The middle school years are truly unique. It is an era of transition. Students enter middle school, making the transition from elementary, then leave middle school in three short years to make the transition to high school. Although students spend the least amount of time in our building when compared to the number of years spent in the elementary and high school, we would argue that those three years are some of the most formative years in a child’s life.
Transition is apparent in many aspects of middle school. Middle school students are transitioning mentally, physically and emotionally (hormonally). Students are now expected to transition from class to class on their own, nine times throughout the day in fact. Middle school-age students are transitioning from adolescents to teenagers, from dependent elementary students to more independent middle schoolers. There is a greater demand for responsibility and self-regulation.
There are some challenges that accompany all these transitions. We see many of our sixth-grade students, who enter a new building with all new teachers, counselors, and administrators, struggle with managing their time wisely, completing assignments and classwork on time for multiple teachers. Some struggle with staying organized and keeping up with materials for multiple classes. For many of our seventh- and eighth-grade students, it can be a challenge to find the balance between sports and their academics. At the same time they are juggling those concepts, they are also trying to maneuver their way through social transitions. Many start using social media during the middle school years, which can lead to its own set of issues to learn to manage.
However, as a parent of a middle school student, do not be discouraged. We, at HMS, are well aware and conscious of these struggles. We currently have some practices in place to help our students successfully maneuver through this transition era.
To help incoming sixth graders feel more comfortable starting their middle school career, we will bring them over to our building for a tour in the spring of their fifth-grade year. We also offer a 6th Grade Orientation and Open House the week school begins in August. I plan to send a welcome letter during the summer to each incoming sixth grader with helpful information and tips about their future endeavors as a Houston Middle School student.
We are also well aware of the social and emotional needs of our students. HMS has one full-time counselor, Ms. Reed, who our students have full access to. Ms. Reed has placed a portal on the school’s website titled, “WANT TO SEE THE COUNSELOR.” At the beginning of each school year, she introduces and demonstrates the tool to all middle school students so they feel comfortable requesting to visit with her. Some of the reasons students make requests are to ask for personal needs, such as hygiene products, clothes or school supplies. Other reasons might include friendship/peer issues, scheduling issues, organizational and academic help, bullying reports or any other personal struggle they may be dealing with. We offer the I Am Enough and Man Up programs, presented by representatives from the Pregnancy Resource Center of South Central Missouri, Ms. Reed, Coach Richardson and our school resource officer, Josh Green. Students are presented these programs once a quarter. Both programs emphasize character development, integrity and self worth.
The responsibility we have to help students transition FROM middle school INTO high school also does not go unnoticed. We have an experienced staff, many having taught in the middle school numerous years, that make conscious efforts to align their classroom procedures and curriculum to that of high school. This is also an area we will continually assess to determine where improvements can be made. As an administrator, I try to align discipline policies and procedures with that of the high school, attempting to model their expectations. It would be my hope that we have intervened in and addressed unacceptable behaviors in a way that would make those behaviors a non-issue in high school. For example, if we enforce the same cell phone usage policy as the high school and are diligent about truly enforcing it, it would be my hope that the high school would see a significant decline in electronic referrals in the coming years. The administrators from each building communicate regularly to work through this process and make adjustments as needed.
Although we are making conscious efforts to ensure every student navigates through these crucial middle school years successfully, we will continue to self-evaluate and reflect on areas of improvement from all stakeholders. This brings me to my final piece of the puzzle: the parents.
There are things that parents can do with their student to also aide in this effort. Open communication between parents and students, as well as between parents and teachers, is key to early intervention. To help with the organization and academic transitions, parents can become very familiar with our Tyler SIS parent portal. Tyler SIS is Houston School’s student information system. Parents can monitor crucial aspects of their child’s life at school, such as grades, missing assignments, attendance and lunch balance. Tyler SIS now offers a free downloadable app, making it even more convenient for parents to stay informed about their child’s performance. If you are parent who does not yet have access to the parent portal or needs more information, contact the building office. I would advise parents to keep students engaged and active, monitor online activity and electronic use, and make conscious efforts to openly communicate with their child as they proceed through this era.
Obviously, the middle school years has a unique set of challenges. However, with teachers, administrators and parents consciously making efforts to provide the support our middle school students need, they are more inclined to not only successfully survive, but to flourish.
Amanda Munson is the principal at Houston Middle School. Contact her at 417-967-3024 or amunson@houston.k12.mo.us.
