<p>The Catholic vs. public high school thread got me thinking about this, I didn't want to high-jack their thread-</p>
<p>How has your child fared changing schools for high school? I worry about D leaving a school where she's had friends since Kindergarten. Also going to a school where most of the other kids have been friends since Kindergarten - tough to break into those cliques?</p>
<p>I know kids move all the time, I just don't know if changing a school system is worth the upheaval for her socially. D is in a Catholic school, thinking of moving her back to public for HS. Public HS would be ok since D would be in honors/AP track. Catholic school is ok but academically not a stand out compared to the public. The Catholic school has been good because it is a small, nurturing, supportive environment. Public school, no.</p>
<p>D is in favor of switching, reasons being no uniforms and she thinks the public school will be easier. Needless to say, if she were to switch, it would be for better reasons :-)</p>
<p>This would depend on a couple of things; alot of kids enter HS in 9th grade from other places (private, catholic, etc)…but it is made easier if:</p>
<p>1) the high school is regional; that is it draws from more than one town
2) the high school is quite large; that is it draws from one town, but multiple middle schools…</p>
<p>It would appear to me to be more difficult if the HS is smaller and the kids have actually been together from kindergarten, as you mention…our public school only draws from one middle school, 5 elementary schools and it would be difficult to come in 9th grade here…neighboring town is regional; multiple towns, multiple middle schools, etc…</p>
<p>I’ve switched schools for every year of my life (my university will be the only school I’ve ever been at for more than a year), so I’ve got some experience in that. The last middle school I went to was a feeder into the local high school, where I did fine since I knew people from middle school. From there, I transferred to a tiny charter school. Our graduating class was 20 people, and most of them had known each other since kindergarten. By far, the best school I’ve ever been to – I made friends easily, they were accepting, joined lots of great clubs, had a great teacher. The panic over switching schools is pretty overrated, at least to me. I’ve never had an issue with being left out because I was new.</p>
<p>D1 went to a large public high school (enrollment 2700). In our city, many kids move to public high school from private or Catholic elementary/middle schools. (The Catholic high school is way on the other side of town. Private high schools have limited enrollment and are very expensive.)</p>
<p>In 9th grade, everyone is equal because everyone is new to the school. Also both my Ds discovered that in high school your interests start to change and all those elementary school friends start to drop away. (D1 has 0 friends left from elementary school; D2 has 1.)</p>
<p>If your D isn’t worried about learning a new culture/way of doing things, and is willing to advocate for herself (be pro-active about dealing with issue/problem and not wait around for someone else to notice and fix them for her), then the transition to public school shouldn’t be traumatic. (which is not to say there won’t be period of great angst and sturm und drang—but high school is like that.)</p>
<p>Both of my kids switched from public elementary/middle school to private high school. It was a great move for both of them, both socially and academically.
I realize that your daughter wants to go the other way, but I really think that whether it’s successful or not depends on your child. If she is in favor, I say go for it. Maybe she’s looking for a change- a chance to start again socially or to have a wider range of friends. Middle school is tough socially, and a new start in high school can actually be very positive for many kids.</p>
<p>I think changing schools can be a very good thing and actually prepare them for college, where everything will be new and on a bigger scale. Whether it’s easier or harder probably depends on the school, and the individual teachers and classes. What is probable is that she’ll have a greater choice of courses, level and teachers.</p>
<p>D2 was the “new kid” at a high school where most of the kids had been together since kindergarten. At first it was hard socially, but by the end of freshman year, she found her niche and adjusted quite well.</p>
<p>Our public school has 5 or 6 elementary schools feeding into 2 middle schools/ 1 high school. So there is some mix there</p>
<p>S has been public all the way, and is graduating HS this year. He had a tough time of it in middle school with some bullying issues. High school worked out well for him socially, he made many new friends. Academically he had issues, but they were of his own making. </p>
<p>I think it could be a positive move for D. The sheltered environment at the Catholic school has been good for her, but maybe not preparing her for what she will face in the real world.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that you could always go back to the Catholic school if 9th grade at the public school doesn’t work out (assuming the Catholic school has space). </p>
<p>Since you already have experience at the public school, I’m guessing there shouldn’t be a ton of surprises.</p>
<p>My daughter changed schools for 9th grade. The best advice she got was to join something and get involved. It made a HUGE difference in the way she felt about the school once she found a group to belong to.</p>
<p>OP, from your post, it sounds as though your Catholic high school has elementary and middle schools as well. If that is true, what percentage of the ninth grade class will be new to the school? Our local Catholic high school is simply a high school. Although there are several schools that have a higher number of attendees, 42 schools were represented in last year’s freshman class. People say that the freshman cliques from the incoming schools go away by the end of the first year and kids find their own groups. This was certainly true for my son.</p>
<p>My daughter, who graduated from high school last year, transferred into a private prep school after ninth grade (all public schools) that was a pre-K through high school. Some of the kids had been there forever and that was a huge oversight on our part. She had a couple friends, but never found a group. I think it helps to know what kind of group a child might fit into (if this is even possible to decide in 8th grade) and ask if the school has that group. For example: my daughter needed a smart, nerdy group, which the local Catholic had, but the suburban prep school did not. I hope this makes sense.</p>
<p>mathinokc - the high school part of the Catholic school is very selective, once she opted out I don’t think she’d have a great chance of getting back in.</p>
<p>MD Mom - that is my worry, that many of the kids will have been together since the beginning, and it will be tough for her. For my S, he was in the system all along, but it was only in high school that he really made it socially. He is in with a smart, nerdy group, but has a wide cross section of friends from various groups.</p>
<p>D, I’m not sure where she’d fit in, if it’d be harder for her as a girl. She’s smart but not nerdy, kind of image, fashion conscious. She is very imaginative, so much so that she’s often not that grounded in reality sometimes (if that makes sense). The big negative about the Catholic school is that they have a very limited music instrumental program - she would have made a great band geek.</p>
<p>The Catholic school is skewed toward more girls - the high school is all girls. She’s always been more comfortable interacting with girls. I supposed I’m worried how she’ll deal with boys and influences she really hasn’t been exposed to.</p>
<p>There’s a whole other issue- single gender school versus mixed. As a one time nerdy math/science girl I can’t imagine not being with the boys. I don’t get how girls need to be separate from boys to best develop, but I guess there are less assertive personalities out there who benefit. It may be in her best interest to learn to be more comfortable with boys in an everyday setting. Also- the “girls have cooties” stage is generally outgrown by HS. Girls are more comfortable with girls. I wonder if an all girl setting allows for more girl-girl nastiness. Others with experience will offer their experiences.</p>