S.T.A.R.S. Forms Available Now!

It's that time of year again --- the S.T.A.R.S. mentorship program will be starting up the first week in November. Permission slips for 6th graders and applications for 8th graders are available in the counseling office. STARS is a wonderful opportunity for 6th grade girls to be involved with positive role-model 8th grade girls. We divide the 6th graders into groups of 5-7 and then each group has two 8th grade mentors as the leaders. We meet during the school day, rotating the hour we meet so that the students do not miss the same class more than once. They are still responsible for any work missed. We cover topics such as self-esteem, friendship, communication skills, body image, and more. Please contact the counseling office if you have any questions.

October is Bullying Prevention Awareness Month

Lowell Middle School has a strict no bullying policy. As counselors, we make every effort possible to make our office a safe place to come if students need help with a bullying situation. We will be visiting the 6th grade classrooms to do a guidance lesson on respect and anti-bullying, and will continue to send the message to all students that we must stand together to help the targets of bullying. If you would like more information on how to talk to your child about bullying, the website "stopbullying.gov" is an excellent place to start.

A New School Year!

It's been a great start to the school year so far! Please let us know if we can help your child in any way to ensure success at school. Parents of 6th grade girls -- keep an eye out for information on our mentorship program, STARS. More info to follow in October.

Resource for College-Bound Students

http://www.nacacnet.org/research/PublicationsResources/Marketplace/student/Pages/TipsMiddleSchoolTeens.aspx Follow the link to get information about college prep for your child.

EXPLORE Test Results

Last week the counselors met with the 8th graders through their English classes to return EXPLORE test results and give interpretation. The EXPLORE is a pre-ACT test that allowed our 8th graders to get practice at what types of questions would be asked on the future college-entrance exam. Students should have come home with their score sheet, their test booklet, and another booklet that gave further a explanation on what everything meant. If you have any questions about your child's score, please contact the appropriate counselor.

Summer Opportunity for 6th-8th Students

Summer opportunity through Grand Rapids Community College - great opportunity for hands-on students (6th-8th) who are interested in woodworking or manufacturing. Copy and paste the link below into your browser: http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/443984/343c73edbc/1666500867/d4ab1e6543/

True Colors Lesson

This week the counselors are visiting the 8th grade U.S. History classes to deliver a lesson called "True Colors." This is the second lesson in a three-part series the 8th grade students hear from the counselors. Last month students were able to log into their EDP and work with Career Cruising to set goals, research careers, and much more. Next week the students will have their final lesson, as they receive their EXPLORE test results and hear an interpretation. The True Colors lesson focuses on the students' personality traits. Through a series of small tests, the students are able to determine their personality type (labeled by one of four colors - blue, green, orange, and gold). This is always one of our favorite lessons to teach, as it stirs up great conversation. Ask your child what his or her color is an see if they can explain what it means. They may even be able to assign you a color as well!