Episode 28
Leveling Up to High School
Navigating the transition from middle school to high school can be a formidable challenge, both for students and their parents. In this episode, we delve into the complexities of this pivotal moment, emphasizing the critical importance of understanding the differences between these educational stages. With insights from Dr. Brandy Brady, Cobb's Counseling Consultant for High Schools, and Erica Watford, School Counselor at Walton High School, we explore the autonomy and responsibilities that accompany high school, as well as the opportunities for course selection that await incoming freshmen. We aim to alleviate the anxiety surrounding this transition by providing essential information on navigating academic choices, establishing social connections, and fostering effective communication with school counselors. Together, we will equip you with the knowledge necessary to support your rising high school freshman in this significant chapter of their educational journey.
Guests:
- Dr. Brandy Brady, School Counseling Consultant - High Schools
- Erica Watford, School Counselor - Walton High School
Chapters:
- 00:02 - Navigating Freshman Year: A Guide for Parents
- 01:10 - Transitioning from Middle School to High School
- 04:10 - Addressing Student Placement Challenges
- 09:15 - Finding Friend Groups and Clubs in High School
- 12:43 - Planning for High School: A Roadmap for Success
- 15:17 - Transitioning to High School: Key Insights for Parents and Students
Useful links from the podcast:
Podcast Home:
https://the-inside-scoop.captivate.fm/
Cobb Schools on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/@TheRealCobbSchools
Give us a review:
https://www.podchaser.com/TheInsideScoop
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https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VYTRCLG
Cobb Sports Podcast:
https://cobb-sports.captivate.fm/episodes
The Cobb County School District:
https://www.cobbk12.org
Takeaways:
- Transitioning from middle school to high school represents a significant shift in academic and social expectations.
- Students are granted increased autonomy in high school, necessitating a corresponding increase in personal responsibility.
- High schools offer a wide array of elective courses, allowing students to tailor their education to their interests.
- Parents should remain vigilant regarding registration deadlines and communicate with middle school counselors for guidance.
- Social integration is facilitated through participation in clubs and orientation activities organized by the high school.
- Establishing a balanced schedule that incorporates both academic and extracurricular commitments is crucial for student well-being.
Transcript
Got an 8th grader heading up to high school.
Speaker A:Helping your student navigate those freshman waters is up for discussion this week on the Inside Scoop.
Speaker A:Hello and welcome back to the Inside Scoop.
Speaker A:I'm David Owen.
Speaker A:As part of our Leveling up series this week, we're taking a look at the big game, the final level in Cobb High School.
Speaker A:It can be daunting and intimidating, and that's just for the parents.
Speaker A:Think about how the students feel.
Speaker A:Understanding how it's different from what you and your student have experienced in the past can help get your student across that graduation finish line more successfully.
Speaker A:Here to provide us with those insights are Brandy Brady, Cobbs, counseling consultant for high schools, and Erica Watford, the school counselor from Walton High School.
Speaker A:Ladies, welcome to the podcast.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker A:You know, we've done these leveling up podcasts in the past, but now, like I said, in the open, we're looking at the big game.
Speaker A:We're going from being an eighth grader to being a freshman, back down to the bottom of the hierarchy, I guess you'd say.
Speaker A:So what are some of the biggest things, biggest differences in a school experience from 8th grade, middle school, and freshman year in high school?
Speaker B:I think it's a significant transition because you're going from, you know, a fairly smaller middle school, and then you go to this giant high school.
Speaker B:You may have longer periods in your classes, more people, more things to do.
Speaker B:So it's just a matter of figuring out the lay of the land.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Just some of the simple things, like where are.
Speaker A:Where are the classes?
Speaker A:What is a specific, I don't know, J Hall or 400 hall or whatever.
Speaker A:And there is no swimming pool on the roof that only seniors get to enjoy.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So what would be.
Speaker A:Well, I guess one of the things that we talked about in the fifth grade going into middle school podcast was the fact that students are given more autonomy.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:More autonomy means freedom, but it also means responsibility.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:So along those lines, what can we expect the students to do in that moving up phase?
Speaker A:For example, do they pick their own electives?
Speaker C:Yes, they do have the opportunity to pick their own electives.
Speaker C:That is done typically the spring before ninth grade at the middle school.
Speaker C:So there are tons of electives at high school.
Speaker C:High schools offer, and so they have lots of choices.
Speaker C:Middle school counselors help with that.
Speaker C:And then high school counselors often visit the middle schools in the spring to help walk the students through and give them a snapshot of what is offered at the school.
Speaker A:Kind of bridge that gap between the two.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:So we are Recording this podcast in the springtime.
Speaker A:So I'm guessing maybe parents and students need to be on the lookout for notifications of these opportunities coming up.
Speaker C:Yes, I think registration is happening right now at most of the high schools, and I'm positive that the middle schools are communicating with parents, deadlines, and other information.
Speaker C:So if parents have questions about this, they are encouraged to reach out to their middle school counselor.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:All right, so just keeping those eyes open for the opportunities is huge.
Speaker A:What about things like we said, electives, but what about core curricula, AP classes, honors classes, things along those lines?
Speaker A:How do those get selected for my student?
Speaker C:So middle school teachers, they work with the high schools to develop criteria for placement in those higher level, those honors and AP courses, and they will place the students based on that criteria in those classes.
Speaker A:All right, so let me throw you a curve ball.
Speaker A:That's always fun to hear.
Speaker A:So let's say that I've got a child who I consider to be extremely bright.
Speaker A:They've done very well in past advanced courses, but this year was a hard year for some reason.
Speaker A:Maybe they had a tragic event in their family of some sort or maybe were hospitalized.
Speaker A:Maybe they were just sick for a long time.
Speaker A:Is there leeway that would allow a parent to say, hey, you need to consider this extra challenge my student had, and this isn't truly reflective of what they can do.
Speaker A:I'd like them to take something more rigorous.
Speaker A:Can you address some of that?
Speaker C:So every year there are unique situations that we handle on a case by case basis.
Speaker C:Typically, once a student starts the class on the first day of school, they're in that class for the duration.
Speaker C:So if there are unique circumstances, such as a tragedy or a hospitalization, they would need to reach out to the counselor to help work through that.
Speaker A:But don't delay, I would imagine.
Speaker A:Isn't there a window, like, if you can make some minor changes more easily, at least within just a few days of starting class?
Speaker A:Is that a thing or is that just rumor?
Speaker C:Well, there is a policy, yes.
Speaker C:The COBB Policy is 10 days.
Speaker C:The first 10 days of the semester, classes can be changed.
Speaker C:Schools will view that differently from building to building.
Speaker C:So sometimes it might be extenuating circumstances only because the master schedules massive.
Speaker C:And moving kids around.
Speaker C:The first 10 days of school can be quite chaotic.
Speaker A:I can imagine.
Speaker C:But again, ultimately, it just is.
Speaker C:If you're within that first 10 days, definitely reach out to the counselor.
Speaker A:That is just the whole concept of the scheduling effort.
Speaker A:I don't know, is that done by software or by a person do you know by chance, because it seems to me like AI level thinking.
Speaker B:The scheduler, still, they have each other that they can communicate with, too, in case there's an issue.
Speaker B:There's always student reporting that they can reach out to here, but it's them that's doing it, that they're putting in all that hard work and effort to create a master schedule for grades nine through 12.
Speaker A:So hopefully, by the time requests might come in, hopefully they won't snap.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Because I could see that as a really tense time for administrators and folks who are doing that sort of thing.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And, you know, part of that is over the summer, so that when the students come back in the fall, their schedules are ready and available and, you know, student view and parent view.
Speaker B:So it's a lengthy process.
Speaker A:All right, so I'm going to.
Speaker A:Again, curveballs is what I do.
Speaker A:The students coming up from middle school typically are a target market of the folks in the movie industry and the TV industry.
Speaker A:Let's just use Disney as an example.
Speaker A:They like to do a lot of shows that kind of paint the picture of what it's like in high school.
Speaker A:How accurate.
Speaker A:How accurate would you consider those depictions in movies and TV shows?
Speaker A:Who wants to take that one?
Speaker C:Well, I would say there is definitely some similarities, but there's also a lot of hyperbole.
Speaker C:Personal opinion is that the teachers and administrators and counselors are misrepresented because oftentimes they're the ones, the adversaries in the movies, when in reality we're the ones that are there to provide support.
Speaker C:The adults in the building are the supportive people there that students can really get help with.
Speaker A:I think there's a lot to be said for just the general attitude of high school staff.
Speaker A:And I hate to say it, but because of Disney and others who depict slightly exaggerated versions, people go into it thinking that they are the enemy.
Speaker A:And in fact, they really are not.
Speaker A:That's all just a setup for the entertainment world, I guess.
Speaker A:Okay, so how can students, in the social side of things, how can students find their friend group?
Speaker A:A lot of students move up together, and they already have friend groups, but that's not everybody.
Speaker A:Can you make any recommendations for how they can have a socially enjoyable environment by finding friend groups that also maybe support them academically?
Speaker B:Orientation is something that high schools typically hold, and every school does something a little bit different.
Speaker B:But I think it gives the students an opportunity to see the lay of the land, of the school, to be able to walk, you know, from one side of the Campus to the other.
Speaker B:See what clubs and organizations that they offer at the school to see what you may be interested in, maybe what you want to try.
Speaker B:If it's something that you participated in in middle school, like sources of strength or signs of suicide, maybe that's something that you want to continue in high school.
Speaker B:Because sometimes a of these clubs and organizations may have a high school component and it's just a great way for students to meet new friends.
Speaker B:Maybe you see some of those individuals in your classes.
Speaker B:And so that gives you another opportunity to communicate and get to know people and really build your community.
Speaker A:So I'm thinking back when you mentioned clubs when I was in high school.
Speaker A:I think there might have been, I don't know, five, maybe, maybe ten at the most.
Speaker A:I wasn't aware of some, perhaps how many.
Speaker A:There are a huge number of clubs nowadays, right?
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker C:There's really something for everybody.
Speaker C:At my school, we offer over 100 different clubs and organizations.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:And many of them are student led and student sponsored.
Speaker C:So if there's not something that you see in that list and you feel very passionate about an issue, you can apply to start your own club.
Speaker C:And so it really just creates opportunities for.
Speaker C:For anybody to really get in and find their people.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:And common interest is always a great place to do that.
Speaker A:I presume that club has to have an adult, a sponsor.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:So we have done podcasting with the magnet school people.
Speaker A:One of the core values that their students hold is being able to do the massive amount of schoolwork in a timely manner, and that's through time management of their lives.
Speaker A:How can students get that, I guess what adults would call a work play balance in their life.
Speaker A:School is work for them, essentially.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:It's their job.
Speaker A:But how can they attain that work life balance in the school life?
Speaker B:I think first, making sure that you understand that you're a student first and making sure that you know, you're doing what you need to do in each of your classes.
Speaker B:And then with the space that you have in between all of your classes, what do you enjoy?
Speaker B:It's important for kids to figure out what the clubs are, maybe what, you know, they want to get involved in.
Speaker B:And with their plate, because they're going to have a plate with all of their academics and any extracurricular activities that they want.
Speaker B:Just making sure they're not putting too many options on their plate because we want it to be balanced and we don't want them to be overwhelmed in one arena or the other.
Speaker A:Sure.
Speaker A:Thinking ahead about what the next step is going to be how important is that in student life?
Speaker C:I think it's super important because high school is the beginning of the end.
Speaker C:Right?
Speaker C:And so once you're finished with high school, that sounds so morbid, that sounds so depressing.
Speaker A:But it's an end as in finish line.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:There's a finish line there and people go off and so many different directions.
Speaker C:And so starting with that end in mind is really helpful and really important.
Speaker C:While it looks different at every high school, each freshman will go through a period of freshman advisement where they'll have an opportunity to sit down and kind of work out a potential four year plan with no strings attached so they can see what classes they're in now and kind of project out what things will look like through their senior year.
Speaker A:So one of the things that I found when my kids were in an unnamed Cobb county high school was I was really pleasantly surprised.
Speaker A:I just remember walking in the door and looking over and seeing these tables with adults, presumably administrators and counselors and whatnot, helping students individually sit down and look at what the next four years of their high school life was going to be.
Speaker A:I found that amazingly cool because when I was in school, they didn't do that.
Speaker A:It was like, you're here, go to your class.
Speaker A:What's my class?
Speaker A:That's up to you to figure out.
Speaker A:So if I have an 8th grader who is leveling up, do they have to know what their course pathway is going?
Speaker A:Do they?
Speaker A:What do we need to be prepared with when we sit down at that table to talk with an advisor on?
Speaker C:For parents, first start at the middle school with a middle school counselor.
Speaker C:And many high schools will offer a rising 9th grade parent night where the administration and counselors will go into the curriculum offered.
Speaker C:And typically at that point, parents will hopefully have an idea of the classes their student will be in the first semester that first school year.
Speaker C:And that will kind of give a jumping off point when we go through ninth grade advisement in the spring.
Speaker A:Okay, so that advisement opportunity isn't a locked in thing.
Speaker A:It's just kind of getting you started.
Speaker A:Here's how it might look.
Speaker B:Correct.
Speaker A:And you do have some leeway to change things as you go along, right?
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker B:And to her point, I think you mentioned the ninth grade family nights.
Speaker B:It's also important for students to be there.
Speaker B:So if they can attend with their parent, that would be great, so that they're getting the same information that their parent is getting so that they can both be on the same page.
Speaker A:It can be overwhelming if you're going solo, whether you're a student or a parent, right?
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:Very cool.
Speaker A:Are there any other insights that you might be able to offer parents and students for that matter, who are getting ready to level up to high school?
Speaker B:I would say because it's such a significant transition, encouraging them to let someone know when they need help, when they need support.
Speaker B:I think that's going to be the biggest piece, is communication with everybody, knowing how to manage your time, learning how to advocate for yourself, I think are some very important pieces.
Speaker A:Yes, Very, very important, as a matter of fact.
Speaker A:And if I could chime in with a personal experience, please.
Speaker A:And that is, it's always easier for the high school career for a student to do very well in their first year because if you see that GPA start dropping, it's hard, harder and harder to raise it as you go along, Right?
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for sharing all these insights.
Speaker A:I wish I'd had your insights when my kids were going into the high school age range.
Speaker A:And I'm sure our audience members are grateful as well.
Speaker A:So thank you so much for coming in.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker A:So if you, in fact, did find something in this conversation that you would be able to use to make your students life easier in high school, or maybe just in the transition getting to high school, please make sure you give us a like subscribe and share it with another parent or another student so that they can experience the same benefit.
Speaker A:Thanks for listening to this edition of the Inside Scoop, a podcast produced by the Cobb County School District.
