The Transition from Elementary School to Middle School

1. The Transition from Elementary School toMiddle School Kelly Jackson Natoscha McKinnon Rebecca Wilson Johns Hopkins University October 18, 2006

2. WELCOME! • Please make a nametag for yourself. • Please take an orange dot and rate your level of anxiety (high, medium, low or somewhere in between) about the middle school transition. • Child care is provided in Room 400. • Spanish-speaking presentation tomorrow night at 7 pm.

3. Today’s Agenda • Anxiety Level Pre-Assessment • Introduction • Goals/Objectives • Icebreaker/Energizer • Content: • Procedural, Academic & Social/Emotional Concerns • What Parents Can Do • School’s Role • Transitional Activities • Role Plays • Evaluation • Anxiety Level Post-Assessment

4. Goals/Objectives • Reduce your level of anxiety about the middle school transition • Give you information, tools and resources to make the transition successful • Inform you about transition activities

5. Icebreaker/Energizer • Independently read and rate the questions • Please split into four groups of 2-3 • Discuss and list any additional anxieties or concerns about your child’s transition to middle school • Share anxieties and concerns with group

6. The Transition to Middle School • It is normal for your child to be nervous about starting middle school. • It is also perfectly normal for you to be nervous about your child’s transition to middle school. • “The transition to middle school may be one of the toughest transitions during childhood, for both parents and kids” (Brown, 2004).

7. Procedural Concerns • Getting lost or finding classes • Finding and opening the locker • Finding the bathroom • Not knowing the school rules • Carrying around all those books • Going from class to class without being late • Bringing the right materials to the right class at the right time • Traveling longer distances to school • Eating in a larger cafeteria (Brown, 2004; Elias, 2001)

8. Procedural Concerns:What You Can Do • Buy a combination lock before school and have your child spend time trying to open the lock. • Go to the school two or three days before school starts and get a copy of your child’s schedule. Take a few minutes to walk from room to room with your child. • Don’t buy backpacks that can store 50 lbs. of materials. Smaller backpacks allow for better organization. (The elementary to middle school transition: Five helpful hints for parents, n.d.)

9. Academic Concerns • Getting good grades • Competition for grades • Having more than one teacher • More homework • More long-term projects • Work that is more challenging and requires more effort • Expectations of teachers in different subject areas • Basic tasks such as studying, taking notes, and taking tests (Brown, 2004; Elias, 2001)

10. Academic Concerns:What You Can Do • Be the example … Show the importance of education • Ask your child about their day • Set aside a quiet space and time for your child to study/complete homework • Balance school work and play time • Encourage reading • Assist your child with their homework and/or check their homework daily • Set high but reachable expectations for your child • ENCOURAGEMENT! (Ford-Coabley, Crenshaw, DelAunter & Isaacs, 2006)

11. Social/Emotional Concerns • Bullies and/or being teased • Making new friends/Finding and connecting with a peer group • Feeling stupid compared to other kids • Success in sports • Popularity • Being embarrassed by parents in front of other kids • Puberty (pimples, body changes) • Changing before and after P.E. in front of other kids • Having girlfriends and boyfriends • Having someone to sit with at lunch • Pressure to smoke, drink alcohol, or take drugs (Brown, 2004; Elias, 2001)

12. Social/Emotional Concerns:What You Can Do • Increase your knowledge of adolescent development • Be upbeat about what lies ahead • Recognize their fears • Offer support • Hold your child accountable • Give your child the opportunity to make decisions on his/her own • Pick your battles • Give them tools they need to succeed • Allow them the freedom to make mistakes (The elementary to middle school transition: Five helpful hints for parents, n.d.; Dean, n.d.)

13. Maintain a good working relationship with your child’s teachers Visit the school Know and understand school rules Attend meetings (PTA, conferences, etc.) and child’s activities Make sure your child attends school daily Volunteer in any way you can Make a contract with your child and/or teacher If you have raised adolescents, be willing to share advice and information with other parents (Ford-Coabley, Crenshaw, DelAunter & Isaacs, 2006; The elementary to middle school transition: Five helpful hints for parents, n.d.) What Parent’s Can Do at SCHOOL

14. What Happens ifParents Get Involved Decades of research show that when parents are involved students have … • Higher grades, test scores, and graduation rates • Better school attendance • Increased motivation • Better self-esteem • Lower rates of suspension • Decreased use of drugs and alcohol • Fewer instances of violent behavior • Greater enrollment rates in post-secondary education (Ford-Coabley, Crenshaw, DelAunter & Isaacs, 2006)

15. School’s Role • Adolescents making the middle school transition need a combination of skill training and social-emotional learning (Elias, 2001) • The school provides experiences that meet essential needs in these four areas: • Contributions (Service learning) • Belonging (Peer groups, positive relationships, safe) • Talents (Academic and non-academic) • Life Skills (Learning about feelings, goal-setting, group work, problem solving and resilience) (Elias, 2001)

16. School’s Transition Program • Helps students form a realistic expectation of what middle school will be like • Provides a positive and successful first impression • Insures a successful introduction to the middle school experience (Lorain, n.d.)

17. Curriculum articulation Guidance counselors visit elementary schools Letters sent home welcoming students and families, and inviting to school activities Parent Teacher Association (PTA) members call each new family welcoming them to school Mentor/buddy program Programs new to entering students will be highlighted during student visitations Student orientation Open house before the first day of school Back-to-school night School handbook Monthly newsletters sent home to parents Individual and group counseling Classroom guidance lessons Parent workshops and groups (Schumacher, 1998) Transition Activities

18. Role Play • Please break into 3 groups of 3-4 people. • Each group will receive a role play scenario. • Please discuss and role play within your group how you would address your child’s middle school anxiety/concern. • Share your reactions with the whole group. • Have Fun!

19. Positive Aspects of Transition • Choosing classes • Making new friends • Participating in sports • Having lockers • More personal and social freedom • Changing classes • Electives • Greater academic choices (Akos & Galassi, 2004)

20. References Akos, P., & Galassi, J. P. (2004, April). Middle school and high school transitions as viewed by students, parents, and teachers. ASCA: Professional School Counseling, 7(4), 212-221. Brown, N. (2004). Middle school transition. Retrieved October 3, 2006, from the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Web site: http://www.pamf.org/preteen/parents/middleschoo.html. Dean, L. (n.d.). Easing your child’s transition to middle school or junior high. Retrieved October 3, 2006, from the Partnership for Learning Web site: http://www.partnershipforlearning.org. Elias, M. J. (Winter, 2001). Middle school transition: It’s harder than you think: Making the transition to middle school successful. Retrieved October 3, 2006, from the National Association of Elementary School Principals Web site: http://www.naesp.org/ContentLoad.do?contentId=519&action=print Ford-Coabley, M., Crenshaw, P., DelAunter, B., & Isaacs, S. (2006). How to get involved in your child’s learning … Powerpoint presentation. Lorain, P. (n.d.). Transition to middle school: Are swirlies for real? Retrieved October 3, 2006, from the National Education Association Web site: http://www.nea.org/teachexperience/msk030408.html?mode=print Schumacher, D. (1998, June). The transition to middle school. Champaign, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED422119) The elementary to middle school transition: Five helpful hints for parents. Retrieved October 3, 2006, from the National Middle School Association Web site: http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/WebExclusive/Helpful Hints/tabid/649/Default.aspx

21. Wrap-Up • Questions? • Please complete the evaluation. • Please use a blue dot to indicate your level of anxiety after this workshop. • Please drop your evaluation in the box. • Please pick up an informational packet and brochures. • Thank you for attending our workshop!