Guidance Survey
Dear Parents,
In October, the counseling department provided students in grades 6-8 a schoolwide survey regarding Student Stress and Connectivity. The reason for us examining this type of information was based on several factors; information gathered through the MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey, student/teacher/parent reports of stress, and student attendance.
The following summary is to provide parents a broader sense of how our students in grades 6-8 reported feeling in terms of stress, connectivity to the school, and ways in which they may or may not be coping. Attached you will find a copy of this survey. We will re-administer this same survey in the Spring 2016 to determine whether action taken throughout the year has made an impact on our students.
Overview MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey
Metrowest Adolescent Health Survey is given biennially since 2006 to identify trends and emergent issues throughout the MetroWest area to middle and high school students.
In the latest survey in 2014, the survey reached more than 40,000 students in 26 districts, to include Holliston. The middle school to date has only administered this survey to our 7th and 8th grade students.
When 7th and 8th grade students in 2014 were asked “if in the past 30 days life has felt very stressful” 27% females and 9% males answered yes. When broken down by grades, but not gender specific- 12% seventh graders answers yes, while 25% of eighth graders answered yes.
We have seen an upward trend over the past several years as the demands increase both in and out of school the reports of stress increase:
2006- 12%
2008- 13%
2010- 12%
2012- 12%
2014- 18%
Holliston Middle School students are slightly higher with reported stress across the Metrowest region, and specifically Holliston Middle School females. Whereas the Holliston males remained stable across the region::
18% Holliston students reported life has felt very stressful (past 30 days)
14% average in Metrowest area
Of those 18% of Holliston students:
27% Holliston middle school females
19% Metrowest area average females
9% Holliston middle school males
9% Metrowest area average males
Using these statistics along with other sources of information, we created an internal Student Stress Survey that will be given 2 times in the 2015-2016 school year. In addition, stress reduction classroom lessons will be provided under the direction of the counseling department alongside our teachers in grades 6-8. The counseling department will also work with our faculty at the December 2015 Faculty Meeting to provide information on how to best help students who are stressed, strategies to provide within the classroom, and resources to best assist staff and students. A Parent Coffee Talk was also provided in October 2015 regarding Stress Reduction for your Child.
Student Stress Survey 2015 Results
Administration of survey took place in October 2015:
205 of 226 sixth grade students completed the survey
205 of 227 seventh grade students completed the survey
236 of 249 eighth grade students completed the survey
Statistics:
78% students indicated that they worry about things and 74% indicated that they worry at times about what other people think
When asked what worries you at school:
70% taking tests
37% able to complete homework
21% friendships
When asked who you worry about disappointing:
59% parents
45% self
39% teachers
68% worry about making mistakes
55% indicated they know what to do to help stop worrying, 36% indicated they do NOT know how to stop worrying
75% indicated they have someone to talk to about this (Students provided: counselor in and out of school, parent, friend, teacher, coach)
When asked how they manage stress these were answers they indicated:
59% listen to music
53% play sports
39% talk to a friend
32% exercise
30% read
30% sleep
26% talk to an adult
25% play video games
20% eat
15% breathing exercises/meditation
Areas of importance reported:
52% reported feeling that they belong here at school
63% reported feeling close to at least one adult in school
55% reported liking their teachers
In late November/early December the Guidance Counselors delivered presentations in the classrooms to discuss the results of the recent survey and to offer strategies to students on how to reduce/mange stress and anxiety. The strategies taught are listed below.
If parents would like to view the survey that was administered in October and the results, a copy of the survey and the results will be made available in the Middle School Main office for parents to view.