Student advisory council: confidence rises after 5→6 transition, students urge one‑on‑one connections

Members of the Student Advisory Council presented Term‑1 survey findings to the Norwood Public Schools Committee on Dec. 3 focused on the transition experience of fifth‑ and sixth‑grade students moving to Coakley Middle School.

"73 percent of students feel very confident after their transition to the middle school as opposed to last year where 55 percent did before the transition," student presenter Josh told the committee, citing comparative survey results. The students reported the proportion of highest‑confidence responses nearly doubled (from 15.5% to 30%) and low‑confidence responses decreased from 14% to 8.8%.

Survey respondents said the most helpful resources were schedule review and school tours; peer‑leading programs pairing older students with younger ones were highlighted as effective. Students identified challenges—making friends, navigating a new building, and managing more challenging coursework—while social readiness and peer connections improved after transition.

Committee members thanked the SAC for the work and asked clarifying questions about subgroup breakdowns (e.g., how many of the unsure students were fifth versus sixth graders) and about next steps. The committee suggested engaging SAC in the budget process, the freshman academy planning and wellness‑policy review to give students a voice in district decisions.

The presentation closed with the committee inviting SAC back for continued work on transitions and potential involvement with district policy and budgeting discussions in January.