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 | | Mark Drommerhausen, principal |
Best Practices in School Culture Leadership
(September 2011)
Mark Drommerhausen, principal
Andersen Elementary, Stillwater
Ensuring Smooth Transitions
During Boundary Changes:
Support Students Academically and Socially
As more and more school districts are changing attendance boundaries, principals are faced with the challenge of transitioning new students into their buildings. During these times, we need to create a smooth transition for the new families while maintaining the existing culture of our school. This past school year, the Stillwater Area Public School District went through a boundary change process for the first time in more than 13 years. It was an emotional process for all of the students, families and staff members involved.
As administrators, my colleagues and I focused on ‘Connections and Communication’ as our guiding principles. Our main emphasis was to support the transitioning students academically, socially, and emotionally. We also wanted to ensure a welcoming environment for new students and their families, and to build connections between new and existing students, staff, and families. The planning for the smooth transitions process began weeks before a final school board decision on boundary changes was approved.
The day after the board approved the new boundary changes we wanted to provide relevant information to all of the families impacted. A mailing went out to all families with the following information:
- Letter from the superintendent notifying the families of their new school assignment
- Welcome letter from the new principal, and an invitation to school tour
- 'Frequently Asked Questions' flyer
- ‘Get to Know You’ form for the child and families
- Alternate and open enrollment forms
All of the information was also posted on the school Web site for families to access. The key to ensuring a smooth transition was to make personal connections with every family affected by the boundary change. All families were invited for a school tour to see the building, meet the teachers, and get acclimated to the new school. We encouraged the families to bring their ‘Get to Know You’ form and visit during the school day so they could get a feel for the school when it was in session. If a family did not attend a tour, we made a personal call home to answer questions and seek ways to alleviate any anxiety they may have been feeling.
The building tours were a great start, but families needed ongoing communication throughout the remainder of the school year. There are many ways to keep families connected to your school, and we chose to send home school newsletters, invitations to school carnival or special events at school, and incorporate the new students into our summer reading programs. The more we communicate and make new families comfortable in their new setting, the better transition the students will have next fall.
Contact Mark at drommerhausenm@stillwater.k12.mn.us
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