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Getting Ready for Middle School: A Guide for Parents
Elementary Parent Visit
by Donna Cleman, Counselor, Oak Avenue Intermediate School
and Lori Johnson
Understanding the 40 Developmental Assets Lesson Plan
by Jenny Thai and Natalie Velasco
Elementary Parent Visit
Agenda:
Meet Your Child's Counselors - Introduce yourself to the parents in attendance and tell a bit about your story
Review Information Packet -
- What is a School Counseling Program (from American School Counseling Association)
- SPARC (Support Personnel Accountability Report Card)
- Who Are Transescents?
Overview of the School Counseling Program
- Review the basics of a school counseling program and how counselors work to meet the needs of every student through guidance curriculum, individual student planning, responsive services and system support.
- Talk about the role of the school counselor, confidentiality and how parents can contact us
Personal/Social Counseling Program
- Review SPARC results for this domain: percentage of students never involved in a fight, percentage of students who feel safe at school, students identifying positive steps victims of sexual harassment can take [overhead graphs for each result]
- Talk about lessons on bullying and how we work to create a harassment-free and bully-free campus.
- Talk about WEB (Where Everybody Belongs)
- Relate to Chapter One - Your Child the Emerging Preteen
Academic Counseling Program
- Review SPARC results for this domain: percentage of identified students who met promotion requirements, academic performance index (overhead graphs for each result]
- Talk about lessons on test-taking skills (PIRATES) and how it helps students do better on tests (including CST)
- Relate to Chapter Two - The School (with particular emphasis on page 24 - Homework - and how it is so vital to a child's success in middle school and beyond)
Career Counseling Program
- Review SPARC results for this domain: percentage of students who completed a four-year action plan for high school (overhead graph for this result)
- Talk about Career Faire and classroom/computer lab lessons to begin the process of career exploration
- Relate to Chapter Three - The Future
Take Questions
The National Standards for School Counseling Programs
Academic Development (# 5, 6, 12, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 25)
Students will:
- Acquire the attitudes, knowledge, and skills that contribute to effective learning in school and across the life span.
- Complete school with the academic preparation essential to choose from a wide range of substantial post-secondary options, including college.
- Understand the relationship of academics to the world of work, and to life at home and in the community.
Career Development (#9, 14, 37, 38, 39, 40)
Students will:
- Acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions.
- Employ strategies to achieve future career success and satisfaction.
- Understand the relationship between personal qualities, education and training, and the world of work
Personal / Social Development (1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 18, 19, 20, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
Students will:
- Acquire the attitudes, knowledge, and interpersonal skills to help them understand and respect self and others.
- Make decisions, set goals, and take necessary action to achieve goals.
- Understand safety and survival skills
Lesson Plan
Goal: Understanding the 40 Developmental Assets and how it relates to student achievement
Objective: Identify key assets to help students transition to middle school
Anticipatory activity: Define asset (whole group-brainstorm)
Identify assets your child possesses (individual-list)
Share thoughts-whole group
Guided Lesson: Present the question: What are the 40 developmental assets? Present 40 Developmental Assets List (What it is & How it is key to student success if fostered), Discuss external assets as well as internal assets. Show a video of how the 40 developmental assets were implemented at a middle school site.
Pass out booklet and have parents turn to page 41
Break this booklet up according to the 40 Development Assets
Break parents up into groups and provide them chart paper and divide into four sections; Personal/Interpersonal, Getting Organized and Homework, Safety and School Policies, and Academic Success and Future. Then allow parents 10 minutes on per section to match up the 40 developmental assets to the sections. Allow 5 minutes after each section to discuss what each group has brainstormed. Debrief the process and how this could be utilized when student is entering middle school.
- Personal/Interpersonal: Asset # 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 18, 19, 20, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36
- Getting Organized and Homework: Asset # 5, 6, 12, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 25
- Safety and School Policies: Asset # 10, 11, 12, 31, 36
- Academic Success and Future: Asset # 9, 14, 37, 38, 39, 40
Evaluation:
Compose a pre and post-test using the Zoomerang.com.
Sample questions:
Do you know what the 40 developmental assets are?
Identify five assets you believe that your pre-teen currently posses?
What is the philosophy behind the 40 developmental assets?
What is the difference between internal assets and external assets?
Can you identify two systems that your child can go to for support?
Can you identify two ways in which your child can empower him or herself?
Identify two boundaries or expectations that your child will need in order to achieve academic success.
Identify two constructive ways in which your child can spend their time.
Identify two ways your child can commit to learning.
Identify two positive values your child will need to be successful in school, at home, and in the community.
Identify two social competencies that your child will need in order to develop healthy relationships among adults, peers, and themselves.
Identify two ways in which your child can develop a positive identity.
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