Help your child say goodbye to a school
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Leaving a school and classmates is hard at any age . Thanks to the internet older students have ways of making sure they can stay in touch , but departing can still be difficult . All ages may fear the unknown of the new school . The more informed you are before you leave the less fear your child will have . It ’ s easier jumping if you know where you will land . Contacting a SLO and getting informed as much as possible about your new location will make departing the current school easier .
� Let the teacher know the impending move is hard . DoDEA teachers often have children coming and going and many have come up with special ways to mark the move . The earlier you let the teacher know you are moving the better support the teacher can be .
Example : Teacher passes around a small stone from the playground . Each child shares a memory of the departing student while holding the stone . Stone is given to the child to “ hold ” all their memories and “ keep ” their good thoughts with them wherever they go .
� Make a video of your child at the school talking about the school , their teachers , and friends .“ Interview ” staff and friends . It will be a nice memory for later and bring a smile to their face .
� Have your child write a thank you letter to his / her teacher .
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Create a scrapbook of their time at the school . Include a class photo . Write one comment or memory about each member of the class . If you do this with every move they will come to realize wherever they go , they will make good memories and thus more readily anticipate new ones .
For some , marking the last day with something special like a class snack may be helpful , but for others it may be overwhelming . Consider your child ’ s personality when deciding how that last day should go . Some parents check their child out just a few moments early so they aren ’ t in the “ dismissal tornado ” when their emotions are high .
Stay connected . If you are moving mid year , sending a letter or email to the class telling about the new school can be helpful .
Students go through a bit of a grieving process when they leave the familiar . Expect to hear comparisons to the “ old school ” quite a bit initially . It ’ s their way of hanging on . Be patient , eventually the new school will be their “ familiar ”.
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