The beginning of each school year brings all sorts of ‘new’ and this includes friends. While all my girls have many friends that they go to school with, it’s always a roll of the dice as to whom is placed in what class. Last year one of my twins was in a class with no close friends at all, while her sister had the whole lot in her class. For my girl that was feeling very left out on that first sat, she made many new friends within that first week. So the situation turned out to be very good for her, being forced to go outside of her comfort zone made her come of her shell – a lot!
This year my oldest stated middle school, and there’s 8 Grade 6 classes alone! While she spends time with a few of her close friends from her previous school, I’m so happy to see that new connections are being made as well. Yet, it’s a new school with many new faces and the tradition wasn’t without it’s share of hiccups.
Just like for Gooliope Jellington, Monster High’s newest {and tall!} ghoul, it can be hard to determine where you fit in a new group and place. Each of us has a time when we feel like outsiders and so different than the others, it’s hard to make that connection. The thing is, we are all unique and it’s crucial to accept others, despite differences.
Having these feelings of indifference can prevent kids from aligning with others and joining school activities and experiences – which is sad and can be avoided.
Tips to Ease New School Transition:
Project Confidence – We all have concerns for our little ones, especially when they face a potentially challenging situation. To help your child prepare for their new environment act how you want them to feel. Little ones can easily pick up on how you feel and it will have a significant impact on how they feel themselves. If you show them that you are happy and excited for the change, rather than concerned and fearful, they are more likely to feel positive about the transition.
Help Them Connect – Transitions are always easier with a friend by your side! Where possible, help your child find a connection with a new friend before school or their new activity starts. This can be accomplished by setting up play dates or visiting local parks and community centers. Once your little one has at least one new friend, the new environment will be much less scary.
Scope Out the School – Sometimes the biggest trepidation around a new school or activity is the fear of the unknown. In advance of the first day of school, practice your commute to the new school with your little one. Once you arrive, take some time to look around the schoolyard and maybe even find their designated entrance to the school. The more they can explore in advance, the more confident they will feel.
Be Yourself – Remind your little ones that even though they’ll feel pressure to fit in, they should be unique, be different and be themselves. Encourage them to pursue their interests and act as they would if they were at home.
Whether you are joining a new school, sport, club or even making a new friend, it can be daunting and things won’t always go their way. Just remind your kids at the end of the day that no matter what happens, you will always have their backs.
This month Monster High is gearing up for the launch of their new DVD and first ever musical, Boo York! All of your favourite ghouls will be there, taking in the sights from Times Scare to The Monster of liberty. To celebrate the launch of Monster High Boo York, why not learn the words to the musical numbers in advance with these great Monster High sing-a-long videos!
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Lee-Ann S says
09/22/2015 at 10:33 amWe have a small school, but Miss R has a new friend this year named Mia!
Angela Scrofano says
09/22/2015 at 10:49 amMy “new ghoul” moment was my first year of university. I grew up in a very small rural community in Eastern Canada, so you know everyone. Well, my first day of university was one where I had to meet my new school mates and didn’t know anyone. So thank goodness for the teachers’ icebreakers because I sat there like a bump on a log for the first moments of the class scared out of my mind.
Staci Rae says
09/22/2015 at 11:31 amOooh, Monster High! HOw awesome! M-O-N-S-T-E-R, Monsters, Monsters YES WE ARE!
Staci Rae says
09/22/2015 at 11:33 amMy daughter started a new school at the end of the school year last year. A shared loved of Monster High helped her form friendships with a couple of the girls on her class 🙂
salexis says
09/22/2015 at 1:35 pmWe moved around a lot, and by grade 6 my daughter had been to FIVE schools! She knows a lot about being the new kid! I think it helped to build her confidence. Silver – lining, I kept reminder her how “lucky” she was to have such experience in making new friends, she knows she is capable because she’s done it before.. I think it helped to focus on the positives 🙂
Elizabeth Matthiesen says
09/22/2015 at 1:50 pmMy children had to move on average every 3 years, they were all scared to leave their friends and schools but I tried to make the move attractive by talking about new friends, new bedrooms etc. Over the years they learnt to adapt pretty well and settling into a new school wasn’t a big problem then but the first few times, oh my, oh my!
kathy downey says
09/23/2015 at 6:32 amMy “new ghoul” moment was my first year of high school in a new town where I didnt know a soul but one young lady invited me into her group and introduced me to everyone
Jamie hall says
09/23/2015 at 7:17 amMy daughter isn’t in school yet but at daycare she walked in like she owned the place
Judy Cowan says
09/23/2015 at 8:47 amMy “New Ghoul” moment happened in University. I grew up in a smaller town and went through elementary/high school with the same bunch of friends. When I went to University I knew nobody and I was definitely out of my comfort zone for several weeks. Slowly I got to know my classmates and developed friendships but it was not fun for the first bit.
Lisa McLain says
09/23/2015 at 10:13 amMy nieces loves monster high! I always loved school and making new friends
Ali P says
09/23/2015 at 11:02 amBoth my girls had no problems heading to school when they were younger. I think because they have a lot of self-confidence, it helped them adjust seamlessly!
Darwin says
09/23/2015 at 11:35 amMy daughter and her new friend bonded over Monster High and various toys they like to play. It’s great to see kids that seems like they have nothing in common actually do.
valerie says
09/23/2015 at 11:40 amMy new ghoul moment was when I made a ghost costume for Halloween for my grandson and he cried like forever he was so scared Never again
Wendy Hutton says
09/23/2015 at 11:50 ammy new ghoul moment was after being out of school almost 20 yrs going back to college
Lynda Cook says
09/23/2015 at 12:40 pmGoing into highschool was such a big and scary moment, but after that first week all was well!!
Gillian Morgan says
09/23/2015 at 3:13 pmSophie started kindergarden this year. All of the kids that were in her kinder start sessions and leap into learning are in the afternoon class. She was feeling really lonely. Last Friday a little boy named Andy came to her class and they have been the best of friends ever since. She doesn’t come home from school now saying she misses Jacqelyn or Olivia or Cameron.
Gillian Morgan says
09/23/2015 at 3:17 pmSophie started kindergarden this year. All of the kids that were in her kinder start sessions and leap into learning are in the afternoon class. She was feeling really lonely. Last Friday a little boy named Andy came to her class and they have been the best of friends ever since. She doesn’t come home from school now saying she misses Jacqelyn or Olivia or Cameron. …
Stephanie LaPlante says
09/23/2015 at 3:31 pmI remember as a kid, every new kid had a special introduction to make them feel comfortable.
heidi c. says
09/23/2015 at 6:39 pmI was painfully shy growing up so the start of the school year was always greatly dreaded. It went so much better for my girls starting school because they had a twin starting with them.
Aimee Robison says
09/23/2015 at 6:46 pmMy “New Ghoul” story is when I went away to College. I had always lived in a small city, so I always had the same friends from Elementary school to high school. When I went to college, all my friends decided to go to different schools. So I was freaked out, and nervous on my first day. Thankfully for social events through the school, I was able to make some new friends and feel more comfortable.
Silvia D says
09/23/2015 at 8:22 pmFor grade 6 we moved to a very small town from the city..The kids in my class had all been together since preschool/kindergarten, I felt so out of place, there were only 5 girls in the grade 6/7 split class. Took a bit but soon fitted in with them..
Meg says
09/23/2015 at 11:35 pmYes, my kids are at new schools this year. It can be rough.
louise says
09/24/2015 at 8:00 amMy “new ghoul” moment moving to new schools often. I made some good friends and now that I’m in my 50’s I’m still friends some of these people
Florence Cochane says
09/24/2015 at 10:49 amMoving to a different school for High School was a new ghoul moment for me. Having to fit in.
lori b says
09/24/2015 at 11:09 ammy year at university and not knowing anyone i felt lost
ruth moreira-lozon says
09/24/2015 at 11:48 amMy son was identified as gifted in grade 3, and it was the best thing for him. he had always done things differently from his classmates, and had a few idiosyncracies, so to be moved to a new school in a class where all the other kids were gifted too was just amazing. they all rally together and accept each other as they are.
Darrah Bailey says
09/24/2015 at 12:42 pmWhen I was in grade 10, I got moved from a small town school I had been since grade 2 to a BIG city school and being the New Ghoul in School… I stood out like a sore thumb 🙁
Angela Mitchell says
09/24/2015 at 9:32 pmI was a new ghoul at school many times as a child. I went to 7 different schools during my childhood so I know what it`s like!
ivy pluchinsky says
09/25/2015 at 7:43 amwhen i started a new school, grade 9 i went to the class i was supposed to go and the teacher told me i wasn’t supposed to be there, so i left, and it ended up being i was supposed to be there and i ended up missing my grade 9 math and had to take it at home! the school paid for it cause it was their mistake, but having to do a course at home when you are in grade 9 sucked
kristen visser says
09/25/2015 at 8:05 amMy “new ghoul” moment was starting at a new high school 3 weeks into the last year of school. thankfully I knew one person at my new high school (my cousin)
Natasha Severson says
09/25/2015 at 8:35 amMy youngest started school last year. She was very scared about being the new kid not being used to a lot of people being around at once. She did amazing just like the other girls 😉
Julie O. says
09/25/2015 at 9:27 amMy New Ghoul story is when my parents moved across the ocean and I had to start a new school in grade 4! Not easy! lol
Pascale Dupont says
09/25/2015 at 10:22 amWe moved around a few times with my daughter. She now 8.
Last year was a tough year for her at her school that she’s in now. The teacher gave her a hard time. But she makes friends pretty easy. Hope my daughter wins this she Defiantly love monster high.
Marla P says
09/25/2015 at 10:27 amMy “new ghoul” moment was my first year of university i didnt know anybody but eventually made new friends
Dayna Wilson says
09/25/2015 at 4:34 pmMy family moved to Australia when I was 14. I was super nervous…and stood out hard. I’m already short, redheaded, and obviously have a Canadian accent… but then I broke my wrist right before the start of school too! Everyone noticed me RIGHT away.
Angela Massis says
09/25/2015 at 4:51 pmLast year my twins went their separate ways to different schools which was so difficult as they are so close.
Rebecca W says
09/25/2015 at 6:04 pmWe are military family so we move that about every three years. I try to talk about how my kids will have a whole new group of new friends and in a new town with different adventures
Elva Roberts says
09/26/2015 at 7:17 pmI was the girl who was friendly when a new girl came to our school. I liked to make them feel comfortable if they were receptive to me. Sometimes they did not want to be a friend but chose other people. That never stopped me from trying to be kind to newcomers. I was blessed to be born with an open and friendly disposition. It was in my genes, I guess, and I was and am grateful for this.
krystyl olson says
09/26/2015 at 11:01 pmwhen I was in grade 8, I was living in a city where there were only – elementary school (k-7) and highschool (8-12) – but, when I was in grade 8, my first year in highschool – right at the end of the year – I moved to a town that had middle school (grade 6-8) … when i began attending my new school (middle school), I thought people would think it was weird, that I had already been a highschool student – actually, they thought it was really cool 🙂
SueSueper says
09/27/2015 at 9:59 amMy son had a new teacher this year. So this was a little intimidating.
Carol Denny says
09/28/2015 at 4:41 amMy granddaughter started a new school this year. The first week did not go well but now she has made new friends and she is ok now.
Jonnie says
09/28/2015 at 11:00 amMy boys started new schools this year. It’s their first years of high school and middle school and we moved over the summer so they had some major changes to adjust to but thankfully, they are both finding their way and making new friends.
Lisa Neutel says
09/28/2015 at 4:02 pmmy son had a new student start in his class this fall ..he right away introduced himself to this student and made him feel welcome
Suzi says
09/28/2015 at 8:04 pmSophie is excited as she is now with her BFF Sophie!
Sabrina Tong says
09/28/2015 at 10:02 pmMy ghoul is the only ghoul in her class it’s going to make for an interesting year.
Brenda Lacourciere says
09/29/2015 at 3:52 amOur seven year old had to go to a new school for the first time this year. He was terrified and stressed all summer but now has fit right in and loving it.
Mel says
09/29/2015 at 8:13 amMy family moved frequently when I was a child. I was the new girl in school often.
Debbie W says
09/29/2015 at 2:38 pmI was encouraged to join the drama club. It was the meeting of the ghouls
Edith Reardon says
09/29/2015 at 2:45 pmNew ghoul at School As an army brat I know all about this. I freaked every first day of a new school. At the one school one of the children pulled out a book written a very distant relative and pointed at it. Seemed to be a lot of children that were pleased with the connection. Never got over going to another new school but this helped at this one.
Erinn Lishman says
09/29/2015 at 6:17 pmMy “New ghoul in school” moment is from just a couple weeks ago- dropping my twins off for their first day in JK! No tears from them, but plenty from me, and they had a great time!
Cady B. says
09/30/2015 at 10:08 amI was so worried about going to grade nine when I started ( ages ago now) but I met some amazing people at orientation so I already had some new friends to hang out with! It was a great experience.
Andrea says
09/30/2015 at 2:24 pmWe have never changed schools but my daughter always welcomes the new ghoul in school. She loves making new friends!
Dianne says
09/30/2015 at 10:41 pmMy oldest granddaughter is very petite and looks young for her age. When she started school she rode the bus and some of the kids teased her and told her she was a baby. She was lucky that one of the older girls got tired of kids teasing her and sat with her on the bus after that first week. That was quite a few years ago and she is now confident and stands up for others as she know what it was like to be the new kid.
Tiffany Rotulo says
10/01/2015 at 6:42 amMy daughter just started kindergarten. We know exactly that its like to me new at school.
Cheryl says
10/01/2015 at 8:25 amWhen I was 7 we moved from a small one room school house of 13 to a school of 400!! It was a very scary day being the new ghoul at school!!!
Nate Fuller says
10/01/2015 at 9:46 amMy daughter has made a lot of friends at school because of her monster high backpack and t shirts, she’s shy and these helped break the ice with some other girls.
KellyPC says
10/02/2015 at 2:30 amI lived in the same neighbourhood in Toronto my whole life so I never had a new girl moment. There were always enough of my school mates to make each new school seem homey.
Piroska says
10/02/2015 at 2:08 pmI was the new “ghoul” in Grade 1, straight from Switzerland and not knowing any English. Talk about scary. I know that the was defining moment in time that made me so excrutiatingly shy and self-conscious.