It's never too early to start preparing students for change. Even though September and the start of next school year are six months away, plans are already underway to help ensure students are ready to transition to the next phase of their education.
We at the Middle School are lucky to get to support the incoming Grade 6 students on their transition, while also watching the outgoing Grade 8s move on to the Senior School fully prepared. Transitioning from the Junior School to the Middle School or Middle School to Senior School is exciting but, as with all new experiences, there can be feelings of anxiousness and trepidation. For some, the transition will be straightforward, and for others it can be challenging.
At SMUS, we take a thoughtful and supportive approach in how we can best support each and every student in taking these steps. And parents play a role in laying the foundation for their child to set them up for success.
Preparing For a Warm Welcome
So how do we help young people with the transition of being welcomed into the Middle School?
Soon after Spring Break, I will visit the Junior School with Cara Lee, Assistant Director of Student Life, to meet with all the Grade 5 students for a casual Q&A. We intentionally meet them at the Junior School, in an environment they are familiar with, as this removes a layer of natural nerves. They always ask great questions – "How long is recess?" and "Can we eat in the dining hall?" – and we talk about what they can expect, what courses/clubs/sports will be on offer and what life is like as a Middle School student.
Unsurprisingly, it does not take long for the Grade 5 students to have looks of excitement when they hear about all of the new and incredible experiences that will be available to them come September. It is always clear to me that they have been well-prepared by my Junior School colleagues, and they will fit right in at the Middle School. They are ready for new challenges, adventures and surroundings.
Our Grade 8s will do the same at the Senior School after Spring Break. They will meet with key people, including academic advisors and school directors, to learn about life in Grade 9, electives at their disposal, and life at the Senior School. Just as we will see with the Grade 5 incoming students, our Grade 8s will have looks of excitement when they hear about everything on offer at our Senior School. They are truly ready for the change and all that it brings.
One of the biggest changes that Grade 5 students face is physically being on a whole new campus from our Junior School.
In June, those same Grade 5 students will come to the Middle School for an afternoon. Most of them have visited the Richmond Road campus before, but few would have seen the Middle School classrooms and facilities. They will be hosted by Grade 7 students who will be our WEB (Where Everybody Belongs) Leaders next year. They play an important role in helping our Grade 6s feel settled, supported and at home. Students will tour the campus, and meet teachers and future classmates, all to familiarize them with the school (and have fun) so that when they arrive in September, the Middle School is a place they feel comfortable and familiar with.
Preparing for the Next Phase
How do we prepare students at the Middle School as we send them off to their next chapter at the Senior School?
That work intentionally began the moment they started in Grade 6. That preparation for Senior School (and beyond) is what we are all about at the Middle School: we help ensure students know who they are as learners and as people, have developed independence, confidence and leadership skills, and have stepped out of their comfort zone and taken risks to expand their horizons. We know that this is what they need to best ready them for Senior School.
Identical work is also done at the Junior School. For many years, the current group of Grade 5 students has received wonderful care and attention from their teachers and community there, and it has served them incredibly well. They have developed a love for learning, they have learned to think critically and creatively, their curiosity has been nurtured and they know what it means to be part of a supportive community. These experiences and skills are what they need to best prepare them for Middle School.
Parents are also an important part of this transition process, as we are well aware when there are changes for children, parents, too, can be curious and anxious. If your child is preparing for a transition come September, parents and guardians can start supporting that process now. At home, talk to your child about what they are looking forward to and what might be causing them worry. Remind them of their ability to overcome new challenges, because they’ve done this countless times.
They’ve got this! They are ready! And there is an incredible group of caring adults and fellow schoolmates at the Middle and Senior Schools ready to support them as they navigate the stepping stones ahead on their academic journeys.
