Making transitions to new buildings can be exciting, motivating and scary at the same time for students. This is increasingly true the older a person is. In general elementary students do not have nearly the difficulty that older children have. Students entering high school seem to be especially vulnerable to problems such changes can cause.
Should your children be faced with this situation a few ideas can help. First get to the new school before they start classes. Having a chance to meet the teacher, principal, and support staff is helpful. This reduces the fear of the unknown. It also helps them connect with friendly faces and reach out to helpful hands before they start the learning process.
Related to this, it is very helpful for new students to discover activity options at the new school. Being signed up early for a sport or activity can accelerate the student’s assimilation into new peer relationships.
Recently, a father of a student who enrolled at CHS last year related to me how a coach greatly helped his son make the transition to a new school by calling the child at home and recruiting him to participate in the team he coaches. The result of that one act of kindness was that the young man made multiple new friends before the school year started. He also found the sport to be enjoyable, and it is an important interest he continues to develop.
Also critical to successful transitions is the parent or guardian’s vigilant monitoring of the students progress in the new school. It is very important that the adults in the students’ lives are sensitive to how the young people are feeling about their new school. This includes their thoughts and concerns about classes, friends, teachers, free times (such as lunch) and so forth.
Close monitoring of new students’ academic progress by significant adults is also essential for a transitioning student. It is very important that students in a new school not get behind in their work or begin getting poor grades. Often times adults wait until it is too late before seeking a grade update or intervening for their children who may be struggling. The longer adults wait to help their floundering young, the more difficult it will be for the young people to make up for poor grades or unfinished work.
A third way parents can help with school transitions is to develop a good working relationship with the teachers in the new schools. This is especially important for classes that could be challenges for the students. For example, if a young person has struggled in math in the past, it would be advisable to make an early connection with the math teacher to set up a system of communication. This will help the parent or guardian to stay on top of any potential problems before they become difficult to remediate.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, it is wise for adults to carefully track with whom the children are socializing. It is all too common for students entering a new school to get into a bad peer group. These new acquaintances can lead newcomers to experiment with activities that result in very negative consequences. New students are often vulnerable to new influences as they are insecure and seeking acceptance. They may seek to address these needs in unwise ways.
Being a new student is not all negative. It can be an exciting chance to get a fresh start and learn new things. This opportunity can also give students a chance to find new interests and friends that will be life-long influences. The challenge for parents is to help their young navigate these transitions positively. Transitions are a part of adult life. Learning how to make the most of them is a valuable life skill.
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