When I started high school, my three best friends from primary all went to different schools. Unlucky! I was quite anxious that first day, and ended up sitting in a seat by myself, feeling very self-conscious. A few minutes into form time, there was a knock on the door and a new girl appeared… her name hadn’t been on the form lists, but she was part of our class. She looked around, scoping out the empty desks, and opted to sit by me.

Jennie came from a different school and didn’t know anyone at all, either, but she quickly became my new best friend. Pretty soon we found ourselves part of a close-knit group of six, none of whom had known each other in primary. We were all very different, and maybe wouldn’t have looked like ideal ‘friendship’ material, but we bonded and stayed close all the way through high school.

If Jacqui and Ellis stop dwelling on fears and negative thoughts, they will start to see secondary school as the cool new start it really is… sorted!

Teacher’s Pet?

Dear Cathy

I really like my new teacher. We get on really well and I’m learning loads this year, but some of the kids have started calling me a swot and a teacher’s pet! I hate this, but I don’t know what to do about it!

Shiva, age 10

Cathy

I love your books – reading is probably my favourite thing, and I always have my nose in a book. Some kids tease me and say I’m a geek and a loser. Why can’t they leave me alone?

Joss, age 12

Shiva’s classmates are probably envious of her enthusiasm and success this year… by calling her a swot and a teacher’s pet, they are trying to make her feel bad for working hard. Shiva needs to shrug off the negative comments – she should feel proud of her achievements! If the teasing is getting to her, Shiva can have a quiet word with her teacher and explain what’s happening. By sharing the praise and attention with Shiva’s classmates, her teacher can make sure everyone stays keen and motivated.

Joss doesn’t need me to tell her that reading is cool… she knows! It’s a great feeling to open the pages of a book and escape into a whole new world… and of course, kids who read a lot get better marks at school because they are learning all the time without even realizing it!

When I was twelve, like Joss, I was a bookworm, but rarely took my books into school, in case I got teased. All that changed when I was given the book Watership Down by Richard Adams. If you’ve never read it, Watership Down is the story of a bunch of rabbits who have all kinds of adventures. Back then, the book had a big picture of a rabbit on the cover, and I wasn’t sure if this was the kind of book I wanted to be seen with at the age of twelve. I started reading and was hooked right away… I couldn’t put the book down all weekend.