The School Counseling staff at Blanchard Middle School, in an effort to get to know and see all students in their grade, teach four 45-minute blocks within the 6-day rotation. Class sizes are typically around 18 students. Trimesters are about 12 weeks, which allows for about 10 Social Emotional Academic Learning (SEAL) lessons. Exceptions in class size and content are made for students in band and orchestra.
In brief, the following general topics are covered through various lessons in 8th grade. Topics may vary based on current needs related to time of year.
8th grade SEAL Class Topics:
Learning the High School lingo - elective classes, understanding GPA, credits and course levels.
Exploring Career Opportunities based on personal strengths and interests
Comparing WA and Nashoba Tech, and deciding which school is best for you.
Self knowledge journey; a continuation of the SEAL class journal and discussion, begun in 6th grade SEAL class. (e.g. Students voluntarily share responses to prompts like: “How much should you care about what other people - parents, peers, teachers, etc. - think of you? Please explain your thoughts”).
The overall theme of the 8th grade SEAL class is preparing for the transition to high school, and providing methods for students to examine their strengths, challenges, and preferences especially as they relate to course selection for 9th grade and co-curricular activities.
