Entering elementary , middle and high schools are milestones in a student ’ s life . Moving up into higher grades and a different school , however , can cause anxiety for students and parents .
“ It ’ s really different ,” said Weddington High School freshman Jessie Sloyan . “ I don ’ t know anybody here , and I ’ m nervous about meeting new people . I want to make a lot of friends , but I don ’ t know anybody yet . This school is a lot bigger and the classes will be bigger and harder . I think it will be more fun , though , because there are more opportunities to do stuff .”
Jessie and her twin sister , Annie , have the added acclimation of transferring from a smaller school outside of Union County , with an eighth-grade class of only 84 students , to Weddington High School with a freshmen class of about 360 students .
Annie feels this will , however , offer a lot of opportunities for making new friends . “ The more people there are , the more friends you can make . Being a freshman in high school boosts your confidence , but you ’ re on the bottom of the age range . It will be hard , but you just have to work harder .”
The week before school starts , elementary , middle and high schools hold orientations to give incoming students and their parents a chance to acclimate to their new schools .
“ Freshmen are essentially hitting a reset button to their academic record ,” said Weddington High School Principal Dr . Kim Andrews . “ With this , they experience a high level of concern and confusion .
2 • Nov / Dec 2016 • Parent Teacher News
Support from schools keeps milestones from becoming stumbling blocks
With limited ability to interact with high school staff prior to the first day of school , they are often misinformed by their peers of the realities of high school academics and extra curriculars . The functions we provide are set up to try and address the most common concerns .”
After school begins , high school counselors go into ninth-grade classes at Weddington High School and talk to students about stress management , ways to get involved in high school , and how to succeed academically .
Parents are also a source of support for any age group . Jessie ’ s and Annie ’ s dad , Chris Sloyan , said high school is a good transition to adulthood .
“ They ’ re still with us , so we can help them through things ,” Sloyan said . “ It gets them ready for the transitions they ’ re going to make in life where we may not necessarily be standing right there beside them . This is an important time for them and we ’ re excited .”
Depending on the age of the student , there are a multitude of reasons why moving to another school , when rising to a higher grade , can be stressful .
“ The most common fear ( for rising middle school sixth graders ) is , ‘ What if I get lost ?’ ” said Piedmont Middle School Principal Dr . Tracy Strickland . “ So , the first week of school , they only have to remember one place : the cafeteria . Every sixth grader goes into the cafeteria before school , and their homeroom teacher collects them in the cafeteria and escorts them to their class .”
Nancy Janes , mother to Piedmont sixth grader Kelsey , says the greatest fear her children seem to have about going into middle school was the fear of the unknown .
“ They have no idea what to expect ,” Janes said . “ They ’ re going to be changing classes , dealing with lockers , multiple teachers and they just don ’ t know what to expect . We just talked about it , and I let them know what to expect .”
Students don ’ t have to face these fears alone . Elementary , middle and high school principals , school counselors , teachers and parents offer support and transitional help .
As in the middle and high schools , support continues once elementary school has started . Waxhaw Elementary School Principal Eric Doan said peer buddies are assigned to students to offer support and to model school rules , procedures and routines , and upper classmen lend a helping hand , as well .
“ We have fifth graders who are leaders within the school who take the time to stop and talk to younger kids about the rules and procedures of the school ,” Doan said . “ It helps them see and learn the expectations and it helps them get to know people they can trust and go to for help .”
Not all students feel anxiety about moving to a higher grade and a different school . First grader Lillian Boese says moving to a new school isn ’ t scary at all . “ It ’ s been on my calendar and I ’ ve checked off every day . I ’ m so excited . I look forward to learning . I most look forward to math .”
“ It feels good to not be in middle school any more because there ’ s more maturity in high school and there ’ s more fun ,” said Weddington High School freshman Avery Kimbrough . “ I look forward to seeing my friends and having new teachers .” — This article was provided by the Union County Public Schools Communications Office .
Top : Helen Hope Kimbrough , at left , discusses her son , Noah ’ s , schedule as he starts his freshman year at Weddington High School .
Right : First grader Lillian Boese , at left , meets her teacher , Meredith Gainer , at Waxhaw Elementary School , while her mother , Agnes Boese , center , looks on .