Grammar Gazette- Issue 1, 2007
IN FOCUS
Beginnings
The orientation activities which are implemented for our Year 8 students provide them with the opportunity to view themselves as part of a community. We believe that an individual’s well-being is linked to the group of which they are a part. Experience indicates that for Year 8s their “connectedness” within the School community is a major determinant of their successful transition to secondary schooling. Fostering positive relationships within the group begins with a focus on their House Group and gradually expands to include their year group, their House and indeed the School as a whole. In this way the students gain the sense of belonging which is fundamental to their ability to develop and grow socially, emotionally and intellectually. The connections which are so important for the girls to establish when they enter the School begin with their first meeting with Ms Bell and their Head of House when they are still in Year 7. At this interview
Ms Samantha Bolton, Year 8 Level Co-ordinator and Head of Woolcock House.
Beginning Secondary School is a significant milestone in the lives of young people. New uniforms, new books, new travel arrangements and new friends all bring with them feelings ranging from excitement to anxiety. Accompanying this emotional roller coaster are the physical, intellectual and psychological changes of early adolescence. Schools must meet students’ needs at this time by providing orientation programmes which engage them, through a mixture of fun, thoughtful and reassuring activities. Such activities help them to develop the skills to face the demands of their new situation and allow them to be personally enriched through the process.
grammar gazette autumn 2007
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