Sophomore Londyn Ross transferred from Providence High School in North Carolina to Wauwatosa West a few weeks before the start of the school year. As a new student, she sought something familiar and a way to fit in at a new school. 

Joining the cheerleading team made sense.

“When they told me I was going to be a flyer it was no problem for me because I trusted my team, I’m very comfortable like I’ve known them for longer than I’ve already had” said Ross.

Ross used her experience being on the team in North Carolina to find a place at Tosa West.

To make sure students like Ross and other transfer students find a connection to the people and activities at Tosa West, Tosa West has introduced The Connections, a program to help new students join the West community. 

Research shows that high school students who transfer between schools face additional social, emotional and academic challenges.  

According to Understanding Students’ transition to high school: Demographic Variation and the Role of supportive relationships by University of Texas Human Development and Family Sciences professor Aprile Benner   

High school students who transfer to a new school often experience declines in grades and increases in depression and loneliness. In other words, students who transfer often face many challenges.

However, having the support and feeling a connection to school and new friends helps students feel better emotionally.

“Additionally, stable/increasing friend support and school belonging were both linked to less socioemotional disruptions as students moved from middle to high school as compared to experiencing decreases in these sources of support.” said Benner 

The study also found that the more connected students feel to school and friends the more they will be engaged. 

“Increasing/stable school belonging was also linked to increases in school engagement across the high school transition. “

One of the main goals of the Connections Program is to help new students connect to students outside of the classroom.  

The Connections Program meets with new students regularly during the first semester to provide additional information and resources for new students.

“We had a bunch of different staff come in to explain their roles and advisors explain different clubs and activities in the building,” said Connections Coordinator Sarah Labonte. 

Labonte has had various advisors and students meet with the group during their monthly meetings to discuss different opportunities. 

Additionally, Labonte makes sure students are aware of the behavioral expectations at Tosa West. 

Assistant Principal Paige Wrecke met with students to discuss the disciplinary framework and school safety rules.

However, the main goal is to help students feel like they belong at Tosa West. 

Every student attending the Connections program received a Tosa West shirt to make them feel more welcome and part of the community. They can wear the shirt to a game or just around the school.  

“Making students feel connected can be as simple as making sure that they all had west gear” said Labonte

However, for many students fitting in socially at Tosa West is not as challenging as adjusting academically.  

Students believe a few things contribute to being able to adjust socially including the lack of a strict dress code and a wide diversity of students makes it easier to find like minded students.

Kasjyen Richarson transferred from Milwaukee Vincent High School this year.  Adjusting socially was easier than he had anticipated. 

“I feel like it was easy to adjust because everybody was friendly”

However, some students believe the bigger adjustment challenge facing students is the academic environment rather than the social environment. 

When entering a new school, students will experience many new things in the academic environment that may be extremely stressful and difficult to navigate. 

Transfer students will need to adjust to a new bell schedule, different graduation requirements if moving from another state, a different curriculum, a new grading policy, new teachers and different academic expectations.  

“The school is hard.  If you miss days, you have to be on a schedule, or you will fall behind” said Ross

Whether socially or academically, Labonte and the Connections program want to ensure that students are getting the support they need to be successful and overcome any social or academic challenges they may face.

“We know this a population that is at risk we really want to help wrap around them and build support, our biggest goal is creating a sense of community,”  said Labonte