Welcome students and introduce the icebreaker. • Invite everyone to stand in a circle. • Prompt: “Share one thing you’re excited about and one thing you’re nervous about for 6th grade.” • Use Think-Pair-Share: Partner discussion (1 minute), then group share. • Observe participation and common themes to address later.

Display the [Transition Challenges Poster](#transition-challenges-poster). Point out academic, social, and organizational challenges listed. • Read through common challenges aloud. • Invite students to write any additional concerns on sticky notes and place them on the poster. • Note new concerns for discussion and follow-up.

Explain the main activity steps. • Distribute the [Goal-Setting Worksheet](#goal-setting-worksheet). • Students work in groups of 3–4 to identify one academic goal and one social goal, with action steps. • Provide sentence starters: “I will…,” “I can….” • Hand out [Peer Support Pledge Cards](#peer-support-pledge-cards) for each student to commit to helping a classmate. • Differentiate: – Struggling writers: give completed examples, checklists. – Advanced students: set stretch goals, plan reflection checkpoints. • Circulate, support, and collect completed worksheets and pledge cards.

Reconvene the group. • Invite volunteers to share one goal and one pledge. • Highlight effort and planning as keys to success (growth mindset). • Record main strategies on chart paper. • Distribute sticky notes for exit tickets. • Prompt: “Write one action you’ll take this week to prepare for 6th grade.” • Collect exit tickets to assess readiness.