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Going from elementary school, where students spend most of their day in the same classroom, to the middle school, where classes change about every 50 minutes, can be intimidating.

Add to that the change from sharing a school with 300 or 400 students to now moving through the halls with 900 other students and anyone might get a little anxious.

Chisago Lakes Middle School administrators, staff, along with Lakeside and Taylors Falls Elementary fifth graders, hope to eliminate as much anxiety as possible by giving incoming middle schoolers all the information they need to be successful in sixth through eighth grades.

Last Friday, 264 fifth graders from Chisago Lakes’ two elementary schools came together for the annual Transition Day at CLMS.

The day is designed to prepare next year’s sixth graders for life at CLMS, with information on everything from class schedules to the core system to the annual Wolf Ridge trip.

Students were divided into groups and proceeded to four different locations in the school to learn about various aspects of CLMS.

Dean of Students Jim Gillach gave groups an overview of CLMS, including tips for success and learning about the school’s “High Five” motto.

He started the groups out with a game they played with a partner they had never met before, making sure they first shared their name and something about themselves – like their favorite breakfast cereal.

Gillach explained what “High Five” means. “It represents the five main character traits we want CLMS students to exhibit,” he explained. Having character, he said, means doing what’s right even when no one else is looking.

The five main character traits they want students to strive for are respect, responsibility, commitment, compassion and integrity. Students may receive a reward for being “caught in the act” of exhibiting one of these character traits. Rewards come from administrators, teachers and staff and are then placed on the CLMS Wall of Fame.

Gillach also spoke about tips to help them through their class schedules at CLMS, including utilizing a log book, which is required for all sixth graders. Turning in homework on time is a must, as is organizing folders and notebooks for each class in the lockers.

In other presentations, the fifth graders learned about physical education at CLMS, activities, report cards, attendance, scheduling, registration and the core system.

Science teachers Tom Tengwall and David Hinsch gave a slide presentation about the annual sixth grade trip to Wolf Ridge, located north of Duluth along Lake Superior. The class journeys to Wolf Ridge each January, learning winter life skills and self-improvement skills while taking part in fun activities like cross country skiing and repelling.

Middle School students helped out throughout the day, serving as speakers and assistants, as well as providing some of their own input into CLMS life along the way. The middle school choir also entertained the groups with a few selections during their middle school visit.

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