Archives - February 2024
Encouragement For Transitioning To Middle School
February 20, 2024
I recently had the opportunity to watch a video of a rare scene. The video showed a crab molting out of its exoskeleton. It is rare for humans to observe this process because as the crab outgrows its outer shell and needs to cast it off, it enters an extremely vulnerable state as it struggles to remove the shell that it no longer needs and moves into a new phase with its larger exoskeleton. This process takes time and is usually performed in solitude at the bottom of the ocean.
As I watched the video, I couldn’t help but notice some similarities between the crab molting and the transition to life in middle school. It is a time of natural and necessary growth, it takes time and can be uncomfortable, and it requires removing what is outgrown in order to fully experience the new.
For parents and students who are preparing to make the transition to our middle school this year I have three words of encouragement as you begin this time of transition. The first is to be flexible. It isn’t always easy to shed the things we have outgrown and move into the new path ahead. For students, sixth grade will be a time where they are expected to be more independent. For parents, encouraging and supporting your children as they take on greater ownership in their learning is important. Adjusting to these new expectations requires flexibility.
The second word of encouragement for students is to be patient in the process. Just as it takes time for the crab to shed its exoskeleton, it may take time to become familiar with their new schedule as well as new teachers and their own expectations. It may take time, but students will fall into their new routine, and they will enjoy the many opportunities in middle school including new friendships, retreats, sports, socials, and field trips.
The final word of encouragement for students is, like the crab in the middle of molting, there will be vulnerability. Please ask for help. All of the teachers in the middle school team are eager to help students and parents through this transition. Christian Heritage has a warm community of parents and a PTL who want to support parents and students and welcome you all to the middle school community.
This spring the Middle School Team is also preparing to welcome our rising sixth graders to our program. We recognize that this time of transition can bring many different emotions. As we partner with our fifth grade teachers to prepare transition events for the rising middle school students we hope to replace worry or fear with a sense of excitement for the upcoming transition.
In the coming months there will be four different events for rising sixth graders each with the purpose of building a sense of community in the middle school, answering questions the students may have and building relationships between the rising sixth graders, current middle school students, and their teachers.
The first event is the rising 5th grade parent meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 7:45a.m. in the CHS Barn. It’s a chance to hear from faculty about expectations and have any questions answered. Then, there will also be a lunch meeting when fifth graders join the sixth graders for a special question and answer time. The two classes meet together over pizza and the sixth grade students answer specific questions that the fifth graders may have regarding middle school.
Next, the fifth grade class has a visit to the middle school science lab for an experiment. This is a chance for the students to see the lab space where they will have Science class, but also have a chance to meet me and become more familiar with my role not only as their Sixth Grade Science teacher, but also as the Middle School Director.
Finally, students will receive a visit from current Sixth grade teachers to introduce themselves and deliver CHS goodie bags that contain a personal letter written by a current middle school student.
It is our hope as a middle school team that each student and family feel welcome and supported in the middle school community. May this time of molting be one where you don’t feel alone on the bottom of the ocean, but surrounded by a community who encourages you in your growth!
Terry Miller is an alumna of Christian Heritage School. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in education from Taylor University and her Master’s degree in education from Sacred Heart University. She has taught middle school science at CHS for 18 years. This is her third year serving as Middle School Director where she works closely with students, parents and teachers to build the middle school community. She attends Calvary Evangelical Free Church with her husband Jeff and their three children: Ben, Sam and Kate.
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Is Your Child Ready For Kindergarten? How We Determine Readiness Here At CHS
February 07, 2024
One of the most exciting times in a child’s academic career is when they are getting ready to transition from preschool to Kindergarten. The weeks before school starts are filled with the excitement of buying new clothes, backpacks, pencils and crayons galore! But helping your child make a smooth transition into kindergarten can and should begin many months before that first day of school.
GETTING STARTED AT CHS
Here at CHS we believe it is important that parents understand the developmental readiness that should be in place before a child begins in kindergarten. When a child applies for entrance into kindergarten, we provide a brief “Show What You Know” time with one of our kindergarten teachers, in a classroom setting. This brief screening demonstrates to us those kindergarten readiness skills, such as the small muscle control to hold and write with a pencil, the ability to sustain attention, regulate behavior, and express their feelings in words. We will follow up this time with suggestions for what parents can do to help prepare their child for school in the Fall. This first encounter also allows the child to meet a teacher and see the classroom setting during their first experience in the building.
FAMILY SUPPORT AT HOME
Enrollment in kindergarten, at CHS, is just the beginning of the transition to school. There are so many things parents can do at home to help their son or daughter be successful in the year ahead. Children who are ready for kindergarten have developed independence in caring for their personal needs, such as washing their hands, or using the bathroom. They are able to dress themselves and carry out simple one-step instructions. These children have acquired the gross motor skills of balance and coordination through skipping, running, jumping and a variety of gross motor activities. Parents can support the nurturing of these milestones by providing activities at home that stimulate their development.
EXPERIENCES FOR SUCCESS
We encourage our families to have their child engaged in some of the following activities in the months leading up to the start of school to establish a path for success:
- Read to your child every day
- Establish early bedtime routines
- Provide crayons, markers, etc. for creativity
- Provide scissors (supervised) to practice cutting paper
- Provide toys that encourage fine motor development (Play Doh/Legos/Kinetic Sand)
- Limit screen time
- Create opportunities for decision-making or choices (“Do you want to stay up later or have an extra dessert?")
- Play board games that involve counting/turn-taking/partnering (Candy Land/Trouble/etc.)
- Give opportunities for quality time with you (let them share their feelings/thoughts, especially as the start of school approaches)
BE PROACTIVE
Finally, you can help your child transition to school by being proactive and reaching out into the school community as much as you can. At CHS we provide a variety of ways for our incoming kindergarten students and their families to connect with other families within the school community. There are open houses in the spring which give you and your child a chance to tour our campus, meet faculty, and administration so that the school becomes a familiar place. We also offer grade-level playdates throughout the summer, so your child can meet new classmates in an unstructured play environment before the start of school. Just before school starts, you and your child will have the opportunity to visit the classroom during a “Meet the Teacher” event. All these opportunities help your child feel comfortable and confident as the first day of school approaches.
The transition to kindergarten is a big change for most children, and they approach it with a mixture of excitement and nerves. But with thoughtful planning and practice at home, you can ensure a smooth transition to kindergarten for your child and yourself.
Lilian Mogle is the lower school principal at CHS. She holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Connecticut and an M.S. in Early Childhood Education from Southern Ct. State University. She has over 30 years of experience in the classroom.