As students head back to class in the fall, first day of school jitters can be unavoidable.
Making the transition to a new school or grade level is a stressful time for many students and parents, but Santa Barbara’s private and independent schools work to ensure families feel confident on their first day.
“Parents have two questions: will my child find success, and will that be a healthy and happy experience,” said Andrew Wooden, interim head of the Upper School at Laguna Blanca School in Hope Ranch.
As interim head of the Upper School, Wooden works with students in grades nine through 12. He says one of Laguna Blanca’s core values — balance — is increasingly important for students, especially in this age group, as they face the pressures of academic excellence and begin to think about college.
“I think there’s a national trend that high achieving students are experiencing more stress and anxiety,” he told Noozhawk. “That is informing us at Laguna Blanca that we need to take care of the social-emotional challenges that high-achieving kids experiences.”
“Stress can undermine success,” he added, noting that as students go back to school, parents should provide a support system for their child that emphasizes the importance of mental health.
“Communicate authentic praise, understand what the child’s hopes and dreams are, and align with them and be thoughtful about what the definition of success is,” Wooden said.
Laguna Blanca School starts the year with week-long class trips for each grade that are intended to forge a bond among the students. The school also offers a four-day orientation called Flight Path for new students in grades seven through 12, which are the most frequently chosen entry years, Wooden said.
Shane Lopes, head of Laguna Blanca’s Middle School, says each grade level faces its own set of challenges that parents and teachers must be aware of. He recommends that parents and students trust that school administrators have the students’ best interests at heart.
“At middle school, (students) are developing into young adults and finding out who they are,” he said. “We as adults needs to establish an environment where they can feel independent as well as supported and nurtured.”
Lopes encourages parents to meet face-to-face with their child’s teacher to discuss any concerns or challenges their child may be facing.
Elaine Rottman, director of strategic communications at Providence School in Santa Barbara, echoes Lopes’ sentiment and invites parents to play an active role on campus in their child’s education.
Parents are encouraged to volunteer at their child’s school, serve as room parents and field trip drivers, and organize fundraising events and programs.
In addition to a student orientation, Providence invites families to visit the campus for open houses, campus tours and interviews before enrolling and beginning classes. Newly admitted students and families are also encouraged to attend school events like musical theater productions and concerts in the spring before they officially join the school.
“The goal is to move families from visitors to involved and invested community members,” Rottman said. “We recognize that people support what they help to create.”
Providence and Laguna Blanca schools also offer programs for incoming parents to connect with current parents.
Private schools tend to be smaller in student population than public schools, which can be a transition for students who may be coming from a larger campus. Students can expect small class sizes with the opportunity to work in groups and participate in class discussions.
With a smaller size also comes a tight-knit community — something both Laguna Blanca and Providence emphasize.
“We talk a lot about community because we believe that there’s a really healthy balance between helping individuals flourish and (helping students) to belong to something larger than themselves,” Wooden said.
— Noozhawk contributing writer Maura Fox can be reached at news@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, and connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.