Before the fifth grade school year ends, students should tour the new middle school so that they can get a feel for the space. Before they go, have them look at a school map and determine what classrooms they might like to visit. For instance, some students might find the foreign language class interesting, while others will be at home in the gym. When they get back to the elementary school, have them create their own maps of the school on poster board. They can include a key on their maps that shows where different places like the restrooms, administrative offices and the nurse's office are.
Also encourage parents to take their children to the new school during the summer at least one more time. Even if the building is closed, students can walk around outside to get an idea of the feel of the building. They might even see sports teams practicing.
A week before sixth grade starts, invite all new students to have a week at the school in which they can form teams and compete in events, such as a field day or trivia games about the new school and its procedures. Teams of students can create names and other identifying features, such as colors or mascots. That way, when the students start the new school, they will know other students, which will help them feel more comfortable.
Enlist the help of seventh grade students to become mentors for fifth grade students toward the end of the school year. Have the seventh graders visit, share information about the middle school and tell the fifth graders what they can expect. Pair students who live near each other or who have similar interests. Then, when the next school year starts, they have a mentor who is in eighth grade, which will help them feel more confident about the transition.
If it is not practical for mentors to come to the students, start a pen pal program for the fifth grade students instead. Ask current sixth and seventh grade students to write the fifth graders weekly letters about what to expect at the school. Then, once the new school year starts, students can attend an assembly or mixer activity in which they meet their pen pals.