The Student Voice of Chardon High School

The Hilltop Echo

The Student Voice of Chardon High School

The Hilltop Echo

The Student Voice of Chardon High School

The Hilltop Echo

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Students Share Thoughts on Transition from Private to Public School

Students Share Thoughts on Transition from Private to Public School

With the 2014-2015 school year being in session for almost a month, I have noticed multiple differences in the public schools versus my elementary/middle school experience. Coming from St. Mary’s Chardon, a private school, I’ve experienced several changes from the environment I was in for the previous nine years- from kindergarten to eighth grade. With larger class sizes, more teachers, and a much larger school facility, it can seem a bit overwhelming. Two other former students from St. Mary have shared their transition stories as well. Brianna Fedak, a freshman, says, “It was very different. There were more teachers, and its easier to get good grades because the teachers would give you more chances for help. You were told what they expected, but they would give you a warning before detention, unlike at St. Mary’s.”

Many transitions seem to be like this. When transferring to a public school system, there are differences in almost everything, from the shoes you’re allowed to wear to the teachers and their way of handling everything. Transitioning between a private and a public school is said to be no easy feat. A study done by the Huffington Post states that the transition between public and private schools can be quite scary; “There are so many kids and different types of people. The shift is massive.” But it also says that the change can be very good for you. When in a private school, your classes are almost all made up of the exact same people, and you are with them for however long you are in your private school system. Junior Oliver Lasota recalls his transition, “It was interesting. Although I knew a lot of the people, I had never spoken to most of them before. There were more kids, and more freaky kids.”

Many students will not notice any monumental Earth-shattering changes, so is it really such a big step? Are some parents making a mountain out of a molehill? After day three, it seemed like my schedule had always been the same- waking up before dawn to get dressed and be able to be at the bus at seven AM. My transition was two days of slight confusion, but then I hit the ground running and in control. Fedak says, “Chardon has made it an easy transfer, although there are some things that they expect you to know because that is how it was in the Middle School.” Depending on your teachers, that could make or break your experience.

How many of you had a transition from a private school to a public school? All of us had a transition to this school, would you say that you had trouble adjusting to CHS from the Middle School, or from Riverside to Chardon? Most students who’ve had the transition definitely have a soft spot for their elementary school. In the words of Lasota, “I miss that St. Mary Air.”