any advice on a smooth transition to a new school?

[RCT]

starting now to collect helpfull hints on making the transition from school to school.....I am thankful that both my kids are into this move...but I do worry about ds being the NEW KID...any advice or helpful hints would be great


this isn't going to happen now...but maybe in Sept....:)

[AnnW]

You aren't moving till September?????
Take the school tour, see if he can meet the teacher. find out transportation, lunch schedule.

[RCT]

Originally posted by AnnW
You aren't moving till September?????


yes unfortunetly we still have to sell this wonderful OLD house...and purchase something in CA...althought the dh's company will be helping ....its going to be a wild next couple of months....

thanks for the tips:tinysmile

[Sandy Stevens]

If it's possibleduring the summer, plan outings to the playground of the new school. This helps children feel like they "know about" the school before school starts in the fall.

[Lynda-WA]

DS and DD will be in new schools next year hopefully (we will be putting this house on the market in about 2 weeks, average time to sell a house is 86 days). That will make DS's 4th school for 5th grade. The first move was mid year. I gave him a two weeks off in between schools. When we enrolled him I asked if I could take him to meet his new teacher. So after the school let out we went down, met the teacher and walked around the room. The next move was more local. I called the new school and found out when they were having round-up. Supposedly the kids were all supposed to go meet their new teachers at the same time. In reality the teachers just walked into the classroom and introduced themselves. All of the second grade teachers introduced themselves to all of the first graders and that was it. I was disappointed since I had pulled DS out of his other school to come for that. We also walked around on our own a little bit. For him the best thing was meeting the neighbor kids and knowing that he would know at least a couple of people in the school if not his class. And just prior to school starting we did a walk through going to his class from the bus directly. So all he needed to remember was that small set of directions.

I'll probably do the same thing at the next school. Find out which class the kids will be in and a prior to the first day at least walk from the bus area to their class. Hopefully they will be able to meet their new teachers at the same time.

[Marla]

Contact the school in June (when they have the class placements), maybe they can give you the names/e-mail addresses of a couple of the students in their class (with the parents permission of course). Maybe they can become e-mail friends before you actually move, and then arrange play dates.