Suffolk parents and students are preparing to transition between grades, and Suffolk Public Schools has set up two transition nights for those making the big transitions from elementary to middle and from middle to high school.

Suffolk high schools will hold Freshman Transition programs on Aug. 17. King’s Fork High School’s program will be from 8 a.m. to noon, Lakeland High School from 12:30 to 3 p.m., and Nansemond River High School from 1 to 4 p.m. The deadline for registration is Monday.

These programs are designed to get freshmen and their parents ready for the school year. They will learn more about grading policies, graduation requirements and making course schedules.

“It’s a good overview of what to expect when entering high school,” Nansemond River High School assistant principal Janice Bibbo said.

Students will guide the freshmen and their families through tours of their campuses. Faculty will answer any questions, and each school will detail its diverse clubs, sports teams and academic organizations.

“There’s a little bit more freedom in high school than there is in middle school,” King’s Fork High School program co-chair Cynthia Crandol said. “They will be able to make choices.”

The teachers and administrators are not just determined to prepare freshman for their high school careers. They also want their parents to understand what they need to do to help their children succeed.

“We’re trying to be proactive in providing parents the information they need for their children to be successful as they enter ninth grade,” Bibbo said.

Register for your orientation by calling your school or going online.

• King’s Fork High School: 923-5240 or kfhs.spsk12.net
• Lakeland High School: 925-5790 or lhs.spsk12.net
• Nansemond River High School: 923-4101 or nrhs.spsk12.net

Suffolk Public middle schools will hold their own transition night for rising sixth graders on Aug. 23. Forest Glen Middle School’s program will be from 4 to 7 p.m., John F. Kennedy Middle School from 6 to 7:30 p.m., and John Yeates and King’s Fork Middle Schools from 5 to 7 p.m.

Call your middle school for more information.

• Forest Glen Middle School: 925-5780
• John F. Kennedy Middle School: 934-6212
• John Yeates Middle School: 923-4105
• King’s Fork Middle School: 923-5246