The middle school teacher helps meet young adolescent’s need to develop social skills, to strengthen communication skills, and to gain advanced knowledge in the basic subjects. Share with students your own experiences when you went to middle school or junior high school. Talk about the things you enjoyed that made middle school lesson plans more interesting, including your fears and how you overcame them. Most of the school resource host a day when incoming students can visit the middle school, see the lockers, try using the combination locks, and learn about the academic school curriculum and other offerings. If such a program is not available, call the school and see if you can arrange a visit with your child during the summer and obtain copies of the schedule and other pieces of student information to review with your child over the summer. See if there is a middle level student in your neighbor who could talk about the new school with your child and encourage such discussions. Invite that older child to your home for pizza. Encourage your young adolescent to try new things and to regard failure as a necessary part of learning and growing. Point out mistakes that you have made.