Middle School Boarding: Is your student ready?

How do we know a student is ready to attend a boarding school for grades 5, 6, 7, or 8? There are many students who despite their young age are ready to leverage the advantages of an immersive educational experience. Here are some clues that predict junior boarding success:?

1. Desire

Does the student want to attend boarding school? What reasons do they give for wanting to attend? If the student is not wildly enthusiastic, are they at least open-minded about the possibilities? We find that students who want to be at a junior boarding school are successful, even when they have a less-than-perfect profile. Desire fuels motivation, and motivation is the foundation for personal and academic growth. Students can desire a middle-school boarding experience for multiple reasons, such as: I loved summer camp and want a learning environment where I’m with my friends and we share warm, supportive relationships with teachers, I love basketball/swimming/soccer/squash and I want to be in a place where I can do this every day, I know I need help with my dyslexia and this school can help me, I’ve been working hard on my English but I want to take it to the next level, I want to go to MIT and preparing now will help me achieve my dream, I want more choice and creativity in my learning.?

2. Independence?

Students at junior boarding schools have the opportunity to practice thinking for themselves and learn executive functioning skills that will serve them for life. To be ready for this, students should demonstrate age-appropriate independence. This will look different in each individual, and generally, a student who has successfully gone on a sleepover, attended a sleep-away camp, or shown the ability to be away from parents for a brief period of time displays a strong sign of growing independence.??

3. Self Care

While all high-quality residential programs provide nurturing supervision, students do need to demonstrate basic self-care. Parents can observe their child and ask themselves the following questions: Can the student pick out their own clothes, trim finger and toe nails, style their own hair, take a shower with little prompting? Do they have strategies for de-stressing? Do they show an ability to report illnesses or concerns? Will they advocate for themselves?

4. Responsibility

Being part of a residential community means that students need to be responsible for their conduct, for their belongings, and for being part of a community. Some questions parents can reflect on are as follows: What has the student been responsible for?, Do they have chores at home, or a babysitting job?, Do they wake up independently in the morning?, Do they need to be reminded to brush their teeth?, Will they choose a balanced meal?, Can they follow directions?

5. Resilience:?

All students will face setbacks at boarding school - being in a safe place to make mistakes is a big advantage of the experience! Students should be able to name something difficult they experienced, and what they learned from it. Often this is best discussed in the context of social relationships - students may more easily reflect on a time when it was hard to be a friend or navigate friendships. These reflections help build resilience and emotional awareness, essential skills for life in a residential community.?

6. Community Mindedness

One of the joys of being in a residential school is the opportunity to be a part of a vibrant community. This doesn’t mean a student needs to be an extrovert! Assessing the ability to be part of a community is more about evaluating potential. We ask ourselves, What communities has a student belonged to (clubs, church, camps, etc)?, Does the student enjoy working with peers?, Have they previously engaged in community service?, and for students entering 4th or 5th grade, Can the student share something of their own with another??

Parent Readiness

The above has focused on assessing student readiness for the demands of middle-school boarding, and parents should reflect on their readiness as well. Parents make two decisions when sending their child to a junior boarding school: first, they must believe their child can do it! This doesn’t mean that parents believe that boarding school will be easy, but they have confidence their child will navigate the inevitable ups and downs, and are able to share this optimism with their child. Second, they must trust and believe in the school. This trust is not about expecting perfection, but knowing that the school will provide a high-quality education and a robust residential program, and will partner with parents to foster and celebrate growth, as well as when challenges arise.?

Take the Next Step

With some reflection and preparation, many young learners are well-suited for the exciting journey of a junior-boarding experience! Ready to explore the transformative opportunities of middle school / junior boarding? Contact [email protected] today.

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