Transition day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like the idea, but just wish it was a half day. No need for the kids to be there for the full day. It will be boring for them and an imposition on staff.

I don't see why you think it'll be boring? I'm a K teacher and it's going to be a busy, fun day. Students will go through all the routine stuff, explore the classroom with play centers, eat lunch, go to recess, have PE, art, music, visit the media center, read a story or two, do a craft follow up, play some math games, etc. They will come home tired and happy, from my class at least.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the idea, but just wish it was a half day. No need for the kids to be there for the full day. It will be boring for them and an imposition on staff.

I don't see why you think it'll be boring? I'm a K teacher and it's going to be a busy, fun day. Students will go through all the routine stuff, explore the classroom with play centers, eat lunch, go to recess, have PE, art, music, visit the media center, read a story or two, do a craft follow up, play some math games, etc. They will come home tired and happy, from my class at least.

That’s a k class where all students are transitioning in. I’m referring to a 1st-5th grade class where you might have 3-4 across the grade level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the idea, but just wish it was a half day. No need for the kids to be there for the full day. It will be boring for them and an imposition on staff.

I don't see why you think it'll be boring? I'm a K teacher and it's going to be a busy, fun day. Students will go through all the routine stuff, explore the classroom with play centers, eat lunch, go to recess, have PE, art, music, visit the media center, read a story or two, do a craft follow up, play some math games, etc. They will come home tired and happy, from my class at least.

That’s a k class where all students are transitioning in. I’m referring to a 1st-5th grade class where you might have 3-4 across the grade level.

Then. Don't. Go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just heard that KAH at our school will not be operating on the 25th. Which means no before or aftercare for kindergarteners and no day-off care for older kids. So parents are going to have to take that day off work, I guess? Is MCPS just waiting to announce this until August? Some parents need more time to prepare than that...

Or you hire a HS kid to babysit that day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is going to be a complete mess with kids at our school. We have a ton of non English speaking families who will all come to the bus stop on Monday and then realize they can't get on. Such a dumb idea. And then they didn't do enough communication to everyone before school was out about it.
I will be taking a day off as planned as my kids aren't in the transition grades.

How is that even going to work at the bus stops since kids in older grades who are new to the school can also attend-- you can't really expect bus drivers to enforce who's allowed to get on and who can't, can you?

No, bus drivers won’t be asked to do that. Nor should they take it upon themselves to do so.

The schools that are likely to be impacted are already planning to welcome any students who shows up because the family misunderstood or was not informed.

My school has divided staff into many little teams that will run different transition day activities. My team is one of two that will handle meaningful activities for unexpected students.

So should we all send our kids since there aren’t alternatives? My spouse and I are teachers elsewhere and can’t take off on our first days of school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why aren't people protesting transition day? It's a full day of school for a lot of students and all staff and it doesn't count as an instructional day.

It should count as an instructional day. Maryland allows private schools to count any day that any grade is on campus as an instructional day. Orientations, graduations and even “student led conferences” count towards the instructional day requirement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone heard more about the plans for the transition day? I have a rising kindergartener (and also an older elementary school kid who would need/use KAH if they'll be offering it in the building that day, or else I need to take the day off work) but have not heard anything about what the plan is. It's 6 weeks away!

SIX weeks? Give them five more to send out messages. Plan and have backup as you should anyways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the idea, but just wish it was a half day. No need for the kids to be there for the full day. It will be boring for them and an imposition on staff.

I don't see why you think it'll be boring? I'm a K teacher and it's going to be a busy, fun day. Students will go through all the routine stuff, explore the classroom with play centers, eat lunch, go to recess, have PE, art, music, visit the media center, read a story or two, do a craft follow up, play some math games, etc. They will come home tired and happy, from my class at least.

That’s a k class where all students are transitioning in. I’m referring to a 1st-5th grade class where you might have 3-4 across the grade level.

Not to mention MS/HS. It’s seems this is being done just for K students, who quite frankly get the most transition time during the school year so not sure why this matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is going to be a complete mess with kids at our school. We have a ton of non English speaking families who will all come to the bus stop on Monday and then realize they can't get on. Such a dumb idea. And then they didn't do enough communication to everyone before school was out about it.
I will be taking a day off as planned as my kids aren't in the transition grades.

How is that even going to work at the bus stops since kids in older grades who are new to the school can also attend-- you can't really expect bus drivers to enforce who's allowed to get on and who can't, can you?

No, bus drivers won’t be asked to do that. Nor should they take it upon themselves to do so.

The schools that are likely to be impacted are already planning to welcome any students who shows up because the family misunderstood or was not informed.

My school has divided staff into many little teams that will run different transition day activities. My team is one of two that will handle meaningful activities for unexpected students.

So should we all send our kids since there aren’t alternatives? My spouse and I are teachers elsewhere and can’t take off on our first days of school.

If a family really has no alternatives, send them. We’re arranging to be ready to receive them.

Most students who don’t need to transition won’t want to give up their last day of summer break so I don’t think everyone should send their kids. But I’d rather your eight year old had adult supervision and hands on activities than be alone with a screen for 6.5 hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why aren't people protesting transition day? It's a full day of school for a lot of students and all staff and it doesn't count as an instructional day.

It should count as an instructional day. Maryland allows private schools to count any day that any grade is on campus as an instructional day. Orientations, graduations and even “student led conferences” count towards the instructional day requirement.

They asked MSDE if it could count as an instructional day, and were turned down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone heard more about the plans for the transition day? I have a rising kindergartener (and also an older elementary school kid who would need/use KAH if they'll be offering it in the building that day, or else I need to take the day off work) but have not heard anything about what the plan is. It's 6 weeks away!

SIX weeks? Give them five more to send out messages. Plan and have backup as you should anyways.

Principals typically send out back to school informational emails around the first week of August.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the idea, but just wish it was a half day. No need for the kids to be there for the full day. It will be boring for them and an imposition on staff.

I don't see why you think it'll be boring? I'm a K teacher and it's going to be a busy, fun day. Students will go through all the routine stuff, explore the classroom with play centers, eat lunch, go to recess, have PE, art, music, visit the media center, read a story or two, do a craft follow up, play some math games, etc. They will come home tired and happy, from my class at least.

That’s a k class where all students are transitioning in. I’m referring to a 1st-5th grade class where you might have 3-4 across the grade level.

Not to mention MS/HS. It’s seems this is being done just for K students, who quite frankly get the most transition time during the school year so not sure why this matters.

I think it’s moderately helpful for the 6th graders. MS is a huge transition away from the protective cocoon of ES, and there’s some advantage of having a day without the terrifying giant 8th graders around pushing them through the halls. I have a rising 9tj grader and it seems pointless. At this point HS is not that different from MS and I’m sure she’s super irritated about a day that doesn’t “count” as instructional. Shed much rather get off a day earlier in the summer!!
Anyway. I’m vaguely opposed but it’s pretty far down my list.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, our MS is doing a student orientation session tomorrow 7/18 that was just announced on Monday 7/14. No option will be offered closer to start of school other than 8/25 transition day. Ugh!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, our MS is doing a student orientation session tomorrow 7/18 that was just announced on Monday 7/14. No option will be offered closer to start of school other than 8/25 transition day. Ugh!

Was your student in - feeder ES? If so, they probably had a day to go to the school — at our Ms, the orientation sessions in the summer are for kids coming from privates who need to see the school for the first time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the idea, but just wish it was a half day. No need for the kids to be there for the full day. It will be boring for them and an imposition on staff.

I don't see why you think it'll be boring? I'm a K teacher and it's going to be a busy, fun day. Students will go through all the routine stuff, explore the classroom with play centers, eat lunch, go to recess, have PE, art, music, visit the media center, read a story or two, do a craft follow up, play some math games, etc. They will come home tired and happy, from my class at least.

That’s a k class where all students are transitioning in. I’m referring to a 1st-5th grade class where you might have 3-4 across the grade level.

Not to mention MS/HS. It’s seems this is being done just for K students, who quite frankly get the most transition time during the school year so not sure why this matters.

I think it’s moderately helpful for the 6th graders. MS is a huge transition away from the protective cocoon of ES, and there’s some advantage of having a day without the terrifying giant 8th graders around pushing them through the halls. I have a rising 9tj grader and it seems pointless. At this point HS is not that different from MS and I’m sure she’s super irritated about a day that doesn’t “count” as instructional. Shed much rather get off a day earlier in the summer!!
Anyway. I’m vaguely opposed but it’s pretty far down my list.

MS is good for the social and nervousness. Navigating the building isn’t hard because most of it is by hallway/floor per grade so the 8th graders are really pushing them around.

HS is good for the learning to navigate around. Much larger space a lot more people and it’s not separated by grade so the knowledge and bigger people may in fact be pushing you around.