{"id":24162,"date":"2022-11-07T17:32:19","date_gmt":"2022-11-07T17:32:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.successacademies.org\/?post_type=education_blog&p=24162"},"modified":"2025-03-19T19:01:52","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T19:01:52","slug":"for-parents-by-parents-adjusting-your-child-to-middle-school","status":"publish","type":"education_blog","link":"https:\/\/www.successacademies.org\/education-blog\/for-parents-by-parents-adjusting-your-child-to-middle-school\/","title":{"rendered":"For Parents, By Parents: Adjusting Your Child To Middle School"},"content":{"rendered":"

Attention soon-to-be middle school scholars and families: we have a special message to you from one of our own SA Hudson Yards Middle School<\/a> moms! Cynthia Vasquez, mom to a current 5th grader, wanted us to pass this along: <\/span><\/p>\n

Dear future middle school scholars, open your mind and heart to becoming a middle schooler! Always remember in your heart that all of the struggles and hard work will pay off. Being at Success Academy is a gateway to great opportunity because SA has an amazing amount of resources to help. Teachers are friendly and fun and make your day fun. You\u2019re going to do great!<\/i><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

We know you and your scholar may have a number of questions about the transition to middle school<\/a>, so we talked to Success Academy parents \u2014 like Ms. Vasquez \u2014 about how you can help make the most of what is an exciting and transformative time. Below is some of their advice on setting scholars up for success.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Adjusting is a Team Effort!<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Some adjustments, like getting up and going to bed earlier, might seem small, but they were actually harder to adjust to than we expected. You don\u2019t have to do it alone! Don\u2019t be afraid to share that information with your scholar\u2019s teacher, even if it\u2019s just to say “my scholar had a bad night, they might be tired today,” or “they were stressed out about something they heard in class.” Your scholar\u2019s teacher can use this information to better support your scholar during the day. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Tracey Keij-Denton, parent to two scholars at <\/b>SA Midtown West Middle School<\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Questions, Questions, Questions! <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

I always encourage my scholar to ask questions and not be afraid to speak up if they don\u2019t understand something. Having the confidence to ask for help is nothing to be ashamed of, and will help in the long run. Don\u2019t shy away from doing the same thing with your scholar\u2019s teachers, either. I frequently ask them how my scholar is doing and what she needs to work on; their insights are so important to helping my scholar succeed. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Tracy Boone, parent to 8th-grade scholar at SA Bronx Middle School<\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Make Time for your Scholar to Decompress<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

I believe that letting my scholar\u2019s brain rest every once in a while is so important to them not burning out. So once they come home, I don\u2019t pressure them to get their homework done immediately. First, they relax, eat snacks, and then we have family time in the kitchen. After dinner is when I expect them to sit down at the table to study and complete their homework.  I try to keep it light to help them stay motivated \u2014 after an hour, if they have been diligently working, we have what we call a \u201cphone vacation,\u201d when they can check their phone, before returning to work to complete it. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Cynthia Vasquez, parent to 5th-grade scholar at <\/b>SA Hudson Yards Middle School<\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Never Stop Encouraging<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Middle school may be \u201charder,\u201d but it\u2019s so important that your scholar knows they can do it!  Every night at dinner, I speak with my scholar about how school went, what he\u2019s learning, and where he may need help. I make sure that I focus on encouragement and praise him when he\u2019s doing a good job. It helps immensely to keep his spirits up and build confidence, which helps him tackle any challenges that may come his way! <\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Lily Burkhart, parent to 5th-grade scholar at <\/b>SA East Flatbush Middle School<\/b><\/p>\n

Overcommunicate <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

I can\u2019t stress this enough \u2014 communication with both your scholar\u2019s teachers and your scholar is so important. <\/span>Your scholar\u2019s teachers are their number one supporters, so make sure to have a good relationship with them by following up and being actively involved in conversations. My scholar and I also have daily morning and evening \u201cpow-wows.\u201d In the morning, we use them to encourage a positive start to her day. In the evening, we evaluate how her day went, identify barriers and challenges, and find ways to overcome them. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Tina Burke, parent to 5th-grade scholar at <\/b>SA Springfield Gardens Middle School<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":24170,"menu_order":0,"template":"","categories":[31],"tags":[46,494,495,496],"class_list":["post-24162","education_blog","type-education_blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-our-families","tag-middle-school","tag-middle-school-adjustment","tag-middle-school-tips","tag-ms"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAdjusting Your Child To Middle School | Success Academy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We know you may have questions about the transition to middle school, so we talked to SA parents about the exciting and transformative time.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.successacademies.org\/education-blog\/for-parents-by-parents-adjusting-your-child-to-middle-school\/\" 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