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I've noticed that down here, kids of all ages are more willing to talk to the 'new kids' because so many of them have been the new kid...some more then once.
It certainly isn't like who it was when I was in high school...where the new kids was pretty much friendless for a long period of time. It's one of the side benifits for kids down here. Chances are they aren't going to be the 'new kid' for more then week most times anyway.
Many schools also do let kids join musical groups and certainly audition for a play mid-year if they aren't all ready full...which is the real issue.
I don't know if things have changed in Chapel Hill, but when my family moved back in the day, I was never accepted b/c I was not from the area. You were also very frowned upon if you did not have much money. We sent my brother-in-law to Chapel Hill schools recently and he felt the same way, he asked us to be transferred back to Neal middle school halfway through the year. All the kids were talking about their summer vacations to Europe, etc. Most of my friends were actually from Durham schools that I had met on a club swimming team.
I don't know if things have changed in Chapel Hill, but when my family moved back in the day, I was never accepted b/c I was not from the area. You were also very frowned upon if you did not have much money. We sent my brother-in-law to Chapel Hill schools recently and he felt the same way, he asked us to be transferred back to Neal middle school halfway through the year. All the kids were talking about their summer vacations to Europe, etc. Most of my friends were actually from Durham schools that I had met on a club swimming team.
Well, Chapel Hill is a bit different. More stable population..and there is the money issue. They don't have the new kids moving in, though I have met a few (daughters of a former co-worker) who did well moving in during the middle of high school. However, they did have money and took spring break in Spain.
However, I was speaking of Wake County schools, which I have experience with. Being a new kid in Wake is just not as large a deal as many other places.
In the town where I live now, it's deadsville during vacation weeks and all summer. Seems as though everyone here has a summer home on the Cape or up in NH, and goes skiing during Feb break and a cruise on April break. Geez!
Some of the "haves" are pretty obnoxious about flaunting their money. We had a 2300 sq ft house and my kids always wondered why our house was so small.
be aware of what type of schedule the school is on
Does your child's current school operate on a 4x4 block schedule or a more traditional full year class schedule. As a high school teacher that worked in Durham and now Boston If you move mid school year I would advise you to choose a school that has a similar schedule to your child's schedule. Both of my schools in Durham and in Boston operated on a 4x4 schedule and it was a nightmare for students who transferred from a school with full-year classes. If the guidance dept doesn't schedule the kids properly (which happens often due to full classes or incompetence by the guidance dept.) they are setting the kid up for failure. The reason: the 4x4 courses are only a semester long (90 min classes) so the course moves twice as fast and if your child transfers from a traditional school into a 4x4 he will be behind. This is especially bad in courses like Math and Chemistry(what I teach) where knowledge builds on itself. Its not so bad in English or Electives such as Phy Ed. A smart guidance dept will put the transfer kids in electives and let them take the core courses the second semester. If your child must move to a 4x4 schedule please push the school to give him a schedule that will help him be most successful!
When we lived in a middle income project in NYC, the "haves" walked past us like we were mounds of dog excrement.
Really didn't bother us at all. Many of us were involved with the medical community and had great futures coming down the pike. I was in Exxon-Mobil HQ but am a Bubba and enjoyed sipping a cool one out on the park benches with my friends.
Those stuck up folks many times are so far in debt they need air pumped down to them. As the Bible says in so many places, earthly treasures will not come along with you when you pass to your final destination.
I could see a move in high school being tough, but elementary school, and possibly even middle school may have benefits moving mid year. Being the "new student" allows extra attention from the teacher and other kids in class, making the transition hopefully a bit easier. My daughter actually got a new student in her second grade class in May of this year, and the other kids were very welcoming. Additionally the teacher assigned one of the students to be a "buddy" until the student become settled, so to speak. I'm sure every situation can be different, though. How old were you?
I was in 5th grade when we moved mid-year. I also moved into a more affluent district and was not prepared for the materialism. Not only was I new, but I was not rich enough and had the wrong brands of clothes. The kids were quite cruel. If I was in high school though (especially as a junior or senior), I would be most concerned about getting into my extra-curriculars, many of which choose their leadership positions (ie captain, editor, section leader, president, etc.) early in the school year, or sometimes even before school starts (in marching band for example).
Go for it, he'll survive I moved schools/countries throughout my school career and never had a problem making friends (and I was always shy at first). What helped a lot was that the new school always helped by assigning a group of established friends to take me under their wings that they felt would be compatible with my personality. Mid 11th grade leaves him oodles of time to get into the school, and this is a great area to be entering into college with all the college options. That is one of the factors in our decision to move here. We wanted to up the chances that our children would go to a college near us AND be able to afford to live in the area
Chem teacher: This is a huge concern of mine. We're looking at two possibilities: Chapel Hill (and leaning towards East Chapel Hill HS) or Hillsborough (and leaning towards Cedar Ridge HS). ECHHS has a traditional schedule but I was on Cedar Ridge's website today and learned they operate on a 4x4 block schedule. So I will be talking with guidance counselors very soon. It might be the decision making factor for us, though Hillsborough is less expensive and much more likely a place where we'll be able to buy again within a year vs. Chapel Hill.
Also, if we do choose Hillsborough, then we might try to transfer him in much earlier in the school year (Thanksgiving) vs. mid-year (January) as originally thought (my preference would be to do it by the start of the 2007/08 school year but that's looking very unlikely now). Perhaps if we transferred him in earlier, the educational impact wouldn't be as severe with the change from traditional to 4x4 block.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chemteacher
Does your child's current school operate on a 4x4 block schedule or a more traditional full year class schedule. As a high school teacher that worked in Durham and now Boston If you move mid school year I would advise you to choose a school that has a similar schedule to your child's schedule. Both of my schools in Durham and in Boston operated on a 4x4 schedule and it was a nightmare for students who transferred from a school with full-year classes. If the guidance dept doesn't schedule the kids properly (which happens often due to full classes or incompetence by the guidance dept.) they are setting the kid up for failure. The reason: the 4x4 courses are only a semester long (90 min classes) so the course moves twice as fast and if your child transfers from a traditional school into a 4x4 he will be behind. This is especially bad in courses like Math and Chemistry(what I teach) where knowledge builds on itself. Its not so bad in English or Electives such as Phy Ed. A smart guidance dept will put the transfer kids in electives and let them take the core courses the second semester. If your child must move to a 4x4 schedule please push the school to give him a schedule that will help him be most successful!
Yeah, those tuition bills at in state NC colleges sure are attractive..
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be aware of what type of schedule the school is on
I moved schools/countries throughout my school career and never had a problem making friends (and I was always shy at first). What helped a lot was that the new school always helped by assigning a group of established friends to take me under their wings that they felt would be compatible with my personality. Mid 11th grade leaves him oodles of time to get into the school, and this is a great area to be entering into college with all the college options. That is one of the factors in our decision to move here. We wanted to up the chances that our children would go to a college near us AND be able to afford to live in the area 
