Switching Schools?

Choose One Ready To Help Your Child Acclimate Seamlessly

By Samantha Wingate, Director of Admissions and Advancement

Relocating to a new school can be stressful.  

To ensure your children’s seamless transition into their new schools, it’s important to think broadly about this move. Here are three major questions to ask to find a program that understands the transition process and their role in making it easier and effective. 

How do you help children feel at home in a new environment?

The first weeks at a new school might be marked by uneasiness. However, it helps for students to know that a supportive, understanding team of adults is there for them when they need it.

When screening new schools for your child, ask school officials what they specifically do to assist children new to the area. If they have thoughtful answers for you, it demonstrates that they’ve taken the time to consider these situations and identify the best methods for approaching them. 

What do you do if new students have trouble finding friends among their new classmates?

Switching to a new school can be seamless, but it helps to prepare for minor bumps along the way.

Nervousness can be combated by encouraging students to explore friendships outside the classroom. When researching schools for your children, ask about their before and after school programs and extracurricular activities. These programs give students the opportunity to get to know their peers beyond a typical school day, helping them to make friends with similar interests. 

Is the school experienced in taking in students mid-year? 

Life can be unexpected. That can mean finding a new school for your child after the school year has already begun. This poses the added difficulty of ensuring new students are able to catch up on missed material. 

If you find yourself facing this challenge, address your concerns with educators directly. Ask how they addressed similar concerns in the past. How did they get these new students caught up? By the end of the school year, how did those students fare academically and socially? 

How should we move forward with confidence? 

We’ve had our fair share of new students, and we’ve been there to see the process unfold. While you’re researching new schools, it’s vital to ask these three questions to find a school that will be a great fit for your child.