If You Teach Grade 8, You Know This Season.

It’s that time of year.

Course codes.
Program pathways.
Prerequisites.
Information nights.
Parent emails.
Deadline reminders.

When I taught in person, high school transition season was busy — but predictable.

Most of my students fed into one of two high schools.
Maybe four, if they applied to one of Hamilton’s specialty programs.

We coordinated with guidance.
We attended one or two presentations.
We clarified a few course codes.

It was manageable.

This year, teaching remotely, everything changed.

I have 20 Grade 8 students.

They are transitioning into 14 different high schools, 3 of which aren’t even in my board.

And suddenly, high school course selection felt less like a routine task and more like a city-wide coordination puzzle.

When There Is No “Feeder School”

Online students don’t share geography.

They are spread across Hamilton.
Some are heading to neighbourhood schools.
Some to Catholic schools.
Some are applying to arts programs.
Some to tech programs.
Some to French Immersion pathways.

There is no shared high school hoodie moment.
No group bus visit.
No single guidance department to connect with.

Every student’s pathway is unique.

And every pathway requires attention.

The Day I Ran Around Like an Escaped Chicken

The moment it truly hit me?

The day all the high schools came to the board office to meet with:

• Student Success Teachers (SSTs)
• Learning Resource Teachers (LRTs)
• Grade 8 representatives

Each high school had its own breakout room.

And somehow, I had students heading to all but two of them.

There I was — running between rooms like an escaped chicken.

Room A:
“I have two students considering this pathway — can you clarify the applied vs academic expectations?”

Room B:
“Is this tech program semestered differently?”

Room C:
“Does this course code differ from School X’s?”

Room D:
“What supports are available for students transitioning with IEPs?”

I physically could not attend every session at once.

Thankfully, colleagues spread out and sat through different presentations so we could pool information afterward.

But in that moment, I gained a profound appreciation for the invisible coordination that happens every year.

When I taught in person, I attended one session.

This year, I needed eleven.

A Newfound Appreciation for SSTs and LRTs

I have always respected Student Success and Learning Resource teams.

But this year, I understand them.

They are:

• Coordinating documentation
• Clarifying pathway options
• Supporting IEP transitions
• Communicating across schools
• Tracking deadlines
• Guiding families through decisions
• Managing equity considerations
• Advocating quietly for students

And they do this for every graduating class.

Watching this unfold at a systems level has been eye-opening.

High school transition isn’t just paperwork.

It’s layered.
It’s relational.
It’s strategic.

The Executive Functioning Load We Don’t Talk About

High school course selection requires skills we don’t always explicitly teach:

• Comparing program options
• Understanding prerequisites
• Managing multiple deadlines
• Sending professional emails
• Organizing login credentials
• Asking clarifying questions
• Advocating for accommodations
• Chasing low/non attenders down

For online learners — especially those who chose remote learning for mental health, medical, or flexibility reasons — these demands can feel amplified.

There is no hallway reminder.
No shared presentation in the gym.
No group momentum.

Everything must be intentional.

Everything must be structured.

What This Has Changed in My Practice

This experience has shifted how I teach Grade 7 and 8.

We now intentionally practice:

• Email etiquette
• Digital file organization
• Calendar management
• Course-code literacy
• Self-advocacy language
• Executive functioning strategies

Because high school readiness is not just academic.

It’s operational.

It’s about helping students navigate systems confidently.

For Fellow Grade 8 Teachers

If you are in the thick of transition season right now:

I see you.

Whether you’re coordinating two schools or fourteen, this work matters.

We are not just checking course codes.

We are helping students:

• Envision their future
• Build independence
• Navigate complex systems
• Advocate for themselves
• Take ownership of their pathway

And we do it quietly, often behind the scenes.

This year stretched me.

It also deepened my respect for the collaborative ecosystem that makes transitions possible.

Student Success.
Learning Resource.
Guidance.
Admin.
Families.

When it works well, it’s because we work together.

High school preparation doesn’t begin in high school.

It begins in Grade 7 and 8.

And it begins with us.

If you are a Grade 8 teacher, I’d love to know:

How many high schools do your students typically transition into?