Elementary schools tend to hand-hold kids, but once in middle school they are expected to be more independent. Just remember, in elementary school he had a few teachers and was in a class with maybe 25 – 30 kids. He will now have 7 classes/teachers a day who will each see about 150 students a day.

If he is absent, it is HIS responsibility to ask for the missed work…no one will hand it to him (or remind him) like when he was in elementary school.

If he is late to class without an excusable reason, this is cause for detention or a referral to the office (they don’t play around in middle school).

Also, school lunches will be a little different. In elementary school, he maybe had a choice of 2 meals from the school menu. He will now have the option of eating french fries, pizza, and other junk food everyday if he chooses (most middle school cafeterias are like a mall food court – – – and people wonder why we have an obesity epidemic in this country!) ~ sorry to get on my soap box.

If your son is worried about being stuffed into a locker as is depicted on nearly every ‘tween sitcom, there is no way that is possible. The lockers are so small, you can barely hang up a winter coat (don’t buy a backpack with wheels either…it will never fit!). Have him practice using a combination lock at home so by the time school starts, he will be an old pro.

He will also have to get used to changing for gym class which he did not have to do previously (I think it is highly outdated, but I don’t make the rules).

Finally, enjoy him for the next 2 years! Once he hits 8th grade, if he is like many boys that age, he will become possessed by hormones and do anything to get girls’ attention. He will probably be highly annoying to you, but just know that it is a phase that will soon pass (even though it sometimes seems like an eternity).

He will do fine and within the first 2 weeks or so, he will really enjoy the freedoms and opportunities that he has.

Keep seperate notebooks for all classes so you can stay organized. Dont just stuff papers into your notebooks, there are rings there for the holes in the paper, if there are no holes in the paper, put it in that little pocket at the front or back of your notebook.

Any cafeteria food is pretty much gross so bring your lunch.

Listen to your teachers and if you are falling behind and need help, go to them, they are there to help you.

Get involved in after school activities because that is how you get well known by your peers. It also looks good if you do it throughout school because you can put it all down on your college applications and the earlier you start, the better you look.

So many hormones just starting up, the kids are bouncing off the walls..Some are bouncing off the walls because of drugs and alcohol so warn him about that…..

There are tons of “small-groups” so he is gonna have to set some boundaries…

I home school my kids, so we don’t have to deal with it…We have tried public school and it’s just not the same as when we were in school…..Sex, Drugs, Violence in the halls…is too much for my kids…

On the up-shot, if he knows some kids already, than he’ll have a group to hang with..If he doesn’t, he needs to be careful who he starts associating with, and what he says….

Lose lips sinks ships, and if all else fails, you can home school, too! God Bless…

When my boys made that transition, I assured them that EVERYONE in 6th grade felt equally stupid and unsure, even if they didn’t act it. I told them that they were under a grace period with their teachers, so if they left a book in their locker or were late to class because they were lost, if they were honest about it, it certainly wouldn’t be the end of the world. I told them that it would take them about 2 months until it all felt normal and natural to them. Of course the transition took less time than that so they felt really successful!

Good luck to him, and to you, Mom!

Gail

try ur best

stick to ur true friends

don’t suck up to the teachers

always write down ur hmwk

plan a 2hr chunk of time everyday for hmwk

be your self