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Transition to a New School

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Get Ready! Get Set! Go! – To a New School!

Starting a new school can mean getting used to a new building, new teachers, and maybe even more homework. If you’ve moving up from grade school to middle school, or middle school to high school, you probably already know the drill. You’ll have to teach a whole new bunch of school staff—from teachers, principals, PE instructors, coaches, and school nurses—about your bleeding disorder

Here are some ways to help you get settled in your new school:

  • Meet With Your New School Staff. The first thing to do when changing schools is for your parents—and you—to meet with the school staff. Even if your school has had other students with a bleeding disorder, they’ll need to know about your particular bleeding disorder and care. The school staff will learn what it feels like to you when you get a bleed. If you’re there, you can explain how you can sometimes tell you’re having a bleed even if you can’t see blood.
  • Talk About Your Rights. Another important discussion you and your parents will have with the school is your rights under the law. This means that the school must allow you to take part in the school’s academic and extracurricular activities—even if they have to make some adjustments in these activities to meet your specific needs. Your parents should bring along any of your previous Individualized Education Program (IEP) plans and Section 504 Accommodation Plan documents. You and your parents should take an active role in preparing these plans. After all, becoming more independent includes taking control of the many different ways your bleeding disorder affects your life.
  • Take Care of Your Needs. When at school, remember to speak up if you’re hurt, feel a bleed happening, or have pain. That means even if it’s during a test, gym, or any activity! You know better than anyone what a bleed feels like. Don’t wait to take care of yourself. Treat a bleed promptly—within one hour—and adequately. Waiting until you've finished whatever you're doing can cause problems. Always let your parents know about any change you notice or injury you get during school. They may want to call your doctor about it.

Here are some ways that your school can help you take care of your bleeding disorder:

  • Permission to leave class if you have to take care of a bleed or if you get hurt. (For girls who bleed a lot during their menstrual periods—a pass to use the bathroom.)
  • Extra time to make up tests or homework that you miss because you have to take care of a bleed or can’t go to school because you have a bleed.
  • An extra set of books to leave at home so you don’t have to carry a heavy backpack.
  • Help to keep your medicines safe.

For a sample letter, go to Sample Letter for School.