• Counselor Topics

  • Recent Posts

Your involvement means a lot to your child

When your child was younger, you helped him learn his ABCs and times tables. But now that he’s in middle school—and tackling tough subjects like physical science—you can’t help anymore, right?
Wrong! Being involved with your child’s education is as important as ever. As a middleschool parent, you can stay committed by:
• Showing curiosity. Discuss what [...]

October is RESPECT Month

October is RESPECT month here at the ACS Middle School.  Teachers and students have been talking about RESPECT and what it means to them during OASIS classes.
6th grade has done role-playing skits on what is respectful and disrespectful behavior.  In addition, they have discussed how different cultures show their respect in daily life.

8th grade is [...]

Provide incentives for finishing homework

Many students get into the bad habit of procrastination. Instead, give incentives by:
• Encouraging your child when you see her working well.
• Helping your child set goals for doing blocks of work (such as reading 10-15pages). Include a reward, such as a break, for finishing a block.
Source: Sydney S. Zentall, Ph.D., and Sam Goldstein, Ph.D., [...]

Understand middle school stress

Did you have a stressful day? Your child may have, too. Aside from the typicaldemands of homework and chores, some middle schoolers are bothered by:
• Problems with friends.
• Significant tension in the family.
• Being overly self-critical.
• Too many extracurricular activities.
• Unrealistic expectations of themselves.
It’s important that your child learn to manage his stress level. Kids [...]