Transition from fifth to sixth grade

Making the Transition from Fifth to Sixth Grade

QUESTION: At this time of the year our Middle School is thinking of transitioning 450 5th grade students into the middle school from elementary schools (6 different elementary schools channeling into one middle school). I am looking for ideas for preparing these students and their parents for their new school. i.e., an orientation that will provide students and parents with a good feeling about their new school as well as relieve some of the anxiety and apprehension connected with this transition. I am at a middle school consisting of 6th, 7th and 8th grade students with a student population of 1350. I would appreciate opening this up to other middle school people for comments and ideas.

A Collection of Good Ideas

Here are some good ideas I've heard about: Invite parents to a "Q&A" night which includes representatives from the central office and the middle schools their children would be attending. The representatives should include a principal or assistant principal from each school (if you feed to more than one) as well as a "parent-friendly" member of one of the 6th grade teacher teams.

Some schools arrange tours of the middle school for students and interested parents. I've heard of one middle school that holds an assembly where incoming 5th graders mix with current sixth graders. The sixth graders have table conferences with the 5th graders and answer their questions, etc. With the right prep, the 6th graders seem to do this very responsibly. One way to prepare for this: survey the 5th graders first and ask them to write down the three questions they'd most like to have answered about middle school. Compile the questions and share with your middle school colleagues, who can prepare the 6th graders with the answers...or use a pen pal system and let the 6th graders write back with their answers...

A good middle school will want to help with this transition!

Advice from a Transitioning Expert

I would like to share our successful transition plans for 5th graders going to the Middle School. We have combined several approaches that have proved to be very helpful for our students.

1. Since I am the counselor at both the elementary. and middle school, I devote the last 2 or 3 classroom guidance sessions in the 5th grade rooms to answering their questions and helping to ease their fears.

2. The 6th grade language arts teachers have their students write letters to the 5th graders in general about worries that they had the year before and how much they love middle school and are anxious for the "new kids" to come up. I usually just read these letters to the 5th graders during classroom guidance.

3. The same day that the 8th graders are out of the building on their field day, we bus the 5th graders up to the Middle School and they spend about 3 hours there. While at the Middle School, they are taken on a tour of the building by a couple of the 6th grade teaching team, they hear about some of the discipline rules and regs ( a common concern ), and they have lunch with the 6th and 7th graders ( a huge treat!).

4. Also, at the end of the year, the 5th grade teachers and I come up with a list of about 15 or 20 5th graders who are still anticipated as having some difficulty in the transition. We invite these students to be "Warrior Scouts" ( our mascot is the Indian ). Warrior Scouts meet the week before school starts in August from 9:00 - 11:00 with the principal and myself. During the 3 days they get their schedules, practice opening their lockers a bazillion times, go over normal daily procedures such as how to get a lunch ticket, how to check out a library book, etc., and they look over a few of the 6th grade books to alleviate their fears that 6th is SUPER hard. The first few months of school I meet with the scouts off and on to see how they are holding up and give further support. These students end up feeling like they can help other students get used to middle school rather than being left out in the dark.

Sorry this was so lengthy, but I am proud of what we have put together and I know how well it has worked for us !!

Susie Mahoney
K-8 Counselor
Wahoo Public Schools
Wahoo, NE

Have Teachers Prepare a Transition Form

In March, every 5th grade teacher fills out a transition form on each student. This form includes information on reading and math levels, writing ability, Title programs, IEPs, counseling needs, home support, learning styles, who should be separated from who, behavior problems, and organizational problems. I use these forms to begin placement.

In May, I visit every 5th grade class and give an hour presentation about the Middle School. I talk to the kids about homework, organization, scheduling, typical day, teachers, school activities, clubs, and athletics. They have a million questions at that time. I encourage all students to come to our orientation even if their parents can't make it.

In June, I send out letters to all parents/guardians of 5th graders inviting them to the orientation. I have made up 9 different schedules (we have 9 periods) and each family receives one that night. My teachers are in their classrooms and give their 15-minute presentation 9 times. The student w/their parents follow the schedule I gave them and move from classroom to classroom meeting all the teachers and seeing the entire school. It is a long night but the positive feedback we receive makes it all worth it. We have the largest attendance of all of our programs. 8th graders act as tour guides and we start off the evening w/ a presentation in the auditorium and we end the evening w/a recap in the same place.

Have a "Meet the Teacher" Night for Parents

At our 6-8 school, which consists of 1100 students, we do the following to ease the transition:

1. We send sixth grade ambassadors to the elementary schools to speak to the 5th grade students.

2. We show the 5th graders a short video which introduces them to the school and to the 6th grade teachers.

3. Fifth grade shadows are paired up with 6th grade ambassadors for a day at middle school. The shadows attend classes and take notes on what they experience. Then they share the information with their 5th grade classes.

4. We invite parents of 5th graders to tour the school when it is in session. Our PTA welcomes the parents and gives them the tour.

5. We have a "Meet the Teacher" night in May where 5th graders and their parents come to do just that -- Meet the Teacher!

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FOR IDEAS on transitioning from middle school to high school . . .