Switching school in 7th grade?
Kiddo isn’t happy at the current school. We opted for private middle school but we are wondering whether we should change to another private school, charter school, or return to OUSD.
The biggest challenge is the social aspect, so I am not sure if changing school after everyone has spent a year bonding will be a good move for the kid.
The current school is just big enough to have cliques but small enough that there is only one group of similar kids/cliques. So, the social pool gets really small or non-existent, if you happen not to get along with your kind of kids.
Has your kid changed school in 7th or even 8th grade to a school that is new and doesn’t have existing friends?
I think there are some schools we can consider that has kids that my kid knows (but aren’t close with).
Parent Replies
Being new anywhere takes some time, and yes, it can be harder switching in seventh or eighth grade to a school where most kids started in sixth (or earlier), even if you know a few people there. That said, kids certainly do it all the time for a range of reasons. How many years has your child been at their current school? If they just started this fall, I would give them some time to adjust to the school they're already at first--November is very early to have settled into a new school, so much of what you're seeing right now may change by spring. (My own middle schooler didn't settle into friendships until the beginning of seventh grade, so it took about a year.) Enrollment applications for both public and private options aren't due for a while yet, so there's no rush. But yes, if you think they would benefit from a larger social pool, public middle school is likely to be your best bet. Do understand that it may take your child up to a year or so at the new school to find their group of friends there too. Be sure you give them time to adjust and build those connections. But if you choose a school that feeds to your assigned high school, they will have the benefit of having friends who continue on to high school with them. Has your child been able to articulate why exactly they are unhappy at the current school? What input have you gotten from the school counselor and your child's advisor? Definitely meet with both of those people if you haven't already—the worst thing would be to misunderstand what is driving your child's unhappiness, move your child to a different school, and then have the same situation recur because it was actually caused by something else. Good luck!
We just moved our kid out of private in 8th grade, and into public and the transition has been a DREAM! New school has some old contacts from elementary school, but no close friends, and everyone was so welcoming.
I only wish we would have done it sooner. If private isn't working, trust your gut.