On May 8, Harriton’s Mrs. Bowlby and Lower Merion High School’s Mrs. Rosen hosted a “Letting Go Conference” in the LGI. The conference, complete with the appropriately titled song “Let it Go” from Disney’s Frozen, aimed to support LMSD families in the transition from high school to college.

The conference followed a PowerPoint with topics including packing lists, communication between parents and children and academic and social challenges. The Harriton Banner had the opportunity to ask Mrs. Bowlby about the event and take a deeper look at the motives of the conference.

Harriton Banner: What was the conference about?

Mrs. Bowlby: The meeting was about the process of letting go from both the student and parent side as the student transitions over the summer from being a high school student to becoming a freshman in college. There are a number of changes that occur, both socially and within the family structure, so we wanted to provide some information on how to handle those changes. In addition, there are a number of practical concerns that students and parents should be aware of concerning moving into a residence hall, safety and security on campuses, how to handle stress and other practical considerations.

HB: Why did you decide to get involved with the event?

Bowlby: I am the college access counselor for the district, so I cover both Harriton and Lower Merion and it is my job, as well as the job of all of the counselors at both high schools, to provide students with information about the college and career processes from beginning to end.

HB: Who else was involved in the event?

Bowlby:  The other presenter last night was Mrs. Marsha Rosen who is the Department Chair of the Counseling Department at Lower Merion High School.

Thank you to Mrs. Bowlby and Mrs. Rosen for hosting this event! If students or parents were unable to attend this meeting, the PowerPoint from the presentation, as well as handouts that were distributed at the conference, will be available on www.lmsd.org.