MIA: It's me, Mia. Let's get adventuring to my new secondary school today, to explore getting comfortable in a new school environment. Very exciting. Through this journey, we're going to run tasks and activities that teachers take us through during school transition. I encourage parents - work with your young people as they share these experiences with you. Some of these experiences involve learning new things. Yay!

It's very exciting to go over these tasks and activities as they will focus on building confidence, awareness, independence, and problem-solving skills. One of the first activities, one of my favourite things, Google Maps. Go on here to learn how to navigate from home to school. I also use Google Maps to find out about the community I live in, not only the school community but the local and broader communities.

Parents, heads up. Collaborate and complete tasks with your young people. For example, track your journey from home to your primary school and from home to your secondary school. If you build and develop your child's skills and self-awareness and show evidence that they are able to use maps, it's a step towards building confidence.

Then it's fun to practise how to get from home to secondary school together. Your school may ask you to do some travel homework. Be aware of and prepared for any obstacles that may arise as you journey from home to their new secondary school.

[DOG BARKING]

Talk about these potential challenges and how your child might deal with them. Even once your child is in secondary school, you want to be able to check in and see how this change is going. Are they feeling confident, safe, and independent? In secondary school, I have so many teachers and rooms. Students need to know how to change classrooms and find their way around the school efficiently.

Your young people will engage in activities that help them practise using timetables and maps to make sure they know where they need to be and that they know how to get there.

Another area for us is navigating our way around our new school. This includes using timetables and campus maps to find our way around. In primary school, I had one classroom and spent most of my time with only one teacher. If you want to help with this and if your child's school allows it, visit your new school on the weekend and become familiar with entrances, bicycle parks, sports areas, and so on.

Of course, if you have any questions relating to how your child will navigate their new school environment, please do get in touch with your current school. Thanks for watching and don't forget to like and subscribe.