Still time to sign up for STARS -- We met for the first time with our STARS group yesterday, but there is still time for your 6th grade daughter to sign up if she is interested. She can pick up a permission slip in the counseling office. There will be no more additions to the group after next week's meeting. Please call the counseling office if you have any questions.

We took a short break from our blog last year but we are back and giving updates this year! We are excited to meet all of the new 6th graders and re-connect with the 7th and 8th grade students. Remember the counselors are here for anything that is getting in the way of you doing your best at school. If you need to make an appointment, there are appointment notes outside our office doors and boxes for each counselor in which to put the notes. We will be meeting all of our 6th graders at some point, so don't be surprised if you get a yellow pass from your counselor soon. Good luck with the start of the 2013-2014 school year!

Mastering Middle School Workshop

Sign up for the Mastering Middle School Workshop today! Parents and children attend this workshop together to develop goals for the upcoming school year and receive strategies for success. Choose either the evening or morning session to attend:
Wednesday, August 22nd, 6:00-8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, August 29th, 8:30-11:00 a.m.

Please contact the middle school office if you are interested in signing up or would like more information. 987-2800

S.T.A.R.S. begins in November

Attention 6th and 8th grade girls interested in being part of the S.T.A.R.S. mentorship program:

S.T.A.R.S. stands for, Sisters Together Addressing Real Situations. S.T.A.R.S. is a mentorship program that is advised by the middle school counselors. The group meets for six weeks, on Wednesdays, during school. The hours we meet are rotated, so you are not missing the same class more than once. Keep in mind that you are responsible for making up any missed work.

How it works: The 6th grade girls are broken up into small groups of 4-6, and then assigned two carefully trained and chosen 8th grade girls who will be your mentors. You will stay with the same small group and mentors for the entire six weeks.

You will do fun activities with your group that help you learn about yourself, friendship, conflict resolution, communicating with others, and much more. S.T.A.R.S. is a great way to make new friends and to form a connection with positive 8th grade role models.

If you are interested in S.T.A.R.S., please stop into the counseling office for more details. 6th grade girls will need to take a parent permission form home to be signed and returned to the counseling office. 8th grade girls will need to pick up an application form and return it to the counseling office upon completion.

S.T.A.R.S. will begin on November 2nd, so please turn in your forms ASAP! More information will be sent out about where and when you will meet once it gets closer.

"Unplugged"

There have been several articles out lately that talk about "unplugging" with your children at home. The concept is to get back to simpler times when technology did not rule the house. We all know that technology can be a wonderful thing, but too much a good thing can sometimes be a slippery slope. At school we see some students having difficulties expressing themselves verbally because they are so used to being able to type or text. Instead of expressing an emotion with their words, they use happy or sad smileys. In addition, spending quality time with your family and having real face-to-face conversations can go such a long way for the self-esteem of your children and the relationship you have with them.

Follow the link below to read about a mother who "unplugged" her children for six months.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_fea_parenting_teens_unplugged

S.T.A.R.S. 2010 Video

Check out the short video below to see some highlights from S.T.A.R.S. 2010!

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Attention 6th Grade Girls - STARS Begins Soon!

6th grade girls interested in participating in the S.T.A.R.S. mentorship program can now pick up a permission form in the counseling office. S.T.A.R.S. stands for Sisters Together Addressing Real Situations. The idea of this group is to break the girls into small groups of 5-7 and match them up with two carefully trained and chosen 8th grade female mentors.

In their small groups, the girls will discuss and do activities centered around the following topics:
Friendship/Peer Relations
Communication
Conflict Resolution
Body Image
Self Esteem

S.T.A.R.S. will meet for six weeks on Wednesdays. We will rotate when we meet, starting with first hour on November 3rd, second hour on November 10th, and so on. Your daughter will only miss one class period of a particular class during the six weeks, but is expected to make up any work she missed.

The counselors will be supervising each session, but the 8th grade mentors will be in charge of leading the small groups. It is a great opportunity for 6th grade girls to make more connections with other girls in their grade, as well as form relationships with positive 8th grade role models.

If you have an 8th grade daughter who is interested in being a S.T.A.R.S. mentor, she may pick up an application in the counseling office as well. If you would like more information on S.T.A.R.S., please contact your daughter's counselor. We are asking that permission forms and applications be returned by October 22nd. If you plan on attending conferences, forms will also be available at that time.