Elementary to Middle
School –What to
expect and how to
support your child
Presented by – Cynthia Jones, Edwina Townsend and Lisa Ingalls
Making the move to
Middle School
You play a key role in your child’s success, you can help
your child cope with:
● Tougher academic challenges
● Changes in friendships and socializing
● Changes in body, mind and sense of self
● Making decisions
Friendships and social changes
Middle school age children have a strong desire to
fit in. Social issues may be your child’s biggest
concern:
❖ Be sensitive to these changes, talk to your child.
❖ Encourage child to stay in touch with old friends and
enjoy making new friends
❖ Teach your child to report bullying in person or online.
❖ Help your child solve problems.
❖ Encourage your child to be a true friend.
Friendship
Help your child understand:
● Being a good friend means respecting each
other’s uniqueness.
● The best way to make a friend, is to be a
friend.
● Friendships may change in middle school.
● Be yourself, real friends will like you for who
you are.
Phrases that kids ignore
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“If you would have just listened to me!”
“How many times do I have to tell you??”
“You will not…”
“You always…… you never….!!”
“You just…..”
“You have nothing to be stressed about!”
“When I was a kid…..”
“It’s my way or the highway”
“As long as you’re under my roof…”
Protective Factors for strong families
Parent Resilience
Knowledge of Parenting and Child
Development
Social and Emotional Competence of
children
Support system for parents and
children
Today’s youth live in a different culture
● A culture of disposability
● A culture of immediacy
● A culture of networking
● A culture of being driven, yet
sedentary
Boundaries
State clear specific boundaries, what is not permitted,
exceptions and the consequences.
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Homework and chores
Use of phones, technology, internet and TV
Where and when friends can be in your home
Bedtime
Language used
How to talk about bullying
● Bullying is aggressive
imbalance of power.
● Bullying is severe,
persistent and pervasive.
● Bullying can be verbal,
written, or physical.
● Cyber-bullying occurs
online, gaming, social
media and text/email.
Help your child learn
what bullying is...and
what it is not.
Let your child know...
● Encourage your child to report bullying immediately
to teacher, counselor, or principal. Most LISD middle
schools will require written notification.
● Talk about how to stand up to bullying: humor,
standing up for themselves, confidently or walking
away. If these don’t work, report!
● Urge your child to stand up for others who are bullied.
● Keep lines of communication open.
● Model how to treat others with kindness and respect.
Coping Skills
● Calm down - Relaxation techniques: deep breathing,
meditation, exercise, yoga, etc...
● Talk it out, let your child vent.
● Don’t try to fix it. Let your child
learn to experience disappointment,
failure, consequences and other
upsetting events.
Drug Trends:
How to talk to your kids
*Det.Kyle Koiner, The Colony, PD
(morning)
*Former DEA agent Michelle Deaver
(evening)
Drug Trends presented by:
Morning session
Detective Kyle Koiner has been the SRO at The Colony High
School for three years and a Detective at the same time.
He is currently on The Colony Police Department’s Tactical
Team and Explorer Post Advisor. Detective Koiner has been
at The Colony Police Department since 2006. He also
worked at Wichita Falls Police Department prior to TCPD.
Drug trends presented by:
Evening session
Michelle Deaver is a fulltime teacher, a mother of two, a wife and a
retired Special Agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration. During the 27
years with the DEA, Michelle worked undercover narcotic cases, arrested
defendants, served search warrants and testified in court. She was transferred
to 5 different states and finally ended her career with DEA in Dallas where she
retired as a supervisor. Michelle has been active in the community as a
speaker and offering presentations to parents about current drug trends.
After her very brief retirement, Michelle obtained her teaching credential and
started the law enforcement program at the Career Center East where she
teaches high school students who come from all 5 high schools throughout
LISD. This is Michelle’s fifth year of teaching.
Academics
Goals for Middle School Students:
●Developing organization & time management
●Independence to be able to manage daily
school life
●Exploration of activities / career interests
●Developing friendships
●Developing academic readiness for high
school courses
Academics: How
parents help
Organization and Time Management:
➔ Use of a planner or calendar is CRITICAL!
➔ School supplies available
➔ Utilize “teachable moments” early to avoid crisis later
➔ Watch for over-scheduling out of school activities
➔ Have a routine for doing school work
➔ Check teacher websites regularly, ie: Edmodo
➔ Teach how to open a combination lock
Academics: How parents help
Independence for daily life:
➔ Encourage your child to
communicate with their
teacher regarding:
◆ makeup work when
absent
◆ when they don’t
understand something
◆ Attend tutorials - practice
roleplaying what to say
➔ Email works great!
CC: Mom and Dad
➔ Private message on
Edmodo works too
➔ Develop a “go to”
person when they
need help
Academics: How parents help
Summer Activities:
● Teach list making - daily!
● Practice finding answers by self: look it up!
● Use the summer to explore new activities and interests
● Practice speaking to unfamiliar adults
○ child orders food and pays for it himself
○ when shopping, child asks a clerk a question
○ asks librarian where to find a book
Academics: How parents help
Regarding the rigor:
➔ Schedule appropriately
into PAP courses- (it’s
not for everyone)
➔ Encourage tutorials; it’s
not just for when you are
failing!
➔ Schedule effective study
time
➔ Please do not focus just
on the “A”
Academics: PAP Classes
● Requires students to think more abstractly, learn more
quickly, and develop critical thinking skills.
● Expectations of better than average skills
STAAR scores
○ grades
○ responsibility
○ organization
○
More info at LISD.net Education Planning Guide for
Middle School
Tips for Success: Who to call
Email usually works
best to contact teachers,
counselors and
principals.
Failing = teacher
Stress= teacher or counselor
Absent = attendance clerk
and teacher
Persistent peer conflict =
principal
When you contact the
teacher:
➔ To give unique info
about your child
➔ gathering info vs
accusing
➔ Remember: we are all
wanting the same thingsuccess for your child!
Tips for Success: Gather
resources!
➔ Specific Apps for class
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pdf reader
Nearpod
QR reader
Kahoot
ShowMe
➔ Edmodo or Google
Classroom
➔ Skyward
◆ set alerts
◆ dig deep into the
grades
● Screen Time - anything with a screen
○ Limits
■ Technology curfew
■ Family technology rules
■ Contracts/agreements
○ Balance
■ Downtime
● Modeling good technology practices
○ “Mom put the phone down!”
● Technology together
○ Make time to participate with your
child
● District issued iPads but parents’ rules!
Technology/iPads
Technology/iPads
Tips to protect:
●
Use info on LISD 1:X website
o Parental security code
o restrictions on buying Apps
● Charge electronics out of
bedrooms
● Watch social sites, especially
KIK and Ask.FM
● Watch the addiction of games
Tips for Success: Activities
Almost all campuses have beginning of the year
activities to help 6th graders, as well as other
new students, get used to the campus.
● camp - a Saturday or the first day or two of
school
● schoolwide socials- meet the teacher nights
● schedule pickup day: find locker, walk
schedule, meet teachers
● PTA events - JOIN and get on the email list
Contact Information
Edwina Townsend,M.Ed., LPC-S - Ethridge Elementary
townsendej@lisd.net
Ms. Townsend obtained her BA in Psychology and her Master’s in Counseling
at Texas Tech University. Edwina has been a school counselor for 24 years
and has been the counselor at Ethridge for 9 years. She has also worked in a
variety of settings: counselor in private practice, therapist for foster
children, crisis counselor for a residential treatment center and an adjunct
professor at DBU.
Cynthia Jones, MAC, CSC- Prairie Trail Elementary
Jonescj@lisd.net
Cynthia Jones graduated with a Masters in Counseling as well as received her
school counseling certification from Dallas Baptist University. She has been in
public education for 20 years with the last 14 as a elementary counselor.
Cynthia has worked with the CHOICES ADAPT program for 7 years and will
take the National Board of Certified Counseling exam in the fall. Her beautiful
blended family allows her to love a Marcus High 9th grader and a Permian
High 11th grader.
Contact Information
Lisa Ingalls M.Ed., CSC
Killian Middle School Counselor
Ingallsl@lisd.net
Lisa Ingalls has been a counselor in LISD for 15 years, helping to open both
Creek Valley and Killian Middle Schools as new campuses. Prior to coming to
LISD, she was a high school counselor for 12 years. In addition to her campus
responsibilities, she is also the Lead Counselor for the East Zone Middle
Schools. She is married, with two children. Her daughter graduated from
Hebron High School and is a proud Aggie. Her son is a junior at Hebron.
Resources
www.whyismarko.com
www.empoweringparents.com
www.aap.org
www.childwelfare.gov
www.stopbullying.gov
www.lisd.net