New School? No Worries!

Public school to private school.  A move across town. Graduating from elementary school to junior high. For a number of reasons, children throughout Kansas City may find themselves starting school in unfamiliar territory this year. While some kids welcome the change with open arms, others may find themselves grappling with fear about navigating a new building or developing new friends—not to mention concerns about academic performance. If your child finds himself in this boat, rest assured these tools will help your child not only endure, but embrace, a new school with open arms.

Take a visit.  As soon as you know your child will be transferring from one school to another, make it a priority to visit the new one side by side. Attend an open house, orientation, or schedule an appointment during the summer. Introduce yourself and your child to the teachers and administration and ask to take a tour of the campus. Prompt your child for any questions she may have about the school in advance and address them while there. For many children, fear of the unknown is the hardest part of attending a new school. Preemptive steps such as meeting school staff, figuring out where each classroom is and navigating the halls can calm unsettled nerves. 

Connect early. One of the most common concerns children have about changing schools is wondering how to make friends. Don’t wait until the bell rings to tackle this. Activities such as swim lessons, VBS or library reading hours are natural ways to make connections with potential classmates. Consult a school counselor, your local church or social organizations to find popular activities. Building relationships throughout the remainder of summer break will help your child anticipate a few familiar faces in the crowd when school does begin.

Build anticipation. For younger children, the concept of time can be rather abstract. Make a sticker chart or paper chain to provide a visual reminder of how many days they have until their first day of school. Kindergarten is on the horizon for Rebecca Ishum’s quadruplets. “To get ready for our kids' transition into kindergarten, we are driving them past their new school repeatedly, talking about how much fun they will have and working to get them excited about all of the new friends who are waiting to meet them,” the Kansas City mom says. “We are also mapping out the routes from our house to school and from their grandpa's house to school so they can see how close we will all be to each other. Excitement is ramping up!” 

Spring Hill mom Amara Kwasiborski was proactive when her young children transitioned from public school to homeschool. “On the day that classmates went to meet their new teachers, we took our girls out of school and out to lunch,” she says. “We purchased a ‘class pet’ (goldfish) and talked about some of our exciting plans for the next year, which included joining a co-op.” 

Scavenge school supplies. School supply shopping is a necessary evil. Why not have fun with it? Make a game of finding required supplies throughout the store while allowing your child some freedom to pick out a favorite backpack, binder or folders. Having a sense of control over little things can help ease a child’s mind about a transition he otherwise doesn’t have a lot of control over, while giving an opportunity to showcase some personality in the process.

Make new friends but keep the old. Exerting energy toward making new friends can be exhausting. Encourage your child to maintain old friendships, both near and far, through continued playdates or, if cross country, by staying in touch as pen pals. Build a scrapbook together of favorite memories with friends and family. Not only is the activity cathartic, it also helps a child realize all the good times she’s had while equipping her with the confidence to seek out new friendships.

Project confidence to build confidence. It’s normal to anticipate some butterflies, but if you have apprehensions or worries about how your child will acclimate to a new learning environment, avoid projecting those onto him. Express excitement over your child’s ability to handle new experiences well.

Keep sharp. According to Oxford Learning, students typically will lose two months’ worth of reading skills throughout the summer break. Set your child up for academic success by keeping skills sharp. Go on a nature walk and journal findings, sign up for a summer reading program or bake cookies together, which strengthens math, reading and even simple science skills. 

Keep the conversation open-ended. Some transitions are smooth; others can take time. Don’t assume your child is over all the newness of a school transition shortly after school starts. Some children will want to talk through their feelings while others may have a hard time finding the words. Planting Post-It’s in your child’s lunchbox with questions such as, “What was your favorite subject today?” or “How did you show kindness to your classmates this morning?” or “What are you looking forward to most this school week?” helps prompt conversation. Encourage your child to draw a picture, write back a response on a Post-It, or simply discuss the day’s question together on the commute from school to home.

Preparing for the future. Preparing your child to enter a new school is teaching an important life lesson: how to cope well with change. More than likely, your child will grow up to make a move, whether geographic or within her career. Training her to adjust to a new environment with grace gives her skills not only for the upcoming school year, but for life.

Olathe mom Lauren Greenlee can be found preparing all three of her children for a new school this fall.