This message was shared with Middle and Upper School families in an email on March 9.

Dear Middle and Upper School Families,

As we look ahead to next school year, we want to share an important update regarding the Middle and Upper School schedule. Beginning next year, the two divisions will move from our current three-day, seven-period rotation to a five-day, eight-period rotation.

This shift represents a significant and thoughtful evolution of our academic program while maintaining the core elements of the current schedule that best support students, including sixty-minute periods, B-Block, Lunch/Flex, and mid-morning break.

An eight-period schedule within a five-day rotation creates greater flexibility for academic programming and enables more course offerings across all departments. It opens new possibilities for collaboration and innovation across disciplines and both divisions. What’s more, Visitation’s move to an eight-period day is a major step towards further collaboration with Saint Thomas Academy. Discussions amongst the two schools remain ongoing with the goal of aligning schedules in the future. 

Upper School Experience

The new schedule allows us to meaningfully expand course offerings and provide students with greater choice, depth and flexibility in their learning. With additional periods built into the day, students will have more opportunities to explore interests and pursue advanced coursework. This structure also better supports students who wish to balance multiple interests.

Listed below are examples of new and expanded courses that will be offered in 2026-2027:

• Early World History (Grade 9)
• Leadership Seminar (Grade 9)
• Principles of Investing (Grades 9-12)
• Functions, Statistics, and Trigonometry (Grades 9-12)
• AP World History: Modern (Grade 10)
• Honors Math and Science Research (Grades 10-12)
• Journalism (Grades 10-12)
• Literature and Food (Grades 10-12)
• Women’s Spirituality: 300 CE-present (Grades 10-12)
• Art and the Bible (Grades 10-12)
• Global Women’s Issues (Grades 10-12)
• AP Microeconomics  (Grades 11-12)
• AP Macroeconomics (Grades 11-12)
• Introduction to Business (Grades 9-12)
• People and Cultures of the World (Grades 9-12)
• Painting II (Grades 10-12)
• Drawing II (Grades 9-12)
• Art of Theater Production (Grades 9-12)
• Honors Orchestra (Grades 10-12)
• Modern Band (Grades 9-12)
• First Aid and Injury Care (Grades 9-12)
• Pilates and Yoga (Grades 9-12)
• Racquet Sports (Grades 9-12)

In addition to these courses, there are additional advanced level courses that are being considered for 2027-2028 including but not limited to AP Language and Composition, AP Computer Science Principles and AP Chemistry.

Middle School Experience

Middle School students will also benefit from the five-day rotation while maintaining a developmentally appropriate structure. Importantly, all students will now have a mid-morning break/recess. The sixth-grade year continues to serve as the foundation for all further study in the division. The students will enroll in core classes -- Math, Science, English, Social Studies, Religion -- while cycling through Visitation’s three world languages, Chinese, French and Spanish. In sixth grade, we are also introducing a new, year-long health and wellness curriculum that will accompany their Physical Education classes, and all of the girls will have the opportunity to enroll in performing and studio arts. Starting next year, sixth graders will also enroll in Learning Lab, a course that allows the girls to further develop and strengthen their reading and writing skills while getting acclimated to Middle School.

The new schedule allows seventh and eighth-graders to have more choices when deciding what to study. In seventh grade, the students will have the chance to choose electives while also enrolling in Physical Education, Performing Arts and Studio Arts. In eighth grade, students will have the chance to choose electives while enrolling in Physical Education and Performing or Studio Arts. Examples of new and expanded electives include:

• Pop Acappella
• Team Sports
• Studio Arts: Fashion Design
• Theater and Improvisation
• Maker’s Space
• Writing for Media
• Intercultural Dialogue
• Changemakers

Meanwhile, just as the sixth graders have Learning Lab, seventh graders will enroll in Global Leadership and eighth graders will enroll in Entrepreneurship. The transition from trimesters to semesters creates a unified 6-12 model that allows for combined programming if and when appropriate. 

We are excited about the many opportunities that are available to our students in light of this change in schedule. Additional details will be shared in the coming weeks, particularly as we approach course registration. 

I am grateful for your continued support of Visitation School.

Sincerely,

Anna Bachman Barter, PhD

Director of Secondary Education