A tough transition made easier at Baltimore area Catholic high schools

The transition from middle school to high school can be daunting. Recent issues with COVID-19 only added to those challenges for students.

Seeing some familiar faces made the transition a bit easier. 

“Most might find the adjustment to be difficult because you’re going to a new school with new people, new teachers and new classes,” said Shannon Harvey, a freshman at St. Mary’s High School in Annapolis. 

“They might find it difficult going from being at the top right back down to the bottom, or figuring out how to unlock their lockers, which, for the record, I also struggled with,” she said. “I did find these things to be big adjustments, but because of the time in which I transitioned, the biggest change for me was getting used to being in a school building again. My entire time as an eighth-grader was spent online, and in my freshman year, I was back to in-person learning.” 

While the transition from middle to high school can be a big leap for a lot of students, many schools are cognizant of that uncertainty and anxiety.   

St. Mary’s hosts a daylong freshman orientation, multiple freshman welcome events, and various follow-up meetings with both individuals and small groups that are designed to introduce new students to the entire faculty and staff that give them confidence regarding the important role they will play in the community. 

There is also class retreat, monthly Mass and group service projects to integrate students within the school and the wider community. 

“We like to view incoming and transfer students as our new leaders, full of promise and contributions that will change us for the better, even in their first year with us,” said Chris Morgan, assistant principal for academics at St. Mary’s. 

At Bishop Walsh School in Cumberland, the students get adjusted to the new rhythms of high school academic life pretty well. The school, serving students in kindergarten through high school, offers some pre-AP classes in middle school, so they have a good idea of what to expect. 

In preparation for high school, middle school students also take final exams just like high school students. Teachers take time to orient the students to the rigors of high school. The older high school students help with both academic and extracurricular questions. 

“We are very blessed to have our middle school students be able to continue onto their high school years within our building and with some of the same teachers,” Bishop Walsh Principal Jennifer Flinn said. 

“We take extra time to meet with the eighth graders about high school schedules and expectations. The eighth-grade teachers do a wonderful job of preparing the  students for the next level. The school also works with the parents, so they are also prepared to be parents of high school students,” she said.

Any students who may need additional support have been identified and assisted. 

“The guidance counselors and administrators make sure they are available to assist any students who may need additional support,” Flynn said. “The Pratt Program is a learning support center that meets the specific needs of capable students, grades K-12, who have language-based learning difficulties such as dyslexia or who struggle with ADHD and executive function weaknesses. Students may also have accommodation plans to help them be successful at school.

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There is also an issue with time management and stakes are also higher in high school. There is more homework, the athletics are more competitive and participating in musicals and plays can also be time-consuming.

As a result, time management is crucial. 

“One thing that I tried to do when I was in cross country during the fall was to work on homework anytime that I had the chance,” said Zachary Birdsall, another freshman at St. Mary’s. 

“When you are in competitive sports where you have practice after school every day, you have basically no time for procrastination,” he said. “Sometimes, when I knew that I would have a lot of homework that day, I would do it in class free time when it was assigned and try to finish as much as I could. I would usually do the easier homework first, since getting that stuff out of the way would give me the motivation to finish the longer, more tedious things. 

“That way, if you get the majority of your homework and studying done in class free time, you will have more time to relax after practice,” Birdsall said. 

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