Cafdog Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 So, my DD and I are wrapping up our last year of homeschooling. For various reasons, we have decided to enroll her in public school for 8th grade next fall. It will be a new school (we just moved to a new town), and an adjustment from homeschooling. (She went to public school K-4). Any advice from parents whose children went back to PS? She's looking forward to the change, but is nervous (as am I). I figure we have the summer to get her prepared for this transition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 DD went from homeschool k-5, miniature private in 6-7, and large private in 8-first half of 9th, public for 2nd half of 9th. From homeschool to small private, the hard things for her was dress code, homework, due dates, dealing with kids she didn't like, distractions in the classroom, wasted time as others finished their work, different teachers for different classes, substitutes, less control over things like PE, group projects--kids who didn't pull their weight, and getting up and out the door early each day. There wasn't much to teach dd about all of that, she just had to get in there and adjust. From small private to 8th at a large private the biggest change was having an hour of homework a night, dealing with cliques, teachers who voiced opinions as facts, learning how to get homework after a missed day, following a syllabus of due dates, without a lot of supervision of the teacher, watching good kids self-destruct. Again...life lessons that honestly, are just things that you have to learn on your own. From private to public high school. The biggest change has been the volume of students who need help and teachers who are overwhelmed. She has had to learn to fight for time with the teachers, and accepting a reduced grade if she doesn't put the effort in to do so. She is having to learn to be more discriminating with finding friends. Her boyfriend has been around the block, so he points out the druggies and trouble makers so she knows who to befreind, and who to just be friendly with. She has figured out that often the druggies are the easiest going and friendliest people out there, but it is not the life style she wants to spend time in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafdog Posted May 22, 2014 Author Share Posted May 22, 2014 Thank you, Tap! That was very helpful. I'm sure the scheduling and organizational skills are going to be the hardest. After all, they are tricky now for her...in homeschool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Has she ever used a planner before? If she's excited about going, she might be on board with "practicing" using the planner over the summer. Anne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Our middle schools are 6th-8th grade. There are a couple of days in late August when everyone goes to pick up their schedules, sign up for some activities, get their locker combos, tour the school, etc. There is an 8th grade leadership class that does an orientation for the 6th graders, and I think other new students can be included in that too. The kids can take their schedule and practice finding their classes, go try out their locker combo, etc. You might see if there is something like that at your new school to help with the transition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafdog Posted May 22, 2014 Author Share Posted May 22, 2014 Luckily there is a new student orientation, which we have signed her up for in August. I know she is nervous about the finding her locker, changing for PE, class change thing. I like the idea of the planner over the summer, Anne! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 ds went from homeschool to public in 9th grade. We visited the school in early spring to get his schedule set up. He had to start getting up early to go to school -- class starts at 7:15 am here. That was hard all the way through. Organization was the biggest issue. I also recommend learning to use a planner. Check assignments written in the planner daily and cross check with any online system the school has. Also, consider helping her develop a filing system at home for all papers that come home in the backpack. Have a place for all English, Math, Science, etc papers. If the teacher has a specific notebook system, the paper has to make it's way from the file to the notebook. But if the student doesn't know where to put the paper it can go into a file at home for that class. When the student needs to look for a specific paper that did not make it into a note, she just goes to the file for that class. Work together on how organizational tasks will be completed. This will help her take ownership over the methods chosen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyfordlr Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 We transitioned back this past year to 7th grade. I printed out a map of the school and we pretty much memorized it. Once she got her schedule we planned out routes for getting back and forth to different classes. The hardest thing for my daughter was using a combo lock for gym class. If your dc doesn't know how now, that's another easy thing to practice. We didn't think of it until the day before school, so it took her about a week to get the hang of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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