Midvale • Zachary Vinson was nervous about moving from elementary to middle school this week. Would he be able to find all of his classes? Could he open his locker? With his locker open, could someone shove him inside?
But a trial-run, mock first day of school at Midvale Middle for seventh-graders on Friday helped ease his worries and prepared him for the real deal Monday. What did he look forward to most?
“Not being in elementary,” said 12-year-old Vinson. “I just felt like a little kid half the time.”
The bad news, he noted, is that he does fit inside his locker. He checked.
First-day jitters at middle and junior high schools are common for students and parents alike. It can be a daunting transition as parents watch their kids become more independent and kids grapple with new academic and social challenges.
“Lots of changes are happening simultaneously,” said Ellie Young, a school psychology professor at Brigham Young University. “[For students], their academic life changes from having one teacher to having several teachers each day with varying expectations in each class. Instead of being in a small elementary school, they now have an opportunity to associate with lots of different types of kids beyond their neighborhood. In addition, their physical bodies are changing with growth spurts and all kinds of developments.”
It can be difficult to manage, she said. But parents can help. “Parents shouldn’t underestimate their ability to guide and support their early adolescent child.”
She suggests parents maintain an open, trusting relationship with their kids. Parents need to be “cheerleaders” but they also need to let their kids make mistakes.
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