Whether your child tours the middle school with you, with a rising class of elementary students, or in some other situation, here's what tweens should look for on a middle school tour:
Where the Buses Arrive and Depart
If your child will ride the bus to middle school or back home in the afternoon, he'll need to know where the drop off and departure points are located. That way your tween will know exactly where he will arrive in the morning, and where he will need to catch the bus in the afternoon for the ride home. Questions to ask include how far he'll have to walk to homeroom in the morning, and how much time he will have to get to homeroom or to the bus in the afternoon.If your child will ride his bike to school, he should know where the bike rack is located and the approximate time it will take to make it from there to his homeroom class.
Find Your Tween's Classrooms on Your School Tour
Many middle schools cluster classes together by grade, keeping them to certain wings or hallways. Your tween should know where his grade level wing is located, and how far it is from the cafeteria, buses, and other areas of the school that he'll be using. If your tween will have to change floors during the day, he should make note of the location of any staircases.Class room numbers usually reflect the floors they are on, so classes on the first floor will have room numbers like 101, 102, 105, etc. Classes located on the second floor will have numbers starting in 2 such as 202, 205, 207, etc.
The Location of the Gym and Cafeteria
Gym can be a cause for concern for tweens who are worried about dressing and undressing in front of their friends. While it's hard to make a nervous tween feel comfortable about his or her changing body, it's important that your child understand that everyone feels a little awkward at first. Your tween should know where he or she will dress for gym, where the showers are located, and how often gym clothes should be brought home for washing.Where the Bathrooms, Water Fountain and School Office are Located
Make sure your tween notes the location of the school bathrooms and water fountains. Water fountains are usually located near bathrooms and the school gym and cafeteria.The Location of the School Nurse Office
Let's hope your tween doesn't ever need the services of the school nurse, but just the same he should know where the nurse's office is located - it's usually near the school office.Where His Locker is Located
Your child's exact locker number may not be known when your child takes his tour, but he should still know where the lockers for his grade level are located. If your child does know where his locker is and has been given his combination, he should try to open the locker a few times, to get the hang of it.Other Locations of Interest
By the end of the tour your tween should not only know where most of his classes will be, but also where the school library, and the school counselor's office are located.It's just as important that your tween understand what areas are off limits to students - such as the teacher's lounge, other grade-level wings, etc.
