Whenever you think about moving your family to a new city, the thoughts that usually come to mind include getting boxes, packing everything, and hiring movers. Of course, there are other important aspects of moving, and if you have children, one of those is making sure you have your kids’ school records to bring to a new school.
The nice thing about getting those records is that you can obtain them yourself from the school and take them with you, or you can make old arrangements to have the school send the records to the new school. If you have the school send them on your behalf, it might be wise to have a copy just in case. (But remember, only official, sealed copies will be accepted by the new school.)
Typically, the records that will go to the new school will include official transcripts or report cards, and likely the results of any standardized tests your child may have taken. These allow the administrators to gauge your child’s academic level and properly recommend classes for them.
As any parent knows, grades and test scores do not always paint the proper picture of your child’s abilities. They also don’t always translate exactly between school districts or even states. You might also be considering a change of schools in other ways, like moving your child from a public school to a private school. If this is the case, consider having some of the information below that you can show to your child’s new school:
- examples of your child’s class work, particularly in core subjects like English, math, and science
- letters from teachers or counselors that talk about your child’s strengths and weaknesses
- a list of textbooks used at your child’s last school (including author and publisher would also be a huge help)
- information of your child’s extra-curricular activities like sports or clubs
- letters of reference from an employer (for those high school kids who have part-time jobs)
- medical records and records of immunizations (this is becoming more common and necessary)
Something important to remember when you’re moving with kids: depending on their age, they might have many friendships established that are going to be left behind. Even with the way we can continue to connect through technology, it’s still hard to do. Try to be patient with them, and be understanding as they try to build new friendships in the new city.
For your other moving and storage needs, contact 1st Class Moving and Storage to get your move started today.