Hello from California!...

[JCL]

Hello, everyone!

I just found this forum and it looks like fun. I have a ten-year-old son who is the light of my life. I'm currently stressed out about the prospect of him going to middle school in the fall. (We just found out a couple weeks ago that his elementary school is not having 6th grade next year and have been in a little bit of shock.)

We go to orientation at the middle school tomorrow night, so we'll see what happens.

We like to have adventures, and in the last few months, I've started writing children's stories for fun.

Anyway, hello to all!

 

[jtee]

Welcome to the forum.

Your son will be fine in middle school. Our daughter started middle school this year and she loves it. Most kids are a little nervious, but after the first couple of weeks, everthing starts to work out.

 

[Trina]

Welcome!

Our district is set up kind of weird. My DS (11, Gr.6) is now in Intermediate School (Gr. 4-6) but will start Middle School next year, which is in the same building as the high school. I'm a little anxious, but have heard nothing but good things from other parents. Besides, it's not like there is much I can do about it. They grow up whether we like it or not. LOL!

 

[Lissa]

Hello from Wisconsin!

 

[fallon]

hi there...welcome aboard

 

[HappyMomma]

Welcome!

 

[JCL]

Thank you! I'm sure he'll be fine. He's a good kid (that's what worries me, though I see the middle school kids walking home and they look so much older. Anyway, I worry, but that's what we do; right? I'm sure everything will work out.

 

[Claire64]

Welcome to the board JCL!

I'm in California too, near LA, how about you?

I have a son in middle school and it really isn't bad. Your son is in the same boat as all of his friends and he'll be fine once he gets used to it.

 

[JCL]

Welcome to the board JCL!

I'm in California too, near LA, how about you?

I have a son in middle school and it really isn't bad. Your son is in the same boat as all of his friends and he'll be fine once he gets used to it.

Me too!

Thanks. We go to the orientation for parents tonight, so we'll see how it goes. We had been told that sixth grade was going to be offered at his elementary school, so this was a bit of a surprise for us, but we'll deal.

 

[jtee]

We had been told that sixth grade was going to be offered at his elementary school, so this was a bit of a surprise for us, but we'll deal.

Any explanation for moving the 6th grade into middle school?

Some districts prefer to keep the 6th grade as part of grade school while others think it belongs in middle school.

 

[Trina]

Some of it may have to do with space restraints within the existing buildings.

I live in a small town (pop. 9,000). We only have 3 school buildings: Primary (K-3), Intermediate (4-6) and the Middle School and High School are all in one building. The Middle School takes up the entire 3rd floor with it's own separate library and lunch room. Apparently the primary school at one time did go up to Gr. 6, but due to population growth, they had to juggle things around a bit and ended up adding on to the high school. This was supposedly the most cost effective way to handle the student increase. Politics.

 

[jtee]

Trina, that sounds like the rural school I went to for a few years. The school I attended had fraternization problems between high school boys and middle school girls. The school did it best to keep the middle school grades separated from the high school, but when kids are all in the same building it is impossible to keep them totally isolated.

 

[Trina]

Trina, that sounds like the rural school I went to for a few years. The school I attended had fraternization problems between high school boys and middle school girls. The school did it best to keep the middle school grades separated from the high school, but when kids are all in the same building it is impossible to keep them totally isolated.

I know, which is a concern of mine. Middle and High School students all take the same bus. I drive my kids to school in the morning and they take the bus home. The ride in the morning is about 45 minutes long, but the ride home is only 10 minutes. I think I'll continue to drive them to school, even in Middle and High School! LOL!

 

[jtee]

I know, which is a concern of mine. Middle and High School students all take the same bus.

Good point. Until you brought up the issue of having them all in the same bus, it had been many years since I thought about the days when I road the bus to school in rural logging community. I do remember that was often where a lot of things started between the older boys and the middle school girls. I recall junior & senior boys riding the bus even though they had their own cars, they road the bus because that was where they could be with their younger girlfriends for 30-60 minutes each day.

Also the bus was where bullies loved to intimated the younger kids. I don't recall any fights on the bus, but a lot intimidation by 1-2 brutes who ultimately dropped out of school in th 9th or 10th grade.