School Liaison Services
 

Transition Tips

1. Get Familiar with the school before you begin. Give children as many details as possible about the new school and community. This may take some effort of the part of parents, but will pay off when the child enters the new learning environment with a heightened sense of what things will be like: how some things will be the same, how others will be different. Write or call the new school and ask them to mail you information about: school size, class size, after school activities, sports teams etc.

2. Visit the new school before your child's first day. It doesn't matter when your children enroll whether it's the official first day of school or mid year giving them the opportunity to view the school, to walk around the grounds, and visit the neighborhood before their first day of school can help children feel more in control of the situation. Some schools even give tours to new students.

3. Help your child establish ways to stay in touch with old friends. A lot of anxiety about changing schools stems from the uncertainty of not knowing if it will be possible to maintain contact with old friends. Helping children figure out ways to keep old friendships alive does wonders for a successful adjustment. How? It takes the stress and frustration out of wondering whether they'll be able to stay in touch with their old friends, so they can concentrate their energy on adjusting to their new school and developing friendships there.

4. Encourage Children to Talk to Their Teachers. The more a child gets to know his or her teachers, the better equipped the child will be to ask for help if. If your child is young, make it a point to meet the new teacher personally. If your children are of junior high or high school age, suggest that they talk individually to teachers at least once a week, to discuss upcoming projects, a particular lesson, or about what to do if they are having difficulties with a certain subject.

5. Talk to Kids About Their Experiences. Allowing your child to talk, even to vent frustrations about his or her new learning environment can be a wonderful experience for your family and a great help to your child. By listening to your child's point of view, you may be able to help him or her understand the reasons for these frustrations and deal with them appropriately.

6. Encourage Your Child to Join Clubs, Activities, And Sports. There is no better way to meet people with whom you share common interest than by participating in the activities you love. The same works for children. For younger children, look into scout troops, on-base boys and girls clubs, arts and crafts lessons and team sports, to name a few. Teenagers can check out school service clubs or participate in volunteer work, try out for team sports or academic clubs.

7. If  Schoolwork is tough, talk to teachers immediately. Kids shouldn't wait until they are completely overwhelmed to talk to their teachers. Remember, new teachers are not familiar with your child's academic abilities, but they will learn fast and be willing to help if there is a problem when contact is made from the be-ginning. Create a communication system with teachers so they can relay progress reports with little delay. Ask the teachers to include suggestions regarding how work can be improved and how to assist your child.

8. Contact Army Community Service, Relocation Program (SITES) for information on your gaining installation and surrounding communities.

9. Visit the web page for the State Department of Education. If going overseas, visit the DODEA homepage at www.odedodea.edu .

10. Contact housing office at the gaining installation to determine waiting period for on-post quarters. This may determine what school your child will attend. If you will be in temporary housing, contact your School Liaison Officer for assistance.

11. Check the new school calendar for starting and ending dates.

12. Be familiar with the process of transferring records, school eligibility requirements (kindergarten age), and subsequence placement of the students.

13. If you have a child of high school age, get information on the gaining state high school graduation requirements.

14. Give the losing school(s) adequate notice of withdrawal.

15. Contact your local special education counselor/teacher/director and request assistance as to what should be done before the transition to a new school. Write or contact the special education director of the state that you are going to and request local policies.

16. Schedule an Annual Review meeting to discuss the process your child has made since your last Individualized Education Program (IEP) and/or Modification Plan (MP). Ask for written suggestions that may help your child and the staff at the new school.

17. Request a copy of your child's complete educational records to include a copy of the latest IEP/MP. Hand carry all records, samples of your child's work, and other information related to your child's education.

18. Contact your local Army Community Service (ACS), Exceptional Family Member Program Coordinator (EFMP). They can assist you with identifying resourc es at your new duty station.

19. Be sure to take any special equipment and refill medication prescriptions that your child may need for the next few months.