Looking back at my child’s eighth grade year, there are things I did to help her get used to the idea of high school and some things I hadn’t thought of but wish I had done. As your child makes that same transition, here is a quick checklist to consider.
Take a tour of the school with your child and have them attend a shadow day if offered.
Visit the school’s website with them to learn about what extracurricular activities they offer. Are there clubs that interest them?
Does the school have a social media presence? Get to know the school through what activities they are doing or posting about and share them with your student.
If the school has a football team, take your student to a game. Whether or not they are interested in football, this gives them a chance to see some of the social aspects of high school.
Is your student interested in sports? Look at the schedule and take them to some of the games.
Does your student love singing, dancing, acting, or playing an instrument? Look at the performance schedule and attend a few. Find out if auditions are necessary for the upcoming year and start preparing them for the idea.
Do you or your student know any current students or upper class-men there? Connect with them and find out what their experience has been, what teachers did they especially like and what activities they would recommend.
Make sure you know when freshman orientation is, and have them attend.
Fall sports and band often begin meeting before school begins. If you can, get your student to join one, giving them a group of familiar faces before school even begins.
Even if you choose to follow just one or two of these suggestions, doing so should help your student begin to feel more familiar with the high school they will be attending and therefore better prepared for the transition.
What have others found helpful? If you have suggestions to add to this list, please share them with us!