Counselor Corner

• Characteristics of a Middle School Student

Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders, who generally span ages eleven to thirteen, vary tremendously in their maturity levels. Having my own middle schooler currently, and having been through two already, and one having one coming down the pike, I can safely say that middle school students are interested in absolutely everything … for half an hour. Other than the first three years of life, this is the grade span in which they transform the most. If all things are going right (and that's usually not the case), they enter middle school as children and leave as young adults... Hopefully.

Sixth graders, except for a few more mature students, may look and act like children. They still regard the teacher as the fount of knowledge and their unquestioned leader. Seventh graders have typically entered what may be the most disorienting time of life. They have discovered sexuality but still deal with most things like children. Bickering with siblings is rampant, and, believeing that they know best, they are intolerant of imperfection in anyone or anything. Eighth graders are generally in the process of coming to terms with their emerging adulthood and are far mellower than sixth or seventh graders. Many of them understand and appreciate irony and adult wit. While they are not children and want independence, they often prefer adult guidance to full responsibility, but would never admit that.

During this passage from childhood to adolescence, middle school students feel the need to explore a variety of interests. They are trying to connect their learning in the classroom to the practicalities of life and work (hence they may think that they know more than adults); they experience high levels of activity coupled with frequent fatigue due to rapid growth (hence, they may be hard to wake up); they are searching for their own unique identity as they begin turning more frequently to peers rather than parents for ideas and affirmation (hence, their attitude towards adults closest to them increases); they develop an extreme sensitivity to the comments from others (hence, they become very self-conscious); and they rely heavily on friends to provide comfort, understanding and approval (hence, they believe that you can't possibly understand them).

Middle school years are complicated and confusing and students need all sorts of guidance from home and school to help them navigate the challenges that they face. Our goal is to provide proactive leadership that engages all stakeholders; the students, administration, teachers, parents, and care takers in a team effort to deliver programs and services that help our students achieve success in school so that they can take what they've learned from us as they enter young adulthood.

• Parent message

While we are still waiting to fill the middle school role, we have the good fortune to still have the services of Kristen Powell and Jen Aldrich to serve our kids in the meantime.