Well this will be my sons freshmen year as well, and all I can say is as parents we need to support their ups and downs, my son right now is really happy, and proud of himself, he joined the school football team, today he is at school getting his football gear and this has been a great push for him towards this new year, he has been working out at the school with team mates and his couch all August, now this coming Monday is really strong football practice games.

well, my daughter is going to be a junior at oak lawn community high school, and i still remember the day i dropped off my daughter freshman year. At first the teen is still in there 8th grade mode and i dont know but my daughter didnt do too hott freshman year, but sophomore year was a wonderful year for her and she turned her grades around and she was on high honor roll. i guess what you can expect is your daughter is most likely going to have alot more homework, their might be more attitude from your teen,but its just really the begining. i remember thats how my daughter was at first; but i guess she relized that she only has 1 year 1/2 before she leaves for college. Most freshmans hear lies or myths that freshman get picked on....usually it never happens. my daughter told me that occationally they were called freshies but nothing major. im pretty sure you daughter will be ok. theres really nothing to worry about...high school is just like a minnie college or a huge junior high!

Thanks hockeymum, I would surf online to see what is there for him.

In lieu of a language class my daughter takes a class called Strategies for Learning. The emphasis on class is on skills and strategies that will increase competence in daily classroom work, assignment and test completion. Use of agenda and organizational skills will be emphazied. Includes daily agenda checks, weekly binder checks, and monthy locker checks. For us this class was the difference in the school year. She went from very average struggling grade 7 to Honor roll in grade 8.
Most helpful was how to take notes and use them for studying. They had this system of folding the paper verically and they orgnazied into columns. I'm sure if you search online there are sites on how to study etc and or maybe a preparation class for highschool at nightschool or something. I wouldn't hold my breath on any teacher in a regular setting helping out on checking his binders etc, so you may want to look into this yourself.

My Son is going to be a Freshmen this September school year and I am glad that you, sjahn1, has posted this question. The answers were very informative, hockeymum spoke about Organizational Skill. I do have a question for her , " did you have the help of your daughters teachers?"

Thank you. As I tell the kids, remember that teachers are people too. (I know you know this; they forget.) Sometimes the teacher who doesn't seem to care is simply overwhelmed. At my school, most of us work 10 hours a day and then go home to grade papers. Most of our frustration originates not with the kids but with demands from the administration. I'm not saying this for sympathy. I love my job, my kids, AND their parents. I apologize for my colleagues who have not shown you that they care. If they truly just "don't want to be bothered," then they should find another job...just my opinion. Kids won't learn until they know we care.

lwilliam, you sound like a wonderfully caring instructor; I'm afraid many teachers don't want to be bothered to take the time to sign notes, but it certainly doesn't hurt for parents to ask them if they're willing!

"Proven method"--I'm sorry for the confusion This works well in high school. Most parents who use this have kids get a note signed every 2-3 weeks. Kids on restriction are very motivated. Some have even told their kids--"no note; no weekend plans." Teachers usually don't mind signing (or not). I typically have about 7 of 140 getting this done. It doesn't have to be done all year--just when extra motivation is needed (or a student's grades are falling). I hope this helps!

lwilliam, thanks for that link to SchoolNotes.com. I went to it and found only a couple of teachers from my dd school, but hey, that's a start. And one of them she may have in the fall.

lwilliam, thank you for your input on this topic....I concur with most of what you've said, but I'm a bit confused about your final "proven method" recommendation ~ how often would you suggest that a student get such a note signed? Even with kids on IEP's in younger grades, it's difficult to get teachers to sign anything at the end of each period...(If by period, you mean the end of each grading period, not class period, then wouldn't report cards provide the same information?)

As an English teacher (9th and 12th grades), I beg you to be involved.
1. Come to parent night or open house to meet me.
2. Call ME if you see any changes in your child's attitude toward school or behavior in general.
3. If you have concerns, contact me.
4. If possible, share an e-mail address and find out what websites the school offers for more information. (I use SchoolNotes.com--a free place to post daily homework.)
5. Know when your child goes to sleep--most claim they stay up until 2 a.m. or later.
6. If possible, eat at the table. Last year 29 of my 30 honors students ate at least 4x a week with their parents at a table for 1 or more meals a day. In my "regular" classes, only 3 of 30 did so.
7. Encourage him or her to get involved in at least one activity. Active students "buy in" to the fact that we care and learn important skills not covered in the classroom.
8. Most importantly, be my partner. I really do want the best for your child, regardless of what you hear.

Proven method--Write this note: "________ (insert child's name) is doing well in this class." Instruct the child to have each teacher sign the note at the end of the period. Ask for the note and check to see if all of the teachers signed. If not, find out why! If so, praise him or her.

Thank you for caring enough to ask.

I have one son that will be a Freshman and one son starting Kindergarten. Since my older one adjusted well to middle school I am hoping the same will apply to high school. What an emotional first day of school I will have.

My daughter will be going into high school this year as well, it's nice to have a place to share challenges as she goes thru the transition.

If your daughter welcomes you being active at her school, there's certainly no downside to a parent being active at the school - if you have time and the school has places where it needs parents to be active.
What do your neighbors say about the transition to high school in your community? What have other parents told you? Transition years are just that but how hard they are varies from school to school. Some schools are very 'on top' of the transition and work to minimize the jolt - other schools my own included seem to want to create more of a jolt.
One way to minimize the jolt is to find out what books she'll be required to read in her 9th grade Literature class and have her read those now over the summer.

You should be as active as you are comfortable with. If she cringes at the thought of you being around her and her friends at school, you don't have to be involved in things where your daughter is present--PTA, SAC, booster clubs, etc. If your daughter is involved in sports or clubs, of course you can attend as many events as possible and help the coaches or club sponsors with what they need. Also check out your school's website. There may be info on there that your're interested in that your child has 'forgotten' to tell you.

As for what to expect from your daughter next year, I can't really say. So much depends on her, her class content, teachers, the kids, extra-curricular opportunities, etc. Hopefully it's a positive experience for her.

Good luck!

When my daughter started high school, I had ZERO expectations. And to my surprise I am more than delighted with her first year. I agree with Healthy, having your child join a few clubs and sports is a great way to meet new friends.
I think organization is a huge skill to learn at this age. My daughter has weekly locker checks and must present her planner weekly to show they are organized. It seems extreme but there is no excuse for missing assignments or books.
We downloaded a map of the school layout before hand and she marked on it all her classrooms, so she had a good idea of where to go on her first week.

Every child is different, just as every school is different. In general, I'd encourage you to be as involved as your time permits. I'd also urge you to have your daughter get involved in clubs where she has even the slightest interest, to meet other like-minded students and develop friendships. It doesn't matter if it's sports, drama, music, dance, academic teams, art, or something else. This is a wonderful opportunity for her to learn about herself, and what kinds of things she might like to do as she grows older....

I participated in my child's high school PTA and ended up in charge of their Hospitality Group. By volunteering, I got to know teachers, staff, and most importantly, other parents...It was nice to be able to talk to some moms who had older students that "went through it before." I heard from them about different clubs and good activities that kids could join, and even got "warnings" about how some kids might try to "sneak alcohol at parties, etc." (Not all kids obviously engage in negative behaviors, but by talking to other parents, I felt I was much more aware of what/who to watch out for.) I'm not saying this to scare anyone, but just to let parents know that by being active at their child's school, even as they get older, you can help your children experience smoother transitions, and guide them to make good decisions when faced with many different situations.