Pioneer

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The adventuresof middle school

• Pioneer
• Middle
• School

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• Todays objectives

• To introduce you to Pioneer Middle School
• To ease your mind about your childs
• transition into Middle School
• To offer tips and suggestions for you to get
• the most out of the next 3 years,
• addressing academics and the social
• growth of your child

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Introducing key personnel
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Have Fun with your mentors!

• Mentors will lead an organized activity using the
  student binder reminder at the blue lunch tables.
• Students and mentors will compete in teams to
  complete the Boot Camp Scavenger Hunt.
• HAVE FUN!

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What is the role of a Middle School Academic
Counselor?

• Our goals and objectives align with the schools
  mission statement.
• We focus on the development of three domains
• Academic
• Career
• Personal/Social Development
• What does this look like?
• Guidance curriculum in the classroom
• One on one with families and students
• Collaborate with teachers for academic
  interventions
• We utilize research-based best practices.

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Pioneer Middle School what do we stand for?

• Our Mission
• To maximize ALL students academic potential and
  personal responsibility
• Our Beliefs
• R.E.A.L. Wildcats R.O.A.R.
• All students are capable of learning at high
  levels
• All students have access to interventions
• Middle school success is not just about
  academics personal/social growth is important,
  too

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Things to kNOW!

• Bell Schedules
• Parking Lot for student safety, please follow
  the traffic pattern.
• Traffic it gets CRAZY after 730.
• Personal Deliveries
• No deliveries to classrooms regular lunch
  delivery is frowned upon.
• Absences
• Attendance correlates to school success, whereas
  absenteeism correlates to school failure
  (including dropping out). 15-20 absences is
  considered chronic (Child Trends Data bank,
  2014).
• 1 day absent 7 periods missed 7 lessons
  missed
• Dress Code
• Focus on dressing to learn in comfort
• School to Home Communication
• Please allow 24-48 for either a phone or an email
  response from teachers and staff.
• Conference structure is different than in
  elementary school.

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Things to know

• Aeries Parent Portal
• Activity on Portal correlates to student success
• Binder Reminder
• Wealth of information in first section
• Tutorial stamping
• Website
• Updated regularly
• Visit all tabs
• Coffee with the Counselors
• Monthly presentations by counselors or speakers
  on current hot topics
• Social media

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The middle schoolerno longer a child, not yet
an adult

• Physical changes
• More development happens now than any other time
  in life, other than first two years
• The brain is not fully developed until age 25
• Intellectual development
• Concrete logic to analytical thought
• Ability to argue a position, question authority,
  understand sophisticated levels of humor
  (sarcasm)
• Social/emotional transition
• Move from accepting adult moral judgment to
  developing personal values
• Searching for an adult identity while still
  seeking peer approval
• Shift from emulating parents to emulating peers,
  although parents still play key role in final
  decision making
• (2013, Caskey, Anfara, Jr.)

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Shift to growth mindset

• Shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset
• Fixed inherent intelligence determines future
• Growth abilities are due to actions
• How does this impact our students?
• Fixed I didnt get an A so I must be stupid
• Growth I didnt get an A but I learned so
  much!

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The need for boundaries

• Teens battle with parents to dismantle parental
  authority, but they are not ready to be on their
  own.
• The brain is not fully developed until age 25
  the prefrontal cortex (the decision-making area
  of the brain) develops last.(AAA, 2013) (UCLA
  2013)
• The lack of life experience results in teens
  seeing day-to-day existence, not long-term
  perspective.
• The more teens feel that they are truly on their
  own, the more vulnerable they become.

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Social media

• Teens and tweens are on social media in alarming
  numbers.
• Connected 24/7 to peers and the Internet.
• Doctors recommend a maximum of two hours of
  Internet time per day, however most students
  report being connected for longer periods of
  time.
• FOMO Fear of Missing Out teens feel a real
  sense that something could happen in the world,
  and they dont want it to happen without them.
• Popular Sites for teens include Facebook,
  Instagram, ask.fm, Yik Yak, Twitter, YouTube,
  SnapChat, Tumblr and
• More to come on this topic at our monthly Coffee
  with the Counselors

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Teens and coping skills

• Helicopter Parents, Snow Plow Parents, Glider
  Parents
• What used to be a tongue-in-cheek label now has
  data to support unfortunate outcomes for young
  adults.
• Intrusive parenting interferes with the
  development of autonomy and competence.
  (Donatone, 2014)
• Glide children through the success and
  challenges of young adulthood.
• Todays teens need
• greater tolerance for uncertainty
• more flexibility
• balance
• conflict management skills
• ability to deal with disappointment

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Advice for Parents

• Academic support
• Encourage daily attendance
• Attend parent programs
• Help with and model time good management and
  organization skills
• Make homework your childs responsibility
• Encourage independent problem solving

• Social/Emotional support
• Be involved and informed
• Communicate with your child
• Teach responsibility
• Provide appropriate consequences
• Understand their technology

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Were not kidding

• Traffic is terrible!!
• Drive with a smile and patience and we will all
  be much safer!