Transitioning to a new school can be a major source of stress in the life of a child. It is common for children to struggle socially and academically while they are adjusting to a new school. To help a child in this transition, it is vital to understand the challenges and how to help. Additionally, there are unique challenges to transferring to a classical school.
Here are a few things parents can do to help their child through this season of change:
Many students at a school will already know each other well. It can take time to break into existing friendships. Stay positive in your conversations, and encourage your child to be persistent in making friends. Ask open ended questions to get your child talking about their day at school.
Talking through challenges helps a child's logical left brain connect to their emotional right brain. This connection between logic and emotion helps a child make sense of their situation. This understanding encourages them to press on in the challenge of building new friendships.
There is a transition period in understanding academics in any new school, especially when transitioning into a classical school for the first time. Tell kids it is okay to not grasp everything right away.
There is a learning curve to understanding the way things are done. In a classical school they may be taking new subjects like Latin and Logic. Homework may take longer at first, but the time should decrease after they adjust.
Model building friendships with other parents at the school. Show up to athletic and social events as often as possible. Depending on the size of the school, other parents may not realize you are new. Introduce yourself. Tell people you are new. Sign up to volunteer in whatever ways you can. Serving with others is a quick way to get to know others.
If you are struggling or don’t understand something, reach out to parents, teachers, and administrators. They want to help you.
One of the best ways for students to make friends is involvement in sport and/or fine arts. One of the bonuses of attending a classical school is students are actually encouraged to participate fully in both areas.
New friendships start at school, but blossom when kids have the opportunity to get together outside of school. Invite your younger child's new friend over to play after school, or encourage your older student to make plans to meet up with a classmate to study, catch a movie, or watch a game or fine arts performance.
Make time to stay after school for kids to play on the sport court and parents to visit, and drop off your Logic student with enough time to chat with friends before classes start.
As a parent, it is a good idea to partner with a school with purposeful strategies for helping new students adjust. Covenant Christian Academy has the following intentional strategies to help students transition to our school:
At the end the day, change is hard, but it is a part of life. Giving students the tools to deal with change in healthy ways is valuable. They will take these skills with them into their adult lives.