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TEACHERS.NET GAZETTE
Volume 4 Number 6

COVER STORY
Teachers.Net and I, by chance, became high-tech links in the chain of people and events that cracked the Chinese government's tight lid on its emerging SARS epidemic
Teachers.Net Chatroom Exchange Reveals SARS Outbreak...
COLUMNS
Applying for a Teaching Job in a Tight Market, Part 2 Effective Teaching by Harry & Rosemary Wong
Metacognition -- Thinking about Thinking Is Essential for Learning Promoting Learning by Marv Marshall
Publishing Pressures 4 Blocks by Cheryl Sigmon
Even Punctuation Gets a Vacation! - Enjoy Your Summer with Children's Books Postcard from Planet Esme - News from the world of children's books by Esmé Codell
It's Summer! -- Rest your body, restore your soul & have some fun! Instant Ideas for Busy Teachers by Barbara Gruber and Sue Gruber
Be Your Own Mentor: REFLECT Teachers As Learners by Hal Portner
There's A Book Inside of You! - You Make a Commitment eBook Authoring by Glenn F. Dietzel
Moving to a New Town and School Ask the School Psychologist by Beth Bruno
I Taught, But Did He Learn? The Eclectic Teacher by Ginny Hoover
Computer Donations To Schools: How To Make A Sound Choice Ed-Tech Talk by Dr. Rob Reilly
Language Arts Sites Part 2 The Busy Educator's Monthly Five (5 Sites for Busy Educators) by Marjan Glavac
June Articles
June Regular Features
June Informational Items
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About Beth Bruno...
Beth is a freelance writer and editor with more than 20 years of experience in mental health and education. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a B.A. in Psychology in 1966. She continued her education at Harvard University (Ed.M. in Educaton, 1967) and Yeshiva University (M.A. in Clinical Psychology, 1976). Beth has served as Chair of the Psychology Department for the Special Children's Center in Ithaca, New York, and has worked as Adjunct Instructor at Tompkins-Cortland Community College.

Beth has recently published a book called Wild Tulips, full of colorful tales about teaching and raising children. (available at Amazon.com)

Beth encourages questions from young people, adults, educators and professionals. She will do her best to answer each question personally and in a timely manner. She can be reached via email at bethbruno@teachers.net.


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Ask the School Psychologist...
by Beth Bruno, Ed.M., M.A.
Moving to a New Town and School

Summertime promises vacation and leisure time in most families, but is often a time of transition, too.

Q: We're moving to a new town this summer. Our son, who is entering the fifth grade, will be placed in a (5-8) middle school where students are placed in academic tracks. What are some of the steps we should take to insure appropriate placement and a good start in his new school?

A: Even under the best of circumstances, moving can be as traumatic as divorce, separation or a death in the family, because it disrupts everything: schooling, friendships, employment, medical care, community connections and familiar daily routines.

Our family moved several times while our children were in school, and each of us handled it differently. Unexpected adjustments are inevitably required, but there are many steps parents can take to smooth the transition.

  • Move in the summertime, if possible, so your children can start the new school year with everyone else.
  • Request placement testing in all subjects that the school teaches at different ability levels. Curricula from one town or state to another can differ significantly. If academic difficulties surface, look carefully into the causes. Your child may be scoring poorly in math, for example, because he is expected to know a skill he was never taught! Ask the teachers to pre-test your child at the beginning of each chapter in subjects requiring cumulative knowledge (like math and foreign languages), so steps can be taken to fill knowledge gaps.
  • Be sure the new school has received all old school records, such as grades, standardized test scores and details about special programs or services your children require.
  • Begin making social connections in your new location immediately, through such initiatives as church membership, summer youth programs for the children (sponsored by schools, YMCA, YWCA, clubs, local colleges or sports teams) and introduction to the neighbors. The first days of school will seem less foreboding if your children know they'll see a few familiar faces there.
  • Visit both the district office as well as the school before the academic year begins. Pick up as much information as you can, including curriculum outlines, summer reading lists, teacher, student and parent handbooks and a school district calendar. Schools might not be staffed during the summer, but most district offices are open year round and publish considerable information about individual schools and the district as a whole.
  • Arrange for a guided tour of the new school before the first day of classes. Your children will appreciate knowing where the office, cafeteria, bathrooms, gym, music and art rooms are and, most importantly, where their new classroom is.
  • After the school year begins, volunteer at the school and attend parents' nights and teacher conferences. Be sure teachers know how to reach you, at work or at home.
  • Maintain contact with old friends. We moved once when our son was in the fourth grade. He left a best friend behind who had practically become a member of the family. They stayed in touch over the years and now, as young adults, live in the same town again, where they have resumed their friendship.
  • Last but far from least, revel in your family's new adventure!

Links:

Preparing children for moving to a new town and school:
http://www.theparentreport.com/resources/
ages/preteen/education/323.html

Family Roundtable discussion of moving:
http://www.wholefamily.com/family_room/
roundtable/the_move.html


For a printable version of this article click here.


Gazette Articles by Beth Bruno:



Beth Bruno bbruno@snet.net
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