Middle School Transition
By Jocelyn Wang
On August 9, 2025, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm, JADE held its third annual Middle School Transition Panel at the Chanhassen Carver County Library to help parents and students to prepare for the upcoming transition from elementary to middle school. This event consisted of 35 participants from a variety of different school districts, eager to learn about middle school information. The event was hosted by JADE members, high school students Jocelyn Wang, Vivian Nguyen, Ian Miller, and Alex Miller, who monitored the presentations, transitions, and Q&A portion. Overall, the event gave attendees a chance to ask any questions and learn any valuable information about their or their student’s transition to middle school.
The event started with a panel of five student speakers from different school districts, who each presented a short slideshow that discussed their middle school experiences and any other information that they found to be important. The panelists included:
- Arika Kundu, 7th Grader, Minnetonka Middle School East
- Lavender Truong, 7th Grader, Minnetonka Middle School East
- Eira Lindberg, 7th Grader, Minnetonka Middle School East
- Shaun Xu, 7th Grader, Wayzata East Middle School
- Max Wang, 8th Grader, Wayzata Central Middle School
Through their presentations, a variety of different information was given, such as schedules, class information, and insights about after school activities. The panelists also shared any tips that they might have learned and cleared up any uncertainties that the audience might have had. The presentations and stories helped the audience answer any questions that they might have about middle school, and resolve any fears that they might have towards middle school.
After the five presentations, the event moved towards a Q&A session, where attendees had the ability to ask any questions towards the panelists that they might have. Many questions were asked and answered, including questions about friendships, time management, and even presentation-giving skills. This session allowed for further uncertainties to be resolved and made the event more engaging and successful.
Overall, the event was very well-received. The panelists enjoyed sharing their experience with others and many participants stated that they learned a lot of information that they had not known prior to this event. Ultimately, the third annual Middle School Transition Panel gave middle school students, parents, and their elementary-schoolers the opportunity to share their experiences and learn from others with firsthand experience. The event fostered an inviting space where everyone left feeling more informed and confident about the upcoming transition to middle school.