My name is Ms. Wood (formerly Ms. Preston). Many of your know me from last year, but if you are new to Greenfield, I am your school counselor. I primarily work with grades 5-8.
The much anticipated moment of your final year in middle school is finally here. I'm sure there are mixed emotions that come with this- excitement, anxiety, sadness, curiosity, or maybe a mix of all of those. As your counselor, I am one of your biggest cheerleaders. And as your cheerleader, I want to share some of my hopes for you.
Take yourself seriously.
After this year, you are going to enter a phase of life where you will start to really look at and consider what your future will hold. You are deserving of all the things that you want out of life, but don't forget you need to work for it. You can accomplish the standards you set for yourself. Don't ever let that small doubting voice in the back of your mind become the loudest voice. Your goals are real and they are attainable, as long as you are putting forth the effort to make them happen.
Don't take yourself TOO seriously. :)
Remember to have fun, make memories, laugh, and enjoy yourself. For some of you, next year might be the first year that you and your friends go to different schools. Allow yourself to really enjoy this time with your friends, your teachers, your peers, and your family. It's okay to do the work and have fun at the same time.
You are all working toward the same goal.
Each of you has a different career and passion that you are hoping to pursue. Your list of the 5 high schools you plan to apply to are not going to be the same as everyone else's. However, you all have the same goal of acceptance into one of your top 5 high schools and walking across the stage in June 2026, ready to enter high school next fall. With that being said, please remember that tearing down the peers around you will not get you closer to that goal. The stress, anxiety, and fears that you may be feeling this year are the same for the person sitting next to you in class. Please be mindful of the interactions with your peers. Are you building each other up? Are you encouraging one another? If the answer to either of those questions is no, then I ask that you reassess what impact you are leaving on your peers.
You are going to have an amazing 8th grade year here at Greenfield! Let's do this!
-Ms. Wood
For regular updates, follow Ms. Wood on Instagram: @counselor_wood