Need advice re 7th grade at King Middle School
Hi Parents,
My daughter, currently in 6th grade, has attended a very small private school since Kindergarten. For a variety of reasons, we are seriously considering moving her to public school next year and we're zoned for King. Many of the reviews I have read talk about how the school does a great job of helping the 6th graders acclimate. What about kids who transfer in at 7th grade? She has been with the same small group of kids for many years and I worry that the transition to such a large environment will be very difficult for her. I'm wishing I had moved her at the beginning of 6th grade when all of the other kids were adjusting, too. I'm wondering if she would be better off at Willard since it is smaller but she does have several friends who attend King (not that I'm sure she'd have classes with them) and it's a 5 minute walk from our house. I'd love to hear feedback from parents who have had kids transfer in at 7th grade or from any other parents who have thoughts/advice to share about 7th/8th grades in BUSD middle schools. I'm brand new to thinking about public school in general and don't know what to expect at all. I don't even know if she would have academic issues because she has never done Common Core Math, etc....?
Thank you in advance for any help you can provide!
Parent Replies
Our daughter started at King halfway through 7th grade due to a move, going from a fancy school that was smaller and calmer. She adjusted very well - there are tons of kids coming and going during the various years - kids of professors in town for only a year, etc. It is a large school but there aren't the same kind of restrictive cliques that formed in her old school; it seems everyone can find friends, and there are no norms you have to conform to. Depending on your attitude toward education you might find it moves more slowly and teaching is less uniformly good than in the best schools in elite districts, but our experience has been that by 7th grade kids are finding their own motivation and level, and the environment is stimulating and the quality is good.