Sailing New Seas: Helping Students Cope with Moving

|Grades 1-4| Sailing New Seas is a comprehensive program for elementary school students who have moved to a new home and a new school or expect to do so soon. In today’s mobile society, an increasing number of students are experiencing this transition.

This program is designed to:

• provide educational, emotional, and social support for students and families in transition. Typical transitions include:

- students entering a new school
- students soon to transfer to a new school
- students who are going to experience a family move

• explore the feelings and fears related to a family move and the development of skills useful in coping with moving-related problems.
• provide specific methods and programs which will help students adjust—emotionally, socially, academically—to a new school and a new community.

Sailing New Seas includes a seven-session small group that deals with adjusting to a new situation. For those students leaving the school, there is a two-session group to help them with the transistion. In addition, in order for all children to understand how students leaving and entering a school feel, there is a classroom guidance session.