Good luck. Mine was so excited last year and absolutely hated the first year of middle school. Kids are jerks and the behavior is awful, with fewer repercussions than elementary. Even honors classes were not challenging (and my child is just regular smart, not a genius.) She’s absolutely dreading this year.

Anonymous wrote:Anyone's kid mention fights? I was surprised this happened the first week but it sounds like they are intentional (technique focused, fighting as a sport). It still sounds terrible.

Yes, lots of fights, lunch room total chaos, and the bathrooms are kept locked. Very different from their elementary school that was super peaceful and calm. Plus the private to
Public change was a culture shock.

BUT they did fine. And they love it

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IME, most of the kids end up not using lockers, unless they luck into some that work for their schedule. They generally don't have enough time to go to the locker and retrieve their stuff, and make it to class on time.

So most kids just carry their winter coat around all day if they don’t do lockers? Too bad not more time in between so could use lockers, but at our school told the short bells between classes to prevent “bad behavior” so I get it.

Most middle schoolers don’t wear winter coats.

Yup. They’ll wear their hoodies year round.

This. I have yet to see a single middle schooler wear a coat.
Our school stopped assigning lockers, mostly because no one was using them. (Available upon request; athletes use the locker room.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IME, most of the kids end up not using lockers, unless they luck into some that work for their schedule. They generally don't have enough time to go to the locker and retrieve their stuff, and make it to class on time.

So most kids just carry their winter coat around all day if they don’t do lockers? Too bad not more time in between so could use lockers, but at our school told the short bells between classes to prevent “bad behavior” so I get it.

Most middle schoolers don’t wear winter coats.

Yup. They’ll wear their hoodies year round.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IME, most of the kids end up not using lockers, unless they luck into some that work for their schedule. They generally don't have enough time to go to the locker and retrieve their stuff, and make it to class on time.

So most kids just carry their winter coat around all day if they don’t do lockers? Too bad not more time in between so could use lockers, but at our school told the short bells between classes to prevent “bad behavior” so I get it.

Most middle schoolers don’t wear winter coats.

Anonymous wrote:IME, most of the kids end up not using lockers, unless they luck into some that work for their schedule. They generally don't have enough time to go to the locker and retrieve their stuff, and make it to class on time.

So most kids just carry their winter coat around all day if they don’t do lockers? Too bad not more time in between so could use lockers, but at our school told the short bells between classes to prevent “bad behavior” so I get it.

IME, most of the kids end up not using lockers, unless they luck into some that work for their schedule. They generally don't have enough time to go to the locker and retrieve their stuff, and make it to class on time.

We will see. Our school starts next Monday and I have twins that will be going into middle school.

Last night we went to a class at the county library on going into middle school. One of the moms of our kids' student friends organized so that we had 19 of the 25 slots filled from our school. They covered a bunch of the logistics and had a Q&A for the kids. When I picked them up, they had handed out a bunch of combination locks to let the kids practice for having lockers with combination locks. Thursday, we go to the middle school orientation where they get their schedules and walk through their class schedule, etc.

After last night, my kids said that it was helpful and they felt much more prepared for middle school.

My 7th grader started at a new public middle school yesterday after elementary in a small parochial school and said last night that it felt like she was suddenly being treated as a real person by the teachers, reasonably and respectfully with her own preferences and identity, as opposed to a little kid. It was chaotic and crowded and some of the things kids were wearing were a little jarring at first but she absolutely loved it.

The only thing she wasn't thrilled about and was a surprise was for multiple kids to put their backpacks on the seats of the crowded bus and refuse to move them so she could sit down. They weren't saving seats for friends, they were just being anti-social.

Anyone's kid mention fights? I was surprised this happened the first week but it sounds like they are intentional (technique focused, fighting as a sport). It still sounds terrible.

OP that's FINE. That's what the first week of middle school is supposed to feel like - getting used to a lot more kids, using a locker, changing classes, bigger school, etc.

My kid absolutely loved the transition. Was over elementary and being treated like "a little kid" and really welcomed having more independence and liked changing classes. And we're in a district where they go in 6th.

I think this is so kid specific though. Some kids could probably use another year of elementary.

My kids so far like MS better than ES (they started last week). Yes, the chaos of changing classrooms every period was a lot, but they like the fact that they are not stuck with the same group of kids all day. They each have some friends in each class and have started new friendships with kids who were just acquaintances in ES. So far MS is a big win, and I’m so relieved!

Good luck! I'm sure they will make their way. My daughter is entering her second year in Middle School.

Just a tip, might not work for everyone... In our school they only allows 7th and 8th graders to play sports, not 6th graders. But they do let them be in the school play. My daughter participated and that's when she really started to love school. They did a great job with the play, the kids were really nice. At her school, you can also do stage crew if you don't want to act, sing, and dance. So just sharing in case it helps, joining an activity is a great way to make friends and feel a better sense of belonging.

How did your kids’ first day go? Mine said was able to navigate going to different classes and having different teachers was fine, but sounded like thrown a bit by the general kid chaos of middle school. Fingers crossed for a good/better tomorrow.