I am in the same boat; I have one year to go. My son will be in the 5th grade and I am already looking to see where I can be of help even though he's not there yet. I want him to have a easy transition. Our 6th graders are alone in one school. 7-8th is jr.high. I also worry about parent involvement I have been active for 6 year now and I cannot stop just because he's going into the 6th grade. I look forward to researching and to see what all is being done. I would like for them to go and tour the campus during school so they can experience; the change of classrooms; what gym is going to be like; cafeteria food experience; I think that this would be a great field trip to do towards the end of the year when things are winding down and the kids are excited. Then have the orientation during the summer time.
Granted we're a small school and our kids are all together, but...we have a transition day. The 5th graders visit all the classrooms, talk to all the teachers and then receive their new uniform to symbolize the step up.
As a parent, I am so grateful we are international at this time. I can't imagine sending my child to a school of 1000+ students and would have soooo many questions. Any information you could give those parents would be wonderful. A parent-teacher handbook and a school directory would be nice. :cool:
In our district, the middle school (7-8) counselors come out to each elementary school classroom. They do a Q&A session for the kids, where they'll get asked everything from "what intramural programs do you offer?" to "what if I forget where my locker or next classroom is?" They also go over the enrollment material and help the kids know what they need to do to properly enroll for next year.
Next, the kids all go to the middle school for a tour. They get a chance to see the building for themselves, and ask any additional questions they've come up with.
During that period, the middle school PTA is sending home information, including volunteer signup sheets for the coming year. The PTA and school combine efforts to run an evening information session for parents. This gives the parents their opportunity to ask questions. There is also a volunteer fair (BEACH party - BE A Commuity Helper) that all the rising 6th graders and their families are invited to (the pizza supper is also a PTA fund raiser).
There is also a parents night just for the 7th grade parents with questions about 8th grade. Most years, I suppose the low turnout wouldn't surprise me (500 kids, less than 100 parents and in many cases if you got one parent you got both). However, the school is changing from a team model to a departmental model next year -- those of us who attend know the answers to questions other parents are now calling the school to ask.
Finally, the week before school starts, there is another evening session for parents and students. The principal and teachers that have all students (e.g. gym teachers) speak for a few minutes. Then students pick up their schedules and fan out to find their lockers and locate their classrooms. After the teachers have handed out the schedules, most return to their classroom so they can answer any special questions students or parents might have.
They do a pretty good job of making the transition smooth. They even make sure the students know which of their teachers to go to if they forget their locker combination.
We do something like this here. I think that our fifth graders take a trip over there before the end of school usually. I don't know if they are going to this year because we are behind from snowdays.
Do you have a Family Resourse Center or a Youth Service Center? They usually take care of this thing in our county and I think they have info.
As the parent of a 5th grader moving into Junior High, I'm now getting involved in that PTO and school.
In August, the school will hold an evening parent orientation and then a half day camp for incoming 6th graders. Meanwhile, our 5th grade families are hungry for information NOW. I've decided to put together a short flyer on what I'm discovering (class schedule, building hours, what's different, school accomplishments, major dress code issues, etc.)
It will only be 1-2 pages and will just hit hightlights, encouraging families to participate in the two August events to get the real details.
The flyer/newseletter will probably be distributed in the name of one of the PTOs.
My question is: do any of you already do something like this? Do you have any other transitional activites or literature for students moving into Junior High? I'm interested in all ideas.
