"Middle School Themes...
6th, 7th and 8th Grade Excitement... "

Middle School Themes help Welcome new 6th, Graders... ...and Welcome Back 7th and 8th Graders...

As we know it's the transition from grade school to middle school that many of our young students find particularly challenging.

A good orientation program often helps sixth-graders with this transition. And this can be very emotional for kids.

There is a period of adjustment. What can we do to make it easier for the students ?

Can middle school themes help ? All staff members realize they want to find a way to meet the needs of incoming 6th grade students. They also must maintain the successes of 7th and 8th graders.

Let's start with the 6th grade staff.

What do 6th grade teachers think their students will need to help them be successful ?

And let's even ask 5th grade students. How do you feel about entering 6th grade ? What would you like to know about coming to middle school ?

Let's do a little more research... and check with this years' 6th graders. What do they wish they had known when they began middle school ?

Answers will be unique to your environment. Classroom size, how large, how small, travel distances, friends & other family members in the school system, weather, classes offered, schedules, staff unity, middle school themes etc.

But all this research helps answer the question... What do we need to help students be successful ?

Is it the basics ? Concentrate on the 3 R's........ (reading riting and rythmetic) to get them comfortable in the new environment.

I don't think so!

Maybe it's even more basic than that... let's conduct some open house familiarization days. Give students (and parents) a chance to see where everything is before school really starts.

Where's my locker ? Where is the gym ? How do I get to the cafeteria ? Where will the bus drop me off and pick me up ? Where is the nurse's office ? Where is the principal's office ? (don't want to go there of course but it helps to know where it is !) And let's not forget the guidance counselors - where is their office ?

Increasing the children's level of comfort with all of the things required of them in middle school is a significant benefit.

Getting to know some of the teachers and administrators ahead of time is about making a connection with the school and building a sense of community early on.

Get Your Favorite School Theme Today! Get Your Theme! AND MORE!

There are social and emotional issues students will face in middle school and they have personal responsibilities to help make their school the best it can be. A perfect middle school theme opportunity !

How they deal with problems and personal conflicts deserves early discussion.

School themes or skits designed to walk through some of these conflict management issues can be helpful. Time management is perhaps a new concept to middle school students.

They need to organize everything from school bell to school bell... locker time, lunch time, sports time and homework time. It helps them visualize how much time they need to plan for each activity.

Many new discoveries await middle school students and well designed, creative middle school themes can help them navigate a successful education path.

There are character building opportunities that offer insights about learning, personal achievement, integrity, persistence and a whole range of other goals that can be developed through middle school themes.

Character education initiatives that are designed to cultivate honesty, respect, responsibility and caring among students are important concepts at this age... and middle school themes can go a long way toward helping present these invaluable character traits.

Studies show bullying is common in our middle schools and character education can help students deal with this unfortunate trauma.

With a little added creativity it's possible to focus on different themes such as self-esteem and responsibility... and students can have discussions, attend assemblies and complete projects relating to each theme.

It's instructive if they understand what these words "mean" as they grow personally and academically. Successes like these are possible when teachers, parents, students and the entire education community come together to form a common goal.

Our goal is to share best practices, resources, inspirations and strategies for serving students... and we have prepared some middle school theme ideas to help you invest in their future.