High School is a major change in the life of a person. Children are asked to adjust to a completely different environment. The changes they have to get used to are related to both the school itself and its timetable as well as the new relationships that need to be established.

High school has a lot of subjects that students have not dealt with before. They need to learn to organize their study in an effective and systematic way in order to be able to cope with these new challenges. Moreover, they need to get used to having classes in a lot of different classrooms and with a lot of different teachers.

However, the most worrying element for children on the point of starting high school is the fact that they need to make new friendships as most of the times they leave their old friends behind and make a completely new start. This is very stressful and can create mixed feelings about making this new beginning.

Activities

• Read the above passage and say if you agree or not. Was starting high school stressful for you? Why? Discuss in class.

• Watch this video of some high school students in Australia giving advice to their new schoolmates.
  • What are the differences between schools in their country and yours?
  • Using the ideas given in the video and others of your own, make a list of the advice you would give to your cousin who starts high school in September. Make sentences using should/shouldn’t/ought to/ought not to.

• What are the rules that everyone must follow at school? Make sentences using must/mustn’t/don’t have to. Create a poster to have in your classroom.

• As older students in high school you have decided to organize a welcoming event for first year students. Make sentences using can/can’t about what you can do to make them feel welcome.

• Read this article to get some ideas and write a letter to this cousin of yours starting high school soon in order to give him/her advice about how to get over his/her anxiety over this new beginning.