Tips for 6eme / college (France)

[CroissantsAtDawn]

I've been watching another thread about moving to France and the education system and I see there are many MNers whose DC have been through the secondary school system.

My DC are bilingual, born in France and have been in a French school since petite section.

DS1 is moving to 6eme in September. However we are also moving from Paris to Martinique. I have a good support network of mums at our current school but I don't know anyone in Martinique.

Do you have any tips for surviving 6eme/college? For me or DS 😉
Thanks

Bump

Once you get to 6eme there is hardly any interaction with other parents, or with the teachers.

Do you have any reason to be concerned? 6eme is all about getting all the students onto an even keel so most of the work should have been seen before.

If your kids have been in French system since maternelle they will be fine. Each year they are in the system prepares them from the next. Mine were in French schools in France, then Berlin, then London, then back to France. The beauty of the French system is that once you are in it your DC will quickly settle into a French school anywhere - in fact its rigidity and predicability becomes a positive advantage when you are moving around. Everything will immediately feel extremely familiar and all the kids will have followed exactly the same curriculum and been taught in exactly the same way up to that point. I agree with the pp that the biggest difference in college is the lack of parental interaction. You could maybe offer to be a parent delegue to get a toe in the door.

Thanks for your answers.

My reasons for concern is that DS1 has ADHD and dyspraxia and I know they're not always understood (we haven't told his current school). He is also hypersensitive and anxious. He had a 30 minute panic attack last Friday cos it was his last judo lesson and his grading. It was all so emotional for him that he couldn't cope.

He'll also be in a new country with no friends so I'm worried about that.

In terms of mum network- we mainly use it to commiserate on the huge amounts of work / benchmark the grades (DS averages 16/20 so when he gets a 7 its nice to know that loads of other kids got a low mark). Also helpful when someone forgets a cahier or manuel to send photos of the pages to each other. Although I suppose DS will have to get some others kids phone numbers and do it himself.

I admit I'm also worried cos he's my first and it's always new with him as I didnt go through the French system.

m.facebook.com/DysMartinique/

pole-securite.com/pole-education-dys-troubles-de-lapprentissage-martinique

Certainly in our region all the collèges use some kind of online system like ProNote or EcoleDirect, where the kids' grades, along with the class moyens are put. In our school, even homework and random tests are put up so you have a v clear idea of performance, even if you rarely get to actually speak to a teacher. It's a bit over-noted, we probably can follow their progress a bit too much! And the kids have various social media groups where they post forgotten homework.

I've also seen a great difference between colleges in terms of the help given - some kids get derogations to attend colleges with better levels of support with dyslexia etc so it might be worth considering your options in the area?

The judo club should be a great help in finding friends and creating networks? My son does judo and it's a great release and there are always lots of opportunties for parents to volunteer.