As another school year is quickly coming to a close your child may be looking at a big transition from Primary to High School – it is so exciting for them as they head into their final years of schooling, but can also bring up some worry, and feeling nervous and unsure, as it is such a considerable change, often a very new environment to what they have known for the past 6 years, a very new structure of the school day, and lots of new faces. These feelings are totally normal, and we hope some of the following tips can help prepare them (and you!) for their next chapter with lots of success, and for it to be a really positive experience!
-
Visiting the school prior to the first day, and ensure that your child is able to attend any orientation days/programs that the school runs
-
Doing some ‘trial runs’ with travelling to school, especially if they will be catching public transport so they can be familiar with the route to/from school
-
If they have an older sibling, or know another child that attends the same school, or might have been at high school for a few years see if you can get them to share their experience and what they have found helpful
-
If you anticipate some challenges for your child, or they just might need a little extra support/check-in’s, determine who their Year Coordinator is, and try and make contact in the early days, and maybe even arrange a meeting just to touch base and ensure everything is tracking nicely, and if not you can catch it early and implement strategies to assist
-
Planning, and being organised with the resources needed for school – textbooks, range of writing books, getting them the right computer/IPad if needed
-
Look at creating a ‘study area’ for your child that is comfortable, inviting, and will enable them to be productive
-
Establishing their weekly routine – use a visual calendar planner and start to think about the activities they might have before/after school, time for homework, and also clear ‘down time’ for them during the week
-
Try and encourage your child to utilise/get used to using a calendar, diary or planner to be able to write when assessments are due, tests are on, events are happening to ensure that they are able to stay on top of everything
-
Try and come up with a system to help them stay organised – colour coding books for subjects, ideas for keeping their locker tidy/things for the different subjects all together, only taking what they need to each class, helping them learn to use a timetable and know what they will need for each class i.e. apron for art/cooking, sport uniform to change into for PE
-
Plan and have prepared foods to pack in their lunchbox that they are familiar with, and you know will eat throughout the day – get them involved in the food shop and cooking!
-
Ensure your child still has a solid sleep routine and are not going to bed too late, as this will impact on their learning and functioning throughout the day
-
Practicing ‘what if’ scenario’s with them, which could be related to social situations, new faces/people in their classes, different people in each class, being unsure of where they might need to go/changing rooms, navigating the timetable, bring the wrong books to class, asking for help from new teachers etc.
-
Continue to create and foster a safe space for your child to discuss how they are feeling, as it is so important that they are able to communicate with you if they are struggling with work, social situations, pressure, teachers etc.
-
Ensure your child is comfortable, and knows that they can discuss new social situations that might arise in high school i.e. ‘fitting in’, peer pressure, bullying (cyber/online especially), social media
-
Awareness around physical changes in children as they move into high school, and that this is normal/feel comfortable to ask questions i.e. puberty, hormones, sexual health