9th form Card 1(1,2)

                                                                                                                                                                      Zhokhova L.

Changing school is a rather stressful experience. To start with, you don’t know anyone or anything at your new school and you are afraid that you won’t be able to make new friends. What’s more, with no one to support you, you think that your new schoolmates might start teasing you or, even worse, bullying. You know that bullying is a common experience for many teenagers. Children who are bullied experience real suffering that can interfere with their social and emotional development, as well as their school performance. You miss your old school and friends as never before. You are frustrated, terrified and miserable. However, you need just a little time and patience to overcome your fright.
There are some useful tips you should follow to feel at home at a new place:

Be confident. Walk with your head held high and don't slouch. If you look confident, everyone will think you're confident. That's why first impressions are so important.

Get used to the school.  Using the Internet, it’s easy to find out ahead of time about the new school and what it offers. This way you'll know where everything is. You also won't be embarrassed because you do not know where anything is.

Join in some after school activities. That way you will meet some friends that have the same interests as you.

Introduce yourself to your new teachers. They will be glad that you can speak for yourself and will respect you for that. It may be hard for you but you do not have to do it in the middle of class!

Try to look your best the first day of school. Wear your best outfit (not fancy), and do your hair nice and neat. Remember, first impressions are important.

Talk with the person who sits next to you. You'll make a friend you sit next to every day.

Smile. Smiling is one of the quickest ways of making people like you. It makes you seem more friendly.

There are also some clever strategies to deal with bullies.

Don't  fight back. Instead, try walking away to avoid the bully, or seek help from a teacher or other adult.

 Practise what to say to the bully to be prepared the next time.

Practise being assertive. The simple act of insisting that the bully leave you alone may have a surprising effect. The bully's true goal is to get a response.

Try to be with classmates when travelling back and forth from school, during  school trips, or on other outings. Bullies are less likely to pick on a person in a group.