Your Education

HELPING FRESHMEN TRANSITION TO HIGH SCHOOL

WITH BATTLE GROUND ACADEMY’S LAYNE PICKETT

Freshman year of high school brings such a combination of feelings. I still remember the knot in my stomach during my first week. I was so nervous about getting lost, making friends and doing the work, yet excited to finally be in high school! Now, as I work with high schoolers, I see that freshmen still experience that combination of nervousness and excitement, but I also see that parents do, too.

In my conversations with freshmen, they invariably mention their enjoyment of the added freedom high school brings and realize the added responsibility that accompanies it. While they may not always show it, freshmen are well-aware that “grades count” now. They feel the pressure to do well in class, whether for themselves, their parents, or college applications. Yet they must balance that with the many changes they are experiencing and what it means to do well in all other areas of their life.

Over the four years of high school, it is remarkable to see how students change. They genuinely transform into someone who sees and carries themselves differently. That transformation doesn’t happen overnight, though. Freshmen

They have four years to live and learn and understand themselves as they never have before. have four years to test limits, push boundaries, try new activities, change friends, rely on friends, pull away from family and reconnect again. They have four years to complain more, to say no more, to say yes more, and to make more mistakes. They have four years to live and learn and understand themselves as they never have before. They are 82 FALL 2020 developmentally able to reflect, reason logically, and objectively understand the impact of their decisions.

All of these changes are not easy on parents, though. Each year at BGA, we offer freshman parents a program to provide insights on what to expect socially, emotionally and academically from their freshman and how to best support their teen. Some of the tips offered include:  Focusing on connection versus control.  Showing interest in your child’s interests.  Offering encouragement over criticism.  Reviewing grades but not obsessing over them, and  Remaining consistent and reasonable with consequences, expectations, and routines.

While this year’s program felt a little different with most parents participating remotely, they were still able to gain a sense of community with other freshman parents embarking on the same four-year journey. They are all working toward the same goal — nurturing independence in their teens — while navigating the changes that are part of that process. Hopefully, knowing that they are all in it together makes the journey more exciting and a little less nerve-wracking.

LAYNE PICKETT Counselor

Layne Pickett is a Tennessee Licensed Professional Counselor at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin. She received her bachelor’s degree and her master’s degree in counseling from Vanderbilt University. In addition to being BGA’s Director of Counseling Services and Parent Support, Mrs. Pickett teaches a freshman life-preparedness class, oversees the Upper School Advisory Program, and sponsors the Peer Leadership Program. She is also the mother to two teenage sons.

Picky Pumpkin Picker

Picking out pumpkins is a huge part of your fall and Halloween traditions! Whether they be for carving, decor or pies…there are several types of pumpkins to choose from. Here’s your rundown on pumpkin picking:

Aladdin

Your go-to for carving the perfect Jack-o-lantern. These classic orange pumpkins range from 20-30 lbs and are the best for your carving needs.

Cinderella

These bright, orange-red (sometimes with some green), pumpkins, are a great choice for keeping traditional colors on a fall front porch, as well as their flat shape for stacking. They got their magical name as they are the type of pumpkin that were tuned into the stagecoach in the movie Cinderella!

Ghost

These round, white pumpkins are wonderful for not only decor, but carving as well. They are white on the outside but orange on the inside, which would make an eerily cool carved creation.

Fairytale

These beautiful pumpkins range in shades of orange/pinks and reach up to about 15 lbs. Great “neutral pumpkin for the porch decor and flatter for stacking.

Jarrahdale

These mystical beauties come in a variety of blues, grays and blue/greens. They are a newer trend over the years and are gorgeous to blend in with oranges and whites. They are flatter so can be stacked for the perfect porch decor.

Minis

Those cute little pumpkins are the perfect addition to pumpkin bunches, tablescapes and come in a variety of colors. They aren’t good for carving, but can make a fun painting project for the kids.

Call to schedule your Christmas CANDY LAND Photo shoot with Misty Westebbe Photography!

What are your magical memories of childhood? Let us create magical memories for your child this Christmas! Come for a walk down Candy Cane Lane to find our Gingerbread House tucked away in the woods. Bring your kids for this one-of-a-kind photo shoot they will never forget.

Space is limited so call TODAY! 615.281.0612

Mistywestebbephotography.com 3234 Boyd Mill Ave. Franklin, TN