A Great Question

How do MSCS students handle the transition to high school? How do we prepare them for the transition to a different educational structure once they graduate from Mountain Sun? 

We get this great question a lot! The answer is always in development as we continue to follow up with our graduates. But here’s what we know:

Mountain Sun students are successful in their transition to high school and it’s challenging.

It’s challenging for all kids moving from middle school to high school, regardless of their previous school, which we hear annually from high school counselors. 

“In our experience, Mountain Sun graduates have been highly successful in navigating the transition from our middle school to high school,” says middle school Lead Teacher, Daniel Sprinkle. “Of course, they go in with all the requisite apprehensions that one would expect from such a change. But it's their self-confidence and their compassion that helps to dissipate those early concerns. From there on out, the years of being trusted to make good choices translate to high-level executive functioning skills, a penchant for self-advocacy, and seeking out positive relationships.”

Direct reports confirm this. What we hear from graduates is that life at a new school can be both exciting and challenging, and Mountain Sun prepared them to navigate the changes. 

“I loved meeting new people,” says Arawen Leasure, who started high school in 2019. “It was awkward and a little scary at first, but I had the social skills to figure it out. The teachers love us because everyone coming from MSCS is respectful, dedicated, hard working, curious and open to asking questions. I did get lost three times during my first semester of freshman year, but they give you a map highlighting the rooms you go to and the route to get there. You can carry the map with you in your hand for the first week. That’s what I did and it helped.”

Mountain Sun students are academically prepared.

Our graduates also validate that they are academically prepared, not just for the new curriculum, but also in building relationships with their teachers and being proactive when communicating their needs.

“At MSCS, we encourage the relationship between student and teacher from the time they are young,” said Director of Learning Becky Langerman. “It is part of the expectation that they own their educational experience, knowing they have a team of support behind them.”

“I found that communication with your teachers is key,” continued Arawen. “The work itself is not bad - it’s just overwhelming with the amount of homework. And if you’re not afraid to ask for help, it makes things so much easier because the teachers want to help you. It’s all a learning experience, and you grow and figure it out with time.”

Gabe Rood explained his experience: “The most important thing that MSCS taught me was how to work hard and find passion in learning and doing. It taught me to work for yourself—not just a grade—and that inner motivation can help with the many challenges that high school brings.” Gabe started high school in 2020.

We hear from graduate parents that their children have the fortitude to be different. Yes, it’s a new environment, but they know who they are as learners, they can advocate for themselves, as needed, and they are more adept at conflict resolution than some of their peers. 

“Ultimately, because we have supported them through their early adolescence, they have a real confidence in who they are, which matters the most,” says Executive Director Michael Brown, PhD. 

Mountain Sun students are equipped with valuable life skills.

Change can be hard and feeling comfortable in a new place takes time, plus resilience and a mental “backpack” filled with support, confidence, curiosity, patience and grit. Mountain Sun’s mission is that each child walks into that new environment with these important life skills.

“Year after year, the graduates come back to visit with the same advice: ‘Be kind, work hard, and be true to yourself,’” reflected Sprinkle. “All of those are things that we strive to do well every single day.”

Since this is such an important question and a dynamic time of growth for our school, it is also part of the current strategic plan to explore the feasibility of a high school program at Mountain Sun down the road. Until then, we have put together a list of area high schools for our middle school parents to consider.

Here’s one last pro tip from 2019 grad Huck Pearl, to keep things in perspective: “The most challenging component of transferring to public school was having to memorize my student ID! Other than that, adapting isn't too bad as long as you find…people to talk to about your new experiences.”

We wish our beloved graduates luck on the next phase of their journey, but they don’t actually need it. They’ve got this.