Easing the Transition to High School at MSJ: A Student's Guide

Most kids going into high school may think it is hard, but in reality, the transition from middle school to MSJ can be easy. MSJ supports students transitioning into high school. Most will say they won’t have friends, or they won’t know where to go, but MSJ helps with all of this.

Statue of Saint Joseph holding the Child Jesus, set in a landscaped garden with red foliage and a building in the background.

The main fear that, at least I had, transitioning into high school was thinking I wouldn’t have any friends. From personal experience, the atmosphere at MSJ is good, everyone is friendly, and you will make new friends. I interviewed people at MSJ about the transition into high school, and most of them said you will make new friends. I don’t think going to a place where you don’t know anyone is a bad thing; it’s actually good because it is a chance to make new friends.

Another fear is not knowing where to go or getting lost, but MSJ helps with this. Students who want to come to MSJ can shadow here. Shadowing is when an MSJ student is assigned to you, and you go through a normal school day with them. You get to see what classes will look like and what the campus will look like. This helps a lot because when students can see where they will be going to high school, it takes some stress off when they are starting.

A statue of a figure holding a child and a lily, set outdoors in front of a building.

People also may be worried about not knowing what to do or not going to have fun. MSJ has so many things to do: sports, clubs, theatre; there are so many things to do. MSJ has also started a new homeroom program. Basically, instead of having to go to the same homeroom every day, you can go to a variety of different homerooms. This can help kids see their friends more, meet new friends, and learn new things in each homeroom.

Brick tower with a bell tower structure and decorative roof against a clear blue sky, surrounded by trees.

Based on my experience, at least I think the transition from middle school to MSJ is easy. You may be worried at first, but when you get to MSJ and see what it really is, it is not scary, and you will be fine.