Easing the Transition
For most students, beginning secondary school is a major change in everything from the number of teachers they have to how they travel to school. Regular home study, the expectation of harder work and the fear of being lost in a much larger school are also concerns. Below are some suggested strategies and activities which may ease your son's anxiety and help him feel more prepared for his move to St Bernard's College.
1. Initiate a regular home study routine while he is Grade 6. If your current primary school does not give students homework, consider spending 5 - 10 mins three or four times a week going over spelling words, his times tables or general knowledge with your son. Encourage him to read for 15 - 20 mins every day or to keep a journal or diary. Your son may prefer to research a topic of interest to him. The important thing is to develop a habit of doing an educational task, regularly and at home, after your son arrives home from school.
2. Practise the route your son will take to school. Take your son on the buses, trains or trams he will be using to travel to school. If he will be riding his bike to school or walking, practice the route he will be taking. If your son feels comfortable travelling the route with you, he will have more confidence when asked to travel surrounded by St Bernard's boys he doesn't know.
3. Encourage him to read. Literacy, and consequently reading, is a major focus of the education provided by St Bernard's College. Encourage your son to read every day throughout Grade 6 and the summer holidays. Any written material is acceptable, a sports magazine, a soccer website, the newspaper, a comic, the options are endless! All reading is helpful, encourage him to read books but don't restrict him only to books.
4. Purchase his school uniform as early as possible and make sure his shoes are comfortable. Name every article of clothing so he can easily find lost items and make sure your son knows how to wear his uniform. Check the 'Uniform' page for more information and photos.
5. Bring your son to the College over the holidays and let him explore. Without the large numbers of students, your son can practice finding his homeroom and begin to feel more comfortable on the large campus. Let him find his own way around and just follow along! The campus will be open on all work days over the holidays, some buildings and all classrooms will be locked.
6. Discuss appropriate IT use and rules. Getting a laptop is an exciting time for a Year 7 student, especially as they don't have to share it with siblings or the rest of the family. The laptop is a school laptop provided to help your son access information and resources during classes and at home. Discuss the rules around the laptop BEFORE his first day of classes. This could include only using the laptop in a public area at home, not taking it into his room at night, restricting the amount of non-study time the laptop is on and regularly accessing his laptop and email account to check for games, inappropriate images and inappropriate emails.
7. Discuss the transition with your son on a regular basis, suggest he talks to his friends about it and talk to your friends. All students feel anxious and excited, all parents feel anxious and excited, talking with others helps everyone understand they are not alone or unusual, it can help relieve fear of the unknown and can shift thoughts to the positives of beginning secondary school. The College welcomes a new group of Year 7s every year, we are experienced in helping students and parents cope with the transition and are proud of our record in helping incoming students to settle in a short amount of time.
8. Involve your son in all activities connected to St Bernard's whenever possible. Talk to him about, and get him to help you fill in the forms, buy stationary, books and his uniform, name his stationary, books and uniform and any other activities. This can relieve anxiety by keeping him informed and reassuring him that you have everything under control!
9. Make sure he attends Orientation Day. He will meet his homeroom teacher and classmates in addition to being shown the most important areas of the College for Year 7 students.
10. Get in touch with the Front Office or use the 'Contact Us' page to ask questions. We are a school which encourages questions from students in class and from parents. Don't be afraid to ask and encourage your son to keep asking questions!
1. Initiate a regular home study routine while he is Grade 6. If your current primary school does not give students homework, consider spending 5 - 10 mins three or four times a week going over spelling words, his times tables or general knowledge with your son. Encourage him to read for 15 - 20 mins every day or to keep a journal or diary. Your son may prefer to research a topic of interest to him. The important thing is to develop a habit of doing an educational task, regularly and at home, after your son arrives home from school.
2. Practise the route your son will take to school. Take your son on the buses, trains or trams he will be using to travel to school. If he will be riding his bike to school or walking, practice the route he will be taking. If your son feels comfortable travelling the route with you, he will have more confidence when asked to travel surrounded by St Bernard's boys he doesn't know.
3. Encourage him to read. Literacy, and consequently reading, is a major focus of the education provided by St Bernard's College. Encourage your son to read every day throughout Grade 6 and the summer holidays. Any written material is acceptable, a sports magazine, a soccer website, the newspaper, a comic, the options are endless! All reading is helpful, encourage him to read books but don't restrict him only to books.
4. Purchase his school uniform as early as possible and make sure his shoes are comfortable. Name every article of clothing so he can easily find lost items and make sure your son knows how to wear his uniform. Check the 'Uniform' page for more information and photos.
5. Bring your son to the College over the holidays and let him explore. Without the large numbers of students, your son can practice finding his homeroom and begin to feel more comfortable on the large campus. Let him find his own way around and just follow along! The campus will be open on all work days over the holidays, some buildings and all classrooms will be locked.
6. Discuss appropriate IT use and rules. Getting a laptop is an exciting time for a Year 7 student, especially as they don't have to share it with siblings or the rest of the family. The laptop is a school laptop provided to help your son access information and resources during classes and at home. Discuss the rules around the laptop BEFORE his first day of classes. This could include only using the laptop in a public area at home, not taking it into his room at night, restricting the amount of non-study time the laptop is on and regularly accessing his laptop and email account to check for games, inappropriate images and inappropriate emails.
7. Discuss the transition with your son on a regular basis, suggest he talks to his friends about it and talk to your friends. All students feel anxious and excited, all parents feel anxious and excited, talking with others helps everyone understand they are not alone or unusual, it can help relieve fear of the unknown and can shift thoughts to the positives of beginning secondary school. The College welcomes a new group of Year 7s every year, we are experienced in helping students and parents cope with the transition and are proud of our record in helping incoming students to settle in a short amount of time.
8. Involve your son in all activities connected to St Bernard's whenever possible. Talk to him about, and get him to help you fill in the forms, buy stationary, books and his uniform, name his stationary, books and uniform and any other activities. This can relieve anxiety by keeping him informed and reassuring him that you have everything under control!
9. Make sure he attends Orientation Day. He will meet his homeroom teacher and classmates in addition to being shown the most important areas of the College for Year 7 students.
10. Get in touch with the Front Office or use the 'Contact Us' page to ask questions. We are a school which encourages questions from students in class and from parents. Don't be afraid to ask and encourage your son to keep asking questions!