Last week, Heathcote Valley School hosted the Mana Ake facilitated parent evening around 'Transitioning to High School'.

Workshop presenters included Sue McLachlan, a Learning Support Coordinator from Papanui High School who also runs the 'Year 8 Transition to High School' program, and Carla Taiaroa, the Year 7-8 Head of Department at Te Aratai College.

Carla and Sue explained the differences between high school and primary school/intermediate, gave us a run down of roles and 'who's who' in a high school, explained the pastoral and academic supports available, and importantly, how parents can best support their child's transition to high school. 

Tips to help your child's transition to high school include:

• Going for a walk around the school grounds over the holidays.
• Ensuring your child attends the first week of high school. This is an orientation week that sets students up for their busy timetables and orientates them to their new classes, teachers, and peers.
• Colour coding high school timetables. Get your child to colour code their timetable as a visual for how the week looks, as well as photographing the timetable on their phone so they always have it handy.
• Making sure you have given any information about your child's needs to the high school - these could be academic, social, emotional, or, behavioural. The high school can only help if they know, and there are good support systems in place at high school.
• Keeping in contact with the teachers - despite what your teenage child says, teachers at high school really do want ongoing communication with parents!
• Reading the newsletters and information sent home - there is plenty of online communication and you need to make sure you read it.
• Ask good questions - talk about the day e.g. Tell me about the best part of your day? What’s the biggest difference between this year and last year? What made you laugh today? Do you think maths [or any subject] is too easy or too hard?

Please find an article attached from Education Hub with additional information and tips on transitions to high school.