamabun]

Where I grew up most schools were like this:
elementary k-3
middle 4-6
jr high 7-9
high 10-12

But some were:
lower k-4
middle 5-8
high 9-12

The schools where I live now have a similar setup to many previous posters
elementary k-5
middle 6-8
high 9-12

which still feels weird to me, since you go to one school for 6 years, then one for 3 years, then one for 4 years. It’s so uneven.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

13th grade? Really? This sounds like something told to the incoming freshman to prank them, like the pool on the third floor, when the school has neither a pool nor a third floor. Well, I’m not falling for it!

Technically, that's what 12th is in these parts since Kindergarten is a required year here. I mean, you attend 13 years of school. It's just not called that officially.

 

[ronandannette]

I don't think BC ever had grade 13? I thought that was only in Ontario?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/liberals-grade-13-pandemic-ontario-election-2022-1.6443773
I guess it was just Ontario.

13th grade? Grade 13?Really? This sounds like something told to the incoming freshman to prank them, like the pool on the third floor, when the school has neither a pool nor a third floor. Well, I’m not falling for it!

Fixed that up a little bit for you - you’re welcome.
And according to to the article, Ontario kids are clamouring for it’s return.

 

[starry_solo]

When I went to school, it was:
Elementary: K-6
Junior High: 7-9
High School: 10-12

Then when I was actually in 8th grade, it changed to:
Elementary: K-6
Intermediate: 7-8
High School: 9-12

 

[JLTraveling]

Where I grew up (smallish town in Florida), public schools were:

K-6 elementary school
7-9 junior high
10-12 high school

I attended a private school that was:

6-8 middle school
9-12 high school
All on the same campus. They accepted students from all the local elementary schools.

I'm pretty sure the public schools switched from junior high to middle school somewhere around 2000 or so.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I have seen/heard it called both. Heck some of them within the same school district/corporation vary from middle school to jr. high. In my mind they are the same thing.

 

[emily nicole]

Here it's:
Elementary K-5
Middle 6-8
High School 9-12.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

I went to JR HIGH grades 7/8/9

My kids went to MIDDLE school grades 6/7/8

same city/school district