Students in all grade levels will have age-appropriate lessons in the following areas:
Self- Awareness
Identifying Feelings
Identifying Traits
Social Awareness
Recognizing others feelings
Empathy
Disagreeing with others
Respect for other people’s feelings and belongings
Self- Management
Monitoring Stress and coping skills
Growth Mindset - Developing Grit
Showing Self Control
Goal Setting
Responsible Decision Making
Communicating
Appropriate behavior
Following rules
Safety
September: Safety and Self Advocacy
During our September classroom lesson, students will explore the following areas:
Roles of the School Counselor
Curriculum topics for the year
Ways to schedule an appointment.
Identifying trusted adults in the school
Ways to report concerns of safety for oneself or others
Reasons to report safety concerns to a trusted adult
TIPs reporting tool on sycamore
Ways to identify if behavior is bullying
Ways to practice healthy habits
October: Training the "Mental Wellness Muscle"
The academic and social "weight" can start to feel a bit heavier as students work through the rigor of upper middle school. This month, our lessons focused on a proactive approach to mental health. We discussed that just as athletes hit the gym to strengthen their bodies, we must intentionally work out our Mental Wellness Muscle to handle the stresses of middle school.
We challenged students to look at their well-being through a "whole-person" lens. True stress management isn't just about one thing; it’s about balance across five key areas:
Physical: Moving the body, prioritizing sleep, and fueling up with nutrition.
Mental: Engaging the brain in learning, but also knowing when to "unplug" from screens.
Emotional: Identifying feelings and practicing self-compassion when things go wrong.
Social: Building a "support squad" of positive friends and setting healthy boundaries.
Spiritual: Finding purpose, practicing gratitude, and connecting with faith or core values.
7th grade is a peak time for feeling "under pressure." We practiced concrete tools for when the "Mental Muscle" feels strained:
The "Brain Dump": Writing down every single worry or task to get it out of the head and onto paper.
Micro-Goals: Breaking a massive project or a stressful week into "just for today" steps.
Identifying the "Helper": Knowing exactly which friend or adult to turn to before a small stressor becomes a crisis.
At 12 and 13 years old, students are beginning to take ownership of their own health. Here is how you can support their "Mental Muscle" training:
1. The "Check-In" Routine Instead of asking, "How was your day?", try using the 5 dimensions. "How is your 'Social Muscle' feeling today?" or "Did you do anything to fuel your 'Mental Muscle' today?" This helps them categorize their experiences and identify where they might be out of balance.
2. Model "Strategic Self-Care" Let your child see you managing your own stress in healthy ways. Say out loud: "I’ve had a really long day and my 'Emotional Muscle' is tired. I’m going to take a 15-minute walk to reset." This gives them permission to do the same.
3. The "Unplug" Challenge One of the biggest strains on the 7th-grade mental muscle is the constant "on" nature of social media. Help them set a "Digital Sunset"—a time when all devices are parked in a central location so their brains can enter a true state of rest.
4. Create a "Coping Toolkit" Encourage your child to make a list (on their phone or in a notebook) of "What Works for Me." This might include a specific playlist, a breathing exercise, or a person they can text when they feel overwhelmed. Having a plan before stress hits is the key to resilience.
Our goal is for 8th graders to realize that experiencing stress is a normal part of life, but it doesn't have to break them. By training their wellness muscles now, they are building the endurance they need for high school, and beyond.
November: Anti-bullying and Kindness Initiative:
1. Understanding Bullying and Its Impact
Define what bullying is, including its various forms (verbal, physical, social, and cyberbullying).
Discuss the effects of bullying on individuals and communities, including emotional, mental, and social consequences.
Emphasize that bullying is never the fault of the victim and that everyone has the right to feel safe.
Teach strategies for confidently setting boundaries and asserting oneself respectfully.
Role-play scenarios where students practice responding to bullying with calmness and strength.
Encourage students to seek help from trusted adults when needed and remind them that asking for help shows courage, not weakness.
Define what an upstander is: someone who actively supports someone being bullied rather than remaining a bystander.
Discuss specific actions upstanders can take, such as directly addressing bullying if safe, providing support to the victim, or reporting the behavior.
Explain the importance of safety and considering the context when deciding how to stand up.
Discuss how small acts of kindness can make others feel included and valued, building a positive community.
Encourage students to look for opportunities to show empathy, such as inviting others to join in activities or offering a supportive word.
Reinforce that kindness creates a ripple effect, where one positive action can inspire more.
Promote the idea that everyone contributes to the school's culture and that respectful, inclusive behavior helps prevent bullying.
Have students brainstorm ways they can work together to make the school a place where everyone feels respected and supported.
Encourage them to reflect on how their actions—both big and small—impact the overall environment.
As 8th graders begin to look toward their futures, we want them to realize that they have the power to create their own opportunities. This month, we explored how a student’s interests and values serve as the compass for their future careers.
We discussed that "speaking up" isn't just for when something is wrong; it is a tool for growth. Students practiced how to approach adults (teachers, coaches, or future employers) to ask for clarification, feedback, or mentorship. We emphasized that being your own best advocate is the number one skill for success in high school.
We introduced the concept of Networking—the practice of building relationships with people who share your interests. We dispelled the myth that networking is "fake"; rather, we defined it as curiosity in action. The Letter Project: To put this into practice, every student wrote a professional letter or email to a "Role Model"—this could be a specific university, a company (like Nike or NASA), or a product developer.
The Goal: To inquire about the role model’s journey and ask for advice on what skills the student should develop now to follow a similar path.
The Result: Students learned that most professionals are happy to help a motivated student, but you have to be brave enough to ask.
Before we dive into specific career paths, students completed a "Values Inventory." We discussed how knowing what you care about (e.g., helping others, financial security, creativity, or outdoor work) is the first step in finding a fulfilling career.
As your child prepares for high school, you can help them refine these professional "pro-social" skills at home:
1. Define Their "Why" (Values Discussion) Ask your child about their values inventory. Instead of "What do you want to be?", try asking:
"What kind of problems do you want to solve in the world?"
"What part of your school day makes you feel the most 'in the zone'?"
2. Practice the "Elevator Pitch" Help your child practice a 30-second introduction of themselves. If they meet a new coach or a family friend, what are the three things they want that person to know about them?
Example: "Hi, I'm [Name], I'm an 8th grader, I love graphic design, and I'm really interested in how technology is used in art."
3. Model Networking Talk to your child about how you got your current job or how you found a specific service provider. Show them that "who you know" is often about who you were brave enough to talk to.
4. Encourage "Adult-Level" Problem Solving The next time your child has a question about a grade or a sports schedule, resist the urge to send the email for them. Instead, help them draft the email or role-play the conversation. This "Self-Advocacy" practice is much lower stakes now in 8th grade than it will be in college or a career.
5. Follow Up on the Letter Ask your child who they wrote their letter to. If they get a response, celebrate it! If they don't, use it as a lesson in persistence—sometimes networking requires follow-ups or reaching out to a different person.
By connecting their personal values to professional communication, we are helping our 8th graders see themselves not just as students, but as future contributors to the world.
January: Relationships, Boundaries, and Digital Dynamics
In 8th grade, we move beyond basic friendship to discuss the spectrum of all relationships—including family, mentors, coaches, and the complexities of dating. We want students to understand that the standards for how they are treated should remain high across all these areas.
We define a healthy relationship as one that stands firmly on three pillars. If one is missing, the relationship becomes unstable:
Trust: The foundation of safety. It is the belief that the other person has your best interests at heart.
Communication: The ability to express needs and boundaries without fear of retaliation.
Respect: Valuing a person's "No" just as much as their "Yes."
We use the term "Toxic" to describe relationships that are consistently draining, manipulative, or critical. Specifically, we explored:
Consent and Permission: We emphasize that a true friend or partner will never disregard your feelings or physical comfort. Consent is about active, enthusiastic permission, not just the absence of a "no."
The Digital Dynamic: We addressed specific middle school pressures, such as the expectation to share passwords as a "proof of loyalty" or being criticized for not responding to a text or tag instantly. We discussed that privacy is not the same as secrecy, and healthy relationships allow for digital space.
As your child’s world expands, your role as a "Safe Harbor" becomes even more critical. Here is how you can reinforce these 8th-grade lessons at home:
1. Define Digital Boundaries Together Discuss the "Password Pressure." Reinforce that they are the owners of their digital identity. You might say: "A person who respects you will respect your privacy. You don't owe anyone your passwords to prove you are a good friend."
2. Practice "The Slow Response" Encourage your child to "unplug" without guilt. If they feel anxious about not replying to a friend immediately, remind them: "Healthy friends understand that you have a life outside of your phone. You aren't 'ignoring' them; you are being present in your own home."
3. Discuss the "Check-In" on Comfort Ask your child how they know when they feel "safe" or "heard" in a friendship. Use the language from our lesson: "Does this person respect your 'no'? Do they make you feel like you have to change who you are to fit in?"
4. Model Self-Love and Assertiveness We taught the students that Self-Love is the best defense against toxic relationships. If a child knows their own value, they are less likely to accept poor treatment. Model this by speaking kindly about yourself and setting your own healthy boundaries with friends and family.
5. The "I-Statement" in Conflict When disagreements happen at home, encourage assertive communication over passive-aggressive "ignoring" or aggressive "shouting."
Instead of: "You always ignore me!"
Try: "I feel unimportant when you don't look up from your phone while I'm talking. I would like for us to have ten minutes of talk time without screens."
By teaching 8th graders about consent, digital respect, and the "Pillars of Health," we are preparing them to enter high school with the confidence to choose relationships that empower them rather than diminish them.