February 12, 2025 • 20 mins
Navigating the transition from fifth grade to sixth grade can evoke a plethora of emotions for both students and their parents, often characterized by a sense of trepidation regarding the impending changes. This episode elucidates the multifaceted nature of this significant educational shift, where students encounter a new academic environment with distinct expectations and responsibilities. We are joined by esteemed school counseling experts, Barbara Truluck and Lauren Oden, who provide invaluable insights into the logistical and emotional aspects of this transition. They discuss the importance of fostering independence, the nuances of class selection, and the critical role of organization and routine. Furthermore, they emphasize the necessity of understanding the social dynamics that emerge during this pivotal stage, thereby equipping parents with the knowledge to support their children in this transformative journey.
Guests:
Barbara Truluck, Middle Schools Counseling Consultant
Lauren Oden, School Counselor, Maybry Middle School
Podcast Home:
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https://cobb-sports.captivate.fm/episodes
The Cobb County School District:
https://www.cobbk12.org
Takeaways:
- Transitioning from elementary school to middle school presents significant challenges for both students and parents.
- Students in sixth grade experience increased academic rigor and greater responsibility for their own learning.
- Middle school students have limited choices in core classes but can select connections classes that interest them.
- Establishing a consistent routine, including organization and sleep, greatly contributes to a student's success in middle school.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Nervous about your fifthgrader moving up to middle school?
That's up next on the Inside Scoop.
Hello and welcome back to theInside Scoop.
I'm David Owen.
A student's graduation fromthe comfortable world of elementary
school to head into thechallenges of middle school can be
a scary time for parents andstudents alike.
(00:22):
But don't fret.
We have two insiders who canhelp guide the way.
They are.
Lauren Oden, our schoolcounselor at Mabry Middle.
And back for a second, secondtime, Barbara Cherluck, who is the
Cobb Middle School consultant.
Welcome to the podcast.
Thank you.
You guys are.
And Barbara, you know, thepodcast is one of those things that,
(00:45):
that parents appreciate beingable to find those nuances of a circumstance,
such as sending their, theirchild up to middle school.
But sometimes it's just amatter of some of the logistics.
So when we're talking about afifth grader going up to the middle
school building and years, dothey get to choose their own classes
(01:08):
or do they experience the samesituation that they had in elementary
school with the classes justbeing present?
Here are your classes.
Tell us about that aspect.
Well, that is one of thebiggest transitions coming from the
elementary school to themiddle school.
And that's one of the questions.
Do I get to choose all my own classes?
(01:30):
So the answer is yes and no.
So I'm going to let Laurenelaborate on that.
Okay.
So she's right.
Yes and no.
The academic core classesstudents are not able to select on
their own.
It's based on the gradingcriteria that all of these schedulers
have, and if they meet those qualifications.
But the really cool part isthey get a little tiny bit of ownership
(01:52):
early on in middle school.
They get to choose ourconnections classes.
They're used to specials inelementary school, like the health
or the music PE Classes inmiddle school, we call them connections.
So they have lots of thingsthat they can be exposed to, like
robotics and study skills andhealth and PE all the things.
And art.
So they can choose to be in amusic program.
(02:15):
So most Cobb county schoolshave band, orchestra, and chorus.
So if they want to pursue thatroute, they absolutely can and sign
up all year.
And then the rest of theirconnections will just be scheduled
on a rotating semester basis.
So they, like you said, theyown it a little more.
It's not quite at theuniversity level where it's just
wide open.
And here are the classes.
Which one do you want?
(02:35):
But, man, that's got to beeither overwhelming to them or really
empowering.
Right?
Is there any insight on that?
And it could be A combination,especially with new sixth graders.
They are trying to find whothey are and figure out the new big
building.
And they're a little scaredand nervous, but that's why we're
(02:55):
here to help them guide andwork along sixth grade teachers.
But they really do feel alittle empowered.
Like you said, it's the firsttime they've gotten to choose a class,
so they get a little excited.
And we really encouragestudents in sixth grade to try out
all the music programs becausethat's where they meet a good chunk
of their new friends becausethey're with them all year.
And it's a really good, youknow, kind of circle widening process
(03:18):
for them.
And they get to learn a newskill too.
So we're talking about anxietyproducing memories.
Yes.
It's going back into the lastcentury for mine.
But the first day it seemedlike it was a big challenge getting
to understand the technologyknown as lockers.
Yes.
(03:39):
And to some extent I rememberthat excited feeling of, wow, this
is just like what they have atthe high school.
This is big kid stuff.
Do students still take theirlocks to school or how does that
all get resolved?
It's so funny because that isone of the biggest stressors with
(03:59):
our elementary students movingup to sixth grade.
It is still a thing.
I would say that that firstweek, it is the biggest stressor.
So, you know, they do not needto bring their own lock.
All of our lockers in Cobbcounty have a combination on it.
So that first week of school,they're going to be assigned a locker,
(04:20):
they're going to be giventheir combination, and there's lots
of help to teach them how toget in and out of the locker.
So they still have to learnhow to do the combination.
I remember that just being ahuge stressor for all of us nowadays.
There is a.
And I got to stop using thatterm nowadays.
That's a real telling signright there.
Cell phones are such a hugething today.
(04:45):
So what is the policy on cellphones in middle schools?
I don't even know if there isan issue.
And.
Well, there is an issue in elementary.
Some kids are given an iPhone,whatever, when they are born, I guess.
How does that all work?
Every middle school has theirown cell phone policy.
(05:06):
And the one thing that I dowant to stress with parents, your
sixth grader does not need acell phone.
So oftentimes they'll say, youknow, middle school, now it's time
to get a cell phone.
So that is not true.
They do not need to bring acell phone to middle school.
However, Each school does havetheir own policy.
So Lauren, what you want totell us about yours?
(05:29):
Absolutely.
So we at Mabry have the bringyour own device policy.
So we do allow students tobring a cell phone into school.
Sorry to interrupt.
But bring your own device iswhere you actually use your device
for educational purposes, right?
Correct.
It kind of started before.
Obviously we have the Cobbcounty provided laptops that we offer
now, which is honestly kind oftaken away the need for having a
(05:50):
cell phone at school.
So like Barbara said, some ofthe, you know, excited sixth graders
want to have a cell phone andthey like to tell their parents that
it's required, but we promiseyou it's not.
And you can.
The parents can opt in toreceive the county provided school
laptop, which is what theywill use all day, every day in classes,
and they get to keep thatlaptop until they graduate high school.
(06:10):
So we really promote thatbecause it of giving away the need
of having a cell phone.
Okay, well that makes perfect sense.
I mean, that's.
Controlling cell phones is ahuge issue today.
And I even know of a middleschool nearby that has banned the
use of them.
Students show up with them andthey pouch them and don't get them
(06:31):
back.
Most of our middle schoolshave moved to that now.
They really have, where it'snot seen or heard.
So it needs to be powered off,stowed away in the locker or backpack,
and not out during the day.
So that really is the now,because cell phones can be such a
distraction to the learningenvironment and that's why we're
there to learn.
And then the kids work aroundthat with these smartwatches that
(06:54):
connect to the device that'sway over there.
Yes, exactly.
Okay, so what about.
I don't know if this is stillan issue.
Well, of course it is dresscode in schools.
Some of these kids show upschool with blue jeans that look
like they're just survived abear attack and others are like,
(07:15):
I want to be the nextexecutive president of whatever.
So are there standards acrossthe district or how is dress code
managed in the schools?
It's a great question.
We know sometimes it can beanother anxiety inducing thing coming
to middle school, but thecounty does have a district wide
policy for dress code.
So what we in the middleschool really encourage you to do
(07:37):
and parents to do is just tocheck with your local school, check
with the administration andthe principal on how that district
policy is implemented, andthen they will tell you all the things
at the open houses when theycome for orientation this summer.
So that's really the best timeto learn about all the dress code
policies.
Okay.
And that's an excellent pointthat each of the schools do usually
have some sort of day ofaddressing some of these details
(08:01):
in school life.
I mean, what we ask is thatparents don't send their, you know,
child to school.
You know, that it's going tobe a distraction.
You know, we're about thelearning environment.
So anything that's distractingto the learning environment probably
is a.
Okay.
All right.
So.
And no Gucci bags or anythinglike that.
Okay, well, we still see that.
(08:21):
I still see them.
We want them to dress forsuccess every day.
We still see the designer, youknow, and what's the big.
The Stanley.
Stanley cups, you know, that'svery popular to bring just the color.
And the right color has to match.
Your outfit has to be maybe apastel color.
Yikes.
That's awesome.
All the things as a guy.
(08:42):
Okay, so now that we've talkedabout all the right dress and.
And color and stuff, let's goto something that actually it happens
at elementary, middle andhigh, and that is sports.
Right.
In general, they're parentswho as soon as their child can walk,
they get them into some formof sport.
What is the scene like at themiddle school level relating to,
(09:06):
like, say, football for middleschool students?
That's another great question.
And we get that all the timefrom parents and students.
Do the middle schools havetheir own sports teams?
So in other words, does Mabryor Palmer or Lost Mountain have their
own?
And then they play other Cobbcounty schools.
(09:28):
So the junior sports teams arenot affiliated with the Cobb county
school district, but ourstudents do play on those.
On, you know, the junior teams.
And where you find out aboutthose is through the athletic websites
for the high schools.
Oh, o.
So they got their own farmsystem going is what.
That's the best place to findthat information out.
(09:49):
Go to the high school athleticwebsites and they will have junior
sports information there.
A lot of times they practiceon Cobb county school facilities.
They play games, but they'renot like an after school for each
middle school program.
Official program.
Exactly.
The property.
Okay.
Yep.
Very cool.
We really do encourage, youknow, students to get involved in
(10:12):
sports.
It's such a great way.
It's such a great outlet, youphysical activity, a great way to
make friends.
Just like Lauren said, to kindof find your crowd.
Just really encourage parentsto get their kids involved in those
sports programs, especiallysince they feed into the high school.
So if they really want to playsports in high school, starting on
(10:32):
those junior teams is the bestway to go.
So when it comes to just theoverall experience of moving up from
that cuddly elementary schoolexperience into a middle school environment,
some kids, I'm sure, are justchomping at the bed.
(10:52):
Right.
But other kids are like, overwhelmed.
I would assume you're in the school.
So tell us a little, Lauren,about what you have seen firsthand.
How do they.
Or what hurdles do theyencounter when they make that move
up?
And what progress have you seen?
Absolutely.
(11:12):
And we, you know, as middleschool counselors, like, we, we hear
and see it all, and that's whywe're here, because we know there's
lots of different emotions andit could be different one day to
the next.
When they first transition, weknow it's a big jump.
So we are here to kind of walkwith them every step of the way.
But one of the biggest hurdlesthat they need to kind of adjust
to starting out that firstyear is just adjusting to the academic
(11:33):
rigor and the workload.
So they are not used to, youknow, maybe having homework every
night or even if they do thehomework is not graded.
When you come to sixth grade,it is.
So that's a big shock to their system.
And they, you know, lots ofanxiety and, oh, my goodness, I'm
gonna fail all my classes.
And the panic.
Right.
But it's just one step at a time.
That's a huge adjustment thatthey've got to face that hurdle.
(11:56):
Yeah.
And nobody is holding theirhand as they're doing it.
They gotta own it somewhat.
Right.
It's a balance.
We want them to own it.
And we do realize they're 11and 12.
They're not four.
So we want to give them alittle bit of the ownership and to
self advocate.
But we also know they are 11and 12.
So we're gonna walk with them,especially in the early stages of
the year.
And then by this time, youknow, my frequent flyers in the counseling
(12:18):
office who really strugglewith the anxiety and worry in August,
I don't see them as much anymore.
So it's just the naturalcourse of the year.
That's gotta be gratifying.
Right.
To see them, you know, maybesputter a little bit at the beginning.
And then you're like, wait aminute, they haven't been in here
in a while.
They start to build that independence.
Yeah.
So responsibility with somegrace is a way to describe that.
(12:40):
So how can parents.
There's a lot of informationhere that I think is awesome.
How can parents take thisinformation and really practically
apply this?
There's a lot of things thatparents can do to help ease them
into success in middle school.
The first thing is we alwaysencourage our parents to go to all
(13:01):
the open houses, Go to thosepreview days with your student, get
on the school campus and walkaround the hall so the child becomes
more comfortable with that.
Also just telling them that,you know, everybody's new, so they're
all experiencing this togetherand so, you know, not to be quite
(13:22):
so afraid.
You're all in this together.
You're gonna make great newfriends and great new experiences
and keep it positive.
Right.
Organization that is reallykey to success in middle school.
Most of our students attendsix to seven classes a day.
So keeping that backpack, Ialways encourage parents the night
(13:43):
before school, get thatbackpack organized and by the door,
ready to head out in the morning.
So we're not running around inthe morning stressed, trying to find
everything.
As nerdy as it sounds, itreally works.
It is.
And like Lauren touched on, somany of our students are in music
programs, so they have to keepup with an instrument.
So that's another thing.
So just keeping thatorganization routine is really important.
(14:07):
You know, a bedtime, you know,get up the same time every morning,
that routine, and really, thatit causes stability, and students
really thrive on that.
So you just mentionedsomething that's really, I guess,
near and dear to my heart.
Sleep, sleep, sleep.
Sleep is so important, atleast our household is experienced,
(14:28):
that it's really hard to get amiddle schooler to settle down and
make themselves lie there longenough to go to sleep.
Right.
So how is it?
Is it just me, or is that abroader issue in students and learning?
(14:50):
It is.
So many times we see studentscoming into school, you know, they've
had three or four hours sleep,sometimes even less than that, two
hours of sleep at night.
And so, you know, you'll askthe student, you know, why did you
only get two hours of sleeplast night?
Oh, I was up playing video games.
Oh, I was on my phone.
I couldn't sleep.
And that seems to be thestandard answer.
(15:11):
When they can't sleep, theyreach for technology, which is one
of the worst things that youcould do.
Exactly.
So we really encourage parentsto get the technology out of the
bedroom at night.
So our teens, you know, middleschoolers, they need their sleep.
They need a good eight hoursof sleep.
So they come to school readyto learn and ready to handle the
stressors throughout the day.
(15:32):
We know when we're sleepdeprived, you know, it's hard to
function.
So, Lauren, you were saying,you know, that's one of the first
Questions you ask studentswhen they come in and they're upset
in the morning.
Middle school life as a counselor.
The first question whensomebody is crying, emotionally unstable,
stressed out, panic attack ishow many hours of sleep did you get
last night?
And have you eaten breakfastor lunch depending on the time of
(15:55):
day.
And if both of those answersare no, then we gotta focus on the
physical needs first before wecan deal with any of the emotional
piece.
Yeah.
And when you're talking aboutbreakfast, I mean a pop tart or a
donut does not constitute breakfast.
You gotta get some protein inthere to keep the brain going.
Right.
All these basics, it's aboutthe well being of the whole child
and we need you to come toschool and ready to go.
(16:18):
As far as the gaming sidegoes, technology.
In my case I'm with at&t onour Internet and they have an app
that allows me to shut theirconnectivity to the Internet down
on their cell phone or agaming system at a certain time.
Right.
So that has been a reallifesaver for us from that standpoint.
(16:38):
You gotta be that tough parentevery now and then, right?
You do.
You have to set thoseboundaries at home, you know, limit
the screen time.
We see so much now that hascome out in the last couple of years
about social media and youknow, all of the addiction that goes
with that and just spending somany hours on it and students mental
health, how it's negativelyaffecting their mental health.
(17:00):
So setting those boundaries isreally important.
We encourage parents, there'son Common sense website, there's
like parental agreements thatyou can have with your student, you
know, with your child and setthose boundaries.
But it's really, reallyimportant, especially with the cell
(17:21):
phone addiction that we're seeing.
Gotta end the day.
Yep, that's right.
And we know, I think parentsfeel very overwhelmed, especially
new first time middle schoolparents, they feel defeated already
before they walk in the doorbecause they feel like they're fighting
a never ending battle of thescreen time.
And that's why there's so manyres available that we from the counseling
standpoint push out as much aswe can.
(17:42):
We bring in speakers to talkabout it, we do anything we can because
it's important.
And like Barbara said, it's anepidemic and our kids are feeling
it.
So really the main theme ofmiddle school is just resiliency
and balance.
So we need them to have both.
Yeah.
I think another huge part ofmiddle school is navigating friendships.
So this is the fun part,another part.
(18:03):
No, this is the main part.
Academics are secondary intheir minds.
In their minds, you are 100% correct.
It is all about friends.
It's about, you know, if youthink about it, if you break it down,
they're in a new building.
It's big.
They're meeting tons of new people.
They might have some of theirfriends from elementary school that
rolled up to the middle schoolwith them, but everybody's kind of
(18:23):
growth journey is differentand they're on a different pace.
And some of them want tocreate a whole new identity in sixth
grade and maybe theirfriendships start changing and us
as middle school counselorsget the phone calls from parents
going, oh, my goodness, Idon't know who they're hanging out
with anymore.
Who is my child?
That's normal.
They're learning who they are.
And that's why we encouragejoining sports, joining music programs,
(18:44):
getting involved in clubs,because they need to learn what they're
passionate about and whatmaybe skill set that they can apply
in the future.
But it's the fun part ofcounseling in middle school.
And as a parent, I would sayallowing them within certain constraints
to fail, to not fail a class,but understand what the boundaries
(19:06):
are, make your decision, andthen reflect on that gently.
You know, if it falls apart,what can you learn from that?
And how can you not experiencethat heartache or whatever.
It's teaching them thatresiliency to the bounce back.
You know, some days aren'tgoing to be as good as other days,
but we, you know, start eachday fresh and new.
(19:27):
But teaching resiliency isreally important, especially with
this generation.
They struggle a little bitwith that and.
And there's many reasons.
Maybe social media, I don't know.
And that was the podcast shewas on, which, by the way, was amazingly
insightful.
I would advise go back andtake a look at, especially at this
(19:48):
age group, middle school, youneed to look at that podcast and
I'll see if we can put thelink somewhere.
If it's on YouTube, it wouldbe up here.
But some great insights onways to allow them access to some
things and forego it until alater time in life for other things.
(20:12):
Right.
Well, ladies, thank you so much.
Barbara, you're always a joy.
And Lauren, great to meet you.
You too.
Thank you.
It's good to know we've gotpeople like you out in the schools.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
Doing the good work out there.
Those school counselors.
What would we do if we didn't have.
The parenting would be a lotharder, I can tell you that.
(20:33):
If you found something helpfulin this conversation, make sure you
share it with someone you know.
And of course, give us a like,make sure you're subscribed and click
that notification bell so youdon't miss out on the next podcast.
Thank you for listening tothis edition of the Inside Scoop,
a podcast produced by the CobbCounty School.
Nervous about your fifthgrader moving up to middle school?
That's up next on the Inside Scoop.
Hello and welcome back to theInside Scoop.
I'm David Owen.
A student's graduation fromthe comfortable world of elementary
school to head into thechallenges of middle school can be
a scary time for parents andstudents alike.
(00:22):
But don't fret.
We have two insiders who canhelp guide the way.
They are.
Lauren Oden, our schoolcounselor at Mabry Middle.
And back for a second, secondtime, Barbara Cherluck, who is the
Cobb Middle School consultant.
Welcome to the podcast.
Thank you.
You guys are.
And Barbara, you know, thepodcast is one of those things that,
(00:45):
that parents appreciate beingable to find those nuances of a circumstance,
such as sending their, theirchild up to middle school.
But sometimes it's just amatter of some of the logistics.
So when we're talking about afifth grader going up to the middle
school building and years, dothey get to choose their own classes
(01:08):
or do they experience the samesituation that they had in elementary
school with the classes justbeing present?
Here are your classes.
Tell us about that aspect.
Well, that is one of thebiggest transitions coming from the
elementary school to themiddle school.
And that's one of the questions.
Do I get to choose all my own classes?
(01:30):
So the answer is yes and no.
So I'm going to let Laurenelaborate on that.
Okay.
So she's right.
Yes and no.
The academic core classesstudents are not able to select on
their own.
It's based on the gradingcriteria that all of these schedulers
have, and if they meet those qualifications.
But the really cool part isthey get a little tiny bit of ownership
(01:52):
early on in middle school.
They get to choose ourconnections classes.
They're used to specials inelementary school, like the health
or the music PE Classes inmiddle school, we call them connections.
So they have lots of thingsthat they can be exposed to, like
robotics and study skills andhealth and PE all the things.
And art.
So they can choose to be in amusic program.
(02:15):
So most Cobb county schoolshave band, orchestra, and chorus.
So if they want to pursue thatroute, they absolutely can and sign
up all year.
And then the rest of theirconnections will just be scheduled
on a rotating semester basis.
So they, like you said, theyown it a little more.
It's not quite at theuniversity level where it's just
wide open.
And here are the classes.
Which one do you want?
(02:35):
But, man, that's got to beeither overwhelming to them or really
empowering.
Right?
Is there any insight on that?
And it could be A combination,especially with new sixth graders.
They are trying to find whothey are and figure out the new big
building.
And they're a little scaredand nervous, but that's why we're
(02:55):
here to help them guide andwork along sixth grade teachers.
But they really do feel alittle empowered.
Like you said, it's the firsttime they've gotten to choose a class,
so they get a little excited.
And we really encouragestudents in sixth grade to try out
all the music programs becausethat's where they meet a good chunk
of their new friends becausethey're with them all year.
And it's a really good, youknow, kind of circle widening process
(03:18):
for them.
And they get to learn a newskill too.
So we're talking about anxietyproducing memories.
Yes.
It's going back into the lastcentury for mine.
But the first day it seemedlike it was a big challenge getting
to understand the technologyknown as lockers.
Yes.
(03:39):
And to some extent I rememberthat excited feeling of, wow, this
is just like what they have atthe high school.
This is big kid stuff.
Do students still take theirlocks to school or how does that
all get resolved?
It's so funny because that isone of the biggest stressors with
(03:59):
our elementary students movingup to sixth grade.
It is still a thing.
I would say that that firstweek, it is the biggest stressor.
So, you know, they do not needto bring their own lock.
All of our lockers in Cobbcounty have a combination on it.
So that first week of school,they're going to be assigned a locker,
(04:20):
they're going to be giventheir combination, and there's lots
of help to teach them how toget in and out of the locker.
So they still have to learnhow to do the combination.
I remember that just being ahuge stressor for all of us nowadays.
There is a.
And I got to stop using thatterm nowadays.
That's a real telling signright there.
Cell phones are such a hugething today.
(04:45):
So what is the policy on cellphones in middle schools?
I don't even know if there isan issue.
And.
Well, there is an issue in elementary.
Some kids are given an iPhone,whatever, when they are born, I guess.
How does that all work?
Every middle school has theirown cell phone policy.
(05:06):
And the one thing that I dowant to stress with parents, your
sixth grader does not need acell phone.
So oftentimes they'll say, youknow, middle school, now it's time
to get a cell phone.
So that is not true.
They do not need to bring acell phone to middle school.
However, Each school does havetheir own policy.
So Lauren, what you want totell us about yours?
(05:29):
Absolutely.
So we at Mabry have the bringyour own device policy.
So we do allow students tobring a cell phone into school.
Sorry to interrupt.
But bring your own device iswhere you actually use your device
for educational purposes, right?
Correct.
It kind of started before.
Obviously we have the Cobbcounty provided laptops that we offer
now, which is honestly kind oftaken away the need for having a
(05:50):
cell phone at school.
So like Barbara said, some ofthe, you know, excited sixth graders
want to have a cell phone andthey like to tell their parents that
it's required, but we promiseyou it's not.
And you can.
The parents can opt in toreceive the county provided school
laptop, which is what theywill use all day, every day in classes,
and they get to keep thatlaptop until they graduate high school.
(06:10):
So we really promote thatbecause it of giving away the need
of having a cell phone.
Okay, well that makes perfect sense.
I mean, that's.
Controlling cell phones is ahuge issue today.
And I even know of a middleschool nearby that has banned the
use of them.
Students show up with them andthey pouch them and don't get them
(06:31):
back.
Most of our middle schoolshave moved to that now.
They really have, where it'snot seen or heard.
So it needs to be powered off,stowed away in the locker or backpack,
and not out during the day.
So that really is the now,because cell phones can be such a
distraction to the learningenvironment and that's why we're
there to learn.
And then the kids work aroundthat with these smartwatches that
(06:54):
connect to the device that'sway over there.
Yes, exactly.
Okay, so what about.
I don't know if this is stillan issue.
Well, of course it is dresscode in schools.
Some of these kids show upschool with blue jeans that look
like they're just survived abear attack and others are like,
(07:15):
I want to be the nextexecutive president of whatever.
So are there standards acrossthe district or how is dress code
managed in the schools?
It's a great question.
We know sometimes it can beanother anxiety inducing thing coming
to middle school, but thecounty does have a district wide
policy for dress code.
So what we in the middleschool really encourage you to do
(07:37):
and parents to do is just tocheck with your local school, check
with the administration andthe principal on how that district
policy is implemented, andthen they will tell you all the things
at the open houses when theycome for orientation this summer.
So that's really the best timeto learn about all the dress code
policies.
Okay.
And that's an excellent pointthat each of the schools do usually
have some sort of day ofaddressing some of these details
(08:01):
in school life.
I mean, what we ask is thatparents don't send their, you know,
child to school.
You know, that it's going tobe a distraction.
You know, we're about thelearning environment.
So anything that's distractingto the learning environment probably
is a.
Okay.
All right.
So.
And no Gucci bags or anythinglike that.
Okay, well, we still see that.
(08:21):
I still see them.
We want them to dress forsuccess every day.
We still see the designer, youknow, and what's the big.
The Stanley.
Stanley cups, you know, that'svery popular to bring just the color.
And the right color has to match.
Your outfit has to be maybe apastel color.
Yikes.
That's awesome.
All the things as a guy.
(08:42):
Okay, so now that we've talkedabout all the right dress and.
And color and stuff, let's goto something that actually it happens
at elementary, middle andhigh, and that is sports.
Right.
In general, they're parentswho as soon as their child can walk,
they get them into some formof sport.
What is the scene like at themiddle school level relating to,
(09:06):
like, say, football for middleschool students?
That's another great question.
And we get that all the timefrom parents and students.
Do the middle schools havetheir own sports teams?
So in other words, does Mabryor Palmer or Lost Mountain have their
own?
And then they play other Cobbcounty schools.
(09:28):
So the junior sports teams arenot affiliated with the Cobb county
school district, but ourstudents do play on those.
On, you know, the junior teams.
And where you find out aboutthose is through the athletic websites
for the high schools.
Oh, o.
So they got their own farmsystem going is what.
That's the best place to findthat information out.
(09:49):
Go to the high school athleticwebsites and they will have junior
sports information there.
A lot of times they practiceon Cobb county school facilities.
They play games, but they'renot like an after school for each
middle school program.
Official program.
Exactly.
The property.
Okay.
Yep.
Very cool.
We really do encourage, youknow, students to get involved in
(10:12):
sports.
It's such a great way.
It's such a great outlet, youphysical activity, a great way to
make friends.
Just like Lauren said, to kindof find your crowd.
Just really encourage parentsto get their kids involved in those
sports programs, especiallysince they feed into the high school.
So if they really want to playsports in high school, starting on
(10:32):
those junior teams is the bestway to go.
So when it comes to just theoverall experience of moving up from
that cuddly elementary schoolexperience into a middle school environment,
some kids, I'm sure, are justchomping at the bed.
(10:52):
Right.
But other kids are like, overwhelmed.
I would assume you're in the school.
So tell us a little, Lauren,about what you have seen firsthand.
How do they.
Or what hurdles do theyencounter when they make that move
up?
And what progress have you seen?
Absolutely.
(11:12):
And we, you know, as middleschool counselors, like, we, we hear
and see it all, and that's whywe're here, because we know there's
lots of different emotions andit could be different one day to
the next.
When they first transition, weknow it's a big jump.
So we are here to kind of walkwith them every step of the way.
But one of the biggest hurdlesthat they need to kind of adjust
to starting out that firstyear is just adjusting to the academic
(11:33):
rigor and the workload.
So they are not used to, youknow, maybe having homework every
night or even if they do thehomework is not graded.
When you come to sixth grade,it is.
So that's a big shock to their system.
And they, you know, lots ofanxiety and, oh, my goodness, I'm
gonna fail all my classes.
And the panic.
Right.
But it's just one step at a time.
That's a huge adjustment thatthey've got to face that hurdle.
(11:56):
Yeah.
And nobody is holding theirhand as they're doing it.
They gotta own it somewhat.
Right.
It's a balance.
We want them to own it.
And we do realize they're 11and 12.
They're not four.
So we want to give them alittle bit of the ownership and to
self advocate.
But we also know they are 11and 12.
So we're gonna walk with them,especially in the early stages of
the year.
And then by this time, youknow, my frequent flyers in the counseling
(12:18):
office who really strugglewith the anxiety and worry in August,
I don't see them as much anymore.
So it's just the naturalcourse of the year.
That's gotta be gratifying.
Right.
To see them, you know, maybesputter a little bit at the beginning.
And then you're like, wait aminute, they haven't been in here
in a while.
They start to build that independence.
Yeah.
So responsibility with somegrace is a way to describe that.
(12:40):
So how can parents.
There's a lot of informationhere that I think is awesome.
How can parents take thisinformation and really practically
apply this?
There's a lot of things thatparents can do to help ease them
into success in middle school.
The first thing is we alwaysencourage our parents to go to all
(13:01):
the open houses, Go to thosepreview days with your student, get
on the school campus and walkaround the hall so the child becomes
more comfortable with that.
Also just telling them that,you know, everybody's new, so they're
all experiencing this togetherand so, you know, not to be quite
(13:22):
so afraid.
You're all in this together.
You're gonna make great newfriends and great new experiences
and keep it positive.
Right.
Organization that is reallykey to success in middle school.
Most of our students attendsix to seven classes a day.
So keeping that backpack, Ialways encourage parents the night
(13:43):
before school, get thatbackpack organized and by the door,
ready to head out in the morning.
So we're not running around inthe morning stressed, trying to find
everything.
As nerdy as it sounds, itreally works.
It is.
And like Lauren touched on, somany of our students are in music
programs, so they have to keepup with an instrument.
So that's another thing.
So just keeping thatorganization routine is really important.
(14:07):
You know, a bedtime, you know,get up the same time every morning,
that routine, and really, thatit causes stability, and students
really thrive on that.
So you just mentionedsomething that's really, I guess,
near and dear to my heart.
Sleep, sleep, sleep.
Sleep is so important, atleast our household is experienced,
(14:28):
that it's really hard to get amiddle schooler to settle down and
make themselves lie there longenough to go to sleep.
Right.
So how is it?
Is it just me, or is that abroader issue in students and learning?
(14:50):
It is.
So many times we see studentscoming into school, you know, they've
had three or four hours sleep,sometimes even less than that, two
hours of sleep at night.
And so, you know, you'll askthe student, you know, why did you
only get two hours of sleeplast night?
Oh, I was up playing video games.
Oh, I was on my phone.
I couldn't sleep.
And that seems to be thestandard answer.
(15:11):
When they can't sleep, theyreach for technology, which is one
of the worst things that youcould do.
Exactly.
So we really encourage parentsto get the technology out of the
bedroom at night.
So our teens, you know, middleschoolers, they need their sleep.
They need a good eight hoursof sleep.
So they come to school readyto learn and ready to handle the
stressors throughout the day.
(15:32):
We know when we're sleepdeprived, you know, it's hard to
function.
So, Lauren, you were saying,you know, that's one of the first
Questions you ask studentswhen they come in and they're upset
in the morning.
Middle school life as a counselor.
The first question whensomebody is crying, emotionally unstable,
stressed out, panic attack ishow many hours of sleep did you get
last night?
And have you eaten breakfastor lunch depending on the time of
(15:55):
day.
And if both of those answersare no, then we gotta focus on the
physical needs first before wecan deal with any of the emotional
piece.
Yeah.
And when you're talking aboutbreakfast, I mean a pop tart or a
donut does not constitute breakfast.
You gotta get some protein inthere to keep the brain going.
Right.
All these basics, it's aboutthe well being of the whole child
and we need you to come toschool and ready to go.
(16:18):
As far as the gaming sidegoes, technology.
In my case I'm with at&t onour Internet and they have an app
that allows me to shut theirconnectivity to the Internet down
on their cell phone or agaming system at a certain time.
Right.
So that has been a reallifesaver for us from that standpoint.
(16:38):
You gotta be that tough parentevery now and then, right?
You do.
You have to set thoseboundaries at home, you know, limit
the screen time.
We see so much now that hascome out in the last couple of years
about social media and youknow, all of the addiction that goes
with that and just spending somany hours on it and students mental
health, how it's negativelyaffecting their mental health.
(17:00):
So setting those boundaries isreally important.
We encourage parents, there'son Common sense website, there's
like parental agreements thatyou can have with your student, you
know, with your child and setthose boundaries.
But it's really, reallyimportant, especially with the cell
(17:21):
phone addiction that we're seeing.
Gotta end the day.
Yep, that's right.
And we know, I think parentsfeel very overwhelmed, especially
new first time middle schoolparents, they feel defeated already
before they walk in the doorbecause they feel like they're fighting
a never ending battle of thescreen time.
And that's why there's so manyres available that we from the counseling
standpoint push out as much aswe can.
(17:42):
We bring in speakers to talkabout it, we do anything we can because
it's important.
And like Barbara said, it's anepidemic and our kids are feeling
it.
So really the main theme ofmiddle school is just resiliency
and balance.
So we need them to have both.
Yeah.
I think another huge part ofmiddle school is navigating friendships.
So this is the fun part,another part.
(18:03):
No, this is the main part.
Academics are secondary intheir minds.
In their minds, you are 100% correct.
It is all about friends.
It's about, you know, if youthink about it, if you break it down,
they're in a new building.
It's big.
They're meeting tons of new people.
They might have some of theirfriends from elementary school that
rolled up to the middle schoolwith them, but everybody's kind of
(18:23):
growth journey is differentand they're on a different pace.
And some of them want tocreate a whole new identity in sixth
grade and maybe theirfriendships start changing and us
as middle school counselorsget the phone calls from parents
going, oh, my goodness, Idon't know who they're hanging out
with anymore.
Who is my child?
That's normal.
They're learning who they are.
And that's why we encouragejoining sports, joining music programs,
(18:44):
getting involved in clubs,because they need to learn what they're
passionate about and whatmaybe skill set that they can apply
in the future.
But it's the fun part ofcounseling in middle school.
And as a parent, I would sayallowing them within certain constraints
to fail, to not fail a class,but understand what the boundaries
(19:06):
are, make your decision, andthen reflect on that gently.
You know, if it falls apart,what can you learn from that?
And how can you not experiencethat heartache or whatever.
It's teaching them thatresiliency to the bounce back.
You know, some days aren'tgoing to be as good as other days,
but we, you know, start eachday fresh and new.
(19:27):
But teaching resiliency isreally important, especially with
this generation.
They struggle a little bitwith that and.
And there's many reasons.
Maybe social media, I don't know.
And that was the podcast shewas on, which, by the way, was amazingly
insightful.
I would advise go back andtake a look at, especially at this
(19:48):
age group, middle school, youneed to look at that podcast and
I'll see if we can put thelink somewhere.
If it's on YouTube, it wouldbe up here.
But some great insights onways to allow them access to some
things and forego it until alater time in life for other things.
(20:12):
Right.
Well, ladies, thank you so much.
Barbara, you're always a joy.
And Lauren, great to meet you.
You too.
Thank you.
It's good to know we've gotpeople like you out in the schools.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
Doing the good work out there.
Those school counselors.
What would we do if we didn't have.
The parenting would be a lotharder, I can tell you that.
(20:33):
If you found something helpfulin this conversation, make sure you
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And of course, give us a like,make sure you're subscribed and click
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Thank you for listening tothis edition of the Inside Scoop,
a podcast produced by the CobbCounty School.
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