Grades 8 to 9 Scheduling Information **** Parents and Students Please Read
Welcome to the Guidance Department Page!
The counselors are available to students for support in academic and social/emotional areas. Counselors are also available to parents and may be reached by phone in the Guidance office at 647-4108.

The Middle School Guidance Department has developed a curriculum for all middle school grades. To begin each school year, counselors visit all classrooms to discuss SPARK -

Safety Personal Best Attitude Responsibility Kindness

The 6th grade curriculum includes classroom lessons focusing on middle school goal-setting, learning styles, empathy, friendship, personal responsibility, and career development.

The 7th grade curriculum includes lessons about emotions, healthy coping strategies, positive peer communication, and interests/work values inventories related to career development.

During the 8th grade academic year, even more emphasis is placed on career education activities.

High School Scheduling
In the early spring, 8th grade students will receive a high school Program of Studies, a book that contains all of the high school courses. The book will be reviewed in the classrooms and students will be given information about course graduation requirements. The book is then sent home for students to review with their parents.

Within a couple of weeks after books are sent home, Mr. Donnelly will sit down with 8th grade students individually to make schedule requests for 9th grade. Teacher recommendations will be written on the schedule form.

If students request classes that differ from what is recommended, a waiver form will be mailed home with the schedule requests. Parents then speak with teachers about recommendations, if needed, sign the forms, and return them to the Guidance office. Student schedules are finalized during the summer and are mailed home in August.

Individual Learning Plans (ILPs)
All of the students in the middle school have been developing and reviewing their Individual Learning Plans (ILPs). As mandated by the R.I. Department of Education, each student is required to develop goals each year in three areas: Academic, Career, and Personal/Social. Current 6th and 7th grade students complete ILPs on the WaytogoRI website.

Learning Styles
As part of helping students improve in the academic area, the middle school guidance counselors, working along with teachers, give students individual surveys in order to investigate their strengths within the eight Multiple Intelligences or Learning Styles. The learning styles include:

Verbal Linguistic
Visual Spatial
Logical Mathematical
Body Kinesthetic
Musical Rhythmic
Intrapersonal
Interpersonal
Naturalistic
After assessing their learning profiles, each student then identifies specific learning strategies or techniques that could be helpful for him/her. The list of strategies follows. To reinforce what students have learned about ways to make studying more effective and interesting, you may wish to ask your child(ren) which strategies he/she is trying and how each is working. Please contact Mrs. Albertella in the Guidance office if you have any questions. The phone number is 647-4108.

Study Techniques for Different Learning Styles

Verbal Linguist:
Find ways to incorporate speaking and writing
Participate in class discussions/debates
Read text/notes aloud, making it dramatic and varied
Create musical jingles to aid memorization
Create mnemonics (Please Eexcuse My Dear Aunt Sally)
Discuss your ideas verbally
Dictate to someone while they write your thoughts
Use story telling to demonstrate your point
Record yourself reading text/notes and listen to the recording
Rewrite class notes
Visual Spatial
Use visuals such as pictures, charts, maps, graphs, etc.
Have a clear view of your teachers when they are speaking so you can see their facial expressions and body language
Use color to highlight important ideas
Take notes or ask teacher to provide handout
Replace words with pictures
Illustrate your ideas as a picture before writing down
Use computers and videos to "see" your topic
Visualize information as a picture to aid memorization
Use flashcards
Logical Mathematical
Try to understand the reasons behind the content you need to learn
Create and use lists to organize, sort, and classify information
Highlight important ideas
Review notes
Rewrite notes in a more organized format
Skim through reading material to get an idea of the big picture before reading it in detail
Body Kinesthetic
Take frequent study breaks
Move around to learn new things (e.g. read while on an exercise bike, mold a piece of clay when studying)
Work in a standing position
Chew gum while studying
Use bright colors to highlight reading material
If it doesn't distract you, listen to music
Skim through reading material to get a rough idea before settling down and reading it in detail
Use flashcards
Draw diagrams/webs whenever possible
Rewrite notes
Musical Rhythmic:
Find ways to incorporate speaking and writing
Participate in class discussions/debates
Read text/notes aloud, making it dramatic and varied
Create musical jingles to aid memorization
Create mnemonics
Discuss your ideas verbally
Dictate to someone while they write your thoughts
Use storytelling to demonstrate your point
Record yourself reading text/notes and listen to the recording
Use rhyme and music to help memorize content
Make speeches and presentations including music
Sing class notes to the tunes of songs you know
Intrapersonal
Read text ahead of time
Ask questions to clarify information for yourself
Study alone
Create a personal interest for the topic you're learning. Ask "How can I use this?" and "Why does this matter to me?"
Keep a journal on your thoughts, ideas, questions, or concerns while you are studying. Come back to them and discuss them with others if necessary
Interpersonal:
try to study with others whenever possible
Study with classmates
Take turns quizzing one another on material
Take turns reading aloud from the text and sharing ideas
Share class notes and create a complete set of notes from all individual notes
Use big paper to list important ideas from text, class, and discussions. Appoint one person as the artist and other members to tell the artist what to write
Naturalistic
Study outside or near a window with natural light whenever practical, but only if it's not distracting
Explore subject areas that reflect your love for nature. Learning is much easier when you have a passion for it
Take breaks to do something you love related to nature- take a walk or watch your fish or a nature video. Use nature as a reward for getting other work done
When possible, relate subject matter to nature
Use hands-on methods of studying (i.e. experiments, charts, diagrams, webs, graphic organizers)
Study alongside a pet if it comforts you and helps you focus