No matter the situation, transferring to a new school is hard.

I remember switching schools in first grade and sixth grade and worrying about who to sit with and whether or not I would fit in.

Transferring to a classical Christian school can be particularly unique because the curriculum, in many ways, is very different from the average public school or even the average Christian school.  Classical schools also tend to have smaller class sizes.  This is great for teaching but can make being the “new kid” even more obvious and scary.

If you’re transferring to a classical Christian school, you want to make sure that the school has certain procedures in place in order to make your student feel comfortable and welcomed as quickly as possible.

Whitefield Academy takes the social integration of transfer students very seriously because we know it’s a serious matter to our new families.  Here are the top five ways that we make the social side of transferring easier for our new students.

Shadowing Opportunities

All new students are encouraged to participate in a day or partial day of shadowing.  This would involve a student coming in on a school day before they actually transfer.  This student is paired up with a peer and gets to experience classes, lunch, and recess with their potential classmates.

Ambassador Families

Once a family decides to transfer, no matter what grade, they are assigned a current Whitefield “Ambassador Family.” This family is sure to reach out to the new family over the summer or in the weeks leading up to the transfer.  Families might have play dates for younger kids or dinners together for older kids.  In addition to the helpful faculty and admissions staff, the Ambassador Family becomes another “go to” resource for questions that may come up.  

Summer Get-Togethers

Every grade at Whitefield has at least one summer get-together at a park or pool for a cookout.  These summer hang outs are usually scheduled around new families so that they can come and meet everyone in their new classes.  

New Parent Orientation

In the early summer before school begins, Whitefield hosts a new parents orientation night.  This is the perfect opportunity for parents to sort out the nitty gritty like carpool line rules and the uniform code.  New parents can also mix and mingle with each other to see who else is new.

Encourage Athletic Involvement

Even for kids who aren’t extremely into sports, Whitefield highly encourages new students to participate in our athletics program.  Our upper school soccer camp happens at the beginning of the school year and is a great time for new students to bond with other upper schoolers and teachers who double as coaches.

The social aspect of transferring into a classical Christian school is just the tip of the iceberg.  So much more is involved with how a school should carefully integrate its new students.  If you want to learn more about the care Whitefield puts into welcoming our transfer students click here for our webinar on Transferring Into A Classical Christian School.