My Son Is 13 and Will Be Going to a Public School for the First Time.

Well which school will he exactly be attending? Is it in your neighborhood?
Does he already have neighbor kids that will also be there?

Will he take honors classes? Is he going to join the band, orchestra, sports or theater? Usually they have the incoming 6th graders state an interest.

You can request a tour of the school.. The biggest changes, he will be changing classes for each class period.

He will be attending school with all sorts of different people.. They will not all look like him, dress like him etc.

He will be responsible for keeping up with is homework, projects ect. Usually the 6th graders are instructed on how to stay organized, You may need to help with this also..

You can pm me if you like. My and my husbands families are all Native Austinites, I was a PTA President at our child's elementary school and middle school. Very active at her high school and sat on the PTA advisory council for the city of Austin. I know almost all of the schools very well.

Our daughter graduated a few years ago and my niece is a freshman and my nephew will graduate from High school this spring here in Austin.

Just curious -- did you not attend these schools yourself? Or might you be the 13 year old of which you speak...

Here, in Orinda, CA, the schools are pretty great.
I have no idea what the schools are like in your area.
Go online, talk to parents, visit the school, that's the best way to know.

If you are concerned about him being bullied, why are you sending him to a public school? If he is in Pre-AP classes with a high GPA, it seems like he would do better in an academic Christian school anyway. Middle school is a tough time for kids. Kids that are broken act out even more as they don't know how to handle their pain. Many of them take it out on whomever they can find that doesn't fit in. If your son doesn't have a group of friends to be a part of, he would be an easy target. This isn't the time that I would pull him out of a Christian school, if that's what he has been attending. Are you moving to Austin or away from Austin? There are good Christian schools in the Austin area where he will be encouraged in his faith, not challenged or ridiculed.

I was like your son...very smart, very good grades...and I was 12 we moved and I had to start going to public school. I loved math and science. I was used to wearing a uniform and had lots of friends. It was a shock. It took a good 2 years for me to acclimate. At that age in public school you are dealing with all kinds of people...many are not very nice. If you stick out they will pick on you. I didn't know things I was supposed to about clothes. Like never wear a cardigan sweater like a jacket (over and over each day). Get that boy some "in" clothes and shoes...go spend money on him. I know that is superficial but it would have helped me. I was clueless and got picked on a lot.

It depends on the school, the size, the focus. You should get him a tour and speak to the guidance office before school starts. If he is coming in after a lot of kids are already used to each other it may be harder and he may do well to join a club for friends. If they are all starting that school at his age, it will be easier.

Lotta vagueness to this question. In Austin, will probably be a larger campus with many sub-groups for your teen to find his niche of friends. You are entering right before state testing, so prepare him for a lot of review. If you are coming from home school, your new school should give him last year's state test to be sure he is properly placed. If you are coming from private, they will look at grades and his Stanford scores.

My advice is to give the situation time to develop. My kids have been in public their entire education and have done very well. Deep breathing and prayer will get YOU through the first days :)

All schools are different. The best way to learn about your sons new school is to call the school office and schedule a time to visit. The principal or secretary can give you a tour of the school and answer any questions you may have.

Good luck to you and your son on this new adventure!

Ugh. Middle school is fought with preteen angst. Slugging through athletics, if he is not athletic, will be a pain. Stay away from drama. Find the good kids and be kind and thoughtful and he will fit in. Do the pre AP classes, more kids are trying to do their best. NonpreAP classes are sometimes difficult to hear through disapline problems. Find an activity that can continue through high school. Band can be good, if it's not athletics. Keep him busy. Meet his friends. Pray. Find a MIP group for your school (momsinprayer.org) keep informed, involved, and on top of problems from behind the scenes. Volunteer.