My son is moving from a small private school to a large public one. As a school counselor, this is how I'm easing the transition.

The author said her son (not shown) is transitioning from a small private school to a large public high school this fall.

Rawpixel/Getty Images After nine years at a small private school, my son starts public high school this fall.

Professionally, I'm a middle school counselor, so I've been working to make his transition easy.

We've had an intentionally low-key summer and tried to make connections before the first day.

As a parent of an incoming high school freshman, I want to do all I can to support my son's transition to his large, urban high school.

He has just finished nine years at a tiny private school and knows virtually no one at the school he will be attending in the fall.

As a mom, of course, I'm anxious for him.

Learning to navigate the academic demands of high school while building a whole new social circle will be a big change, which might mean some adjustments in how I show up for my kid.

Professionally, I'm a middle school counselor, so I know my son will be just fine.

My husband, a high school science teacher, and I value the diversity and egalitarian nature of a large public high school and are thrilled to cheer on our kid as he takes the next step in his educational journey.

As educators, we know the right support can go a long way, and we've worked hard this summer to set our son up for success at his new school.

We had an intentionally calm summer We have prioritized a calm summer schedule , giving our son the best possible start to the new year.

Our family typically travels for 3 to 5 weeks each summer, both to international destinations and to visit family on the East Coast.

The author, a middle school counselor, has employed some specific strategies to ease her son's transition to a public high school.