Transition day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2025/09/mcps-transition-day-gets-high-marks/

Was there any real data presented or just people’s individual antidotes? The K’ers never had anything so yes they love it, but at the secondary school level do they love it more than the half day that already existed?

Exactly! No surveys sent home asking kids or parents for feedback so should we just write the BOE to let them know what waste of time it was?

Sure, go right ahead.

[Anonymous]

I think the transition day got a lot of unnecessary opinions from people who enjoy having opinions. It already existed for 6th and 9th graders--I have one of each and both were extremely relieved to start their first day knowing that all the other kids there would also be brand new and just as lost as they would be.

So the only difference is adding kindergarten, which I teach, and I have to say it went well enough. We got a lot of the first day stuff out of the way and while I had maybe only 2/3 of the class, it made for an easier real first day because most of the kids had already gone through the lunch line once and knew where to put backpacks, etc. It was like an extended kindergarten orientation, and we were even able to make a few roster changes in between Monday and Tuesday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the transition day got a lot of unnecessary opinions from people who enjoy having opinions. It already existed for 6th and 9th graders--I have one of each and both were extremely relieved to start their first day knowing that all the other kids there would also be brand new and just as lost as they would be.

So the only difference is adding kindergarten, which I teach, and I have to say it went well enough. We got a lot of the first day stuff out of the way and while I had maybe only 2/3 of the class, it made for an easier real first day because most of the kids had already gone through the lunch line once and knew where to put backpacks, etc. It was like an extended kindergarten orientation, and we were even able to make a few roster changes in between Monday and Tuesday.

No for 6th and 9th it was a half-day before. And there are many (students and teachers included) who agree that would have been enough. No one was ever against including K. Also, that "first day" doesn't actually count as a school day.

[Anonymous]

As a hs teacher I was skeptical of the transition plan but I actually thought it went well at my school. Also, 4 days is good for most kids for their first week of school. By Friday they are completely exhausted. Their sleep schedule is messed up and they need to build back the stamina of a long school day