In this edition of Teacher Talks Articles, Joy Moore Lower Secondary Coordinator continues this month’s theme of transitions by explaining the transition from Year 6 to Year 7 and the changes that take place for our students as well as advice for parents on helping students adjust to a new environment.

Transitions, or periods of change in any aspect of life, are always challenging and the move from Primary school to Secondary is no different.  The Y6 students will be embarking in the next stage of their educational journey in August and we have had a number of activities and events to support this process.  These have been spread throughout the second semester and have included spending the day in Secondary, joining a number of Secondary activities like the ‘Hang Out’ and having some classes in subject specific classrooms in Secondary.  Despite being on the same campus the Y6 students rarely venture to areas of the Secondary school so it is good to become familiar with these areas before August.

The aim of these are to reduce the stress students may feel in the led up to the move to Secondary. We hope to break done barriers and dispel myths about what life we be like in Secondary. The students are encouraged to interact with the current Lower Secondary, ask questions and find out what is going on in Lower Secondary so they have a better idea of what to expect.

With a greater number of teachers and classrooms to visit, a more extensive timetable to follow, organizational skills become a significant area of focus. In August we ease the students’ into the new academic year with an important skills week, to help students recognise and develop the skills they are going to need as they move through Lower Secondary and mature into more independent learners.  This can be supported at home by providing opportunities for your children to take responsibility for planning a family outing or organizing and packing what they for a holiday. There are many small things that can be done to ensure students are introduced to a greater level of independence in a safe and fun way.

We aim to ensure the students are nurtured and flourish throughout their time at YCIS Beijng. We will provide opportunities for them to develop not just academically but also socially and in areas that are of particular interest to them. We look forward to welcoming the new Y7’s to Lower Secondary in August and to see how they develop and continue to contribute to the school community.

For more Teacher Talks articles written by teachers for parents, please follow this link. To read about the transition from a student, please follow this link. For more YCIS Beijing news, click here.