Guidance Curriculum -- Transition Planning

    There exists in Region 15 an on-going cooperative effort between the elementary and middle school counselors to ease the transition to middle school. The following steps are taken each year to complete this process. Middle school students are invited to visit fifth-grade classrooms each year to share information concerning their school. All of our fifth-grade students visit the middle schools to meet staff members and tour the facilities. The middle schools address the needs of the parents by offering an informative evening presentation that includes a question and answer session. In addition, various classroom lessons are taught focusing on issues of transition. Some of these lessons may include: panel discussions, stress management, study skills, and coping with change. At the end of the school year, counselors and school psychologists meet to aid in planning for each student moving on to the middle school.

    Middle school counselors provide various transition activities to prepare 8th grade students for high school. In addition to classroom lessons about academic and vocational opportunities, representatives from both Pomperaug High School and local vocational schools visit the middle schools to discuss the academic, vocational, athletic, and artistic program they offer. The middle school counselors hold an informational meeting for 8th grade parents to discuss the course selection and recommendation process. Pomperaug also invites 8th graders and their parents to a curriculum orientation meeting at the high school. Lastly, orientation is held for Freshmen the day before school begins.