Middle School Programs & Resources
The social/emotional education program for students in grades 6-8 consists of training and education related to basic social skills, friendship skills, conflict resolution skills, anger management skills, and harassment & bullying. Prevention efforts at each of our middle schools vary. Below is a combined list of resources used and activities implemented across the district for this age group. For more information, please contact your specific middle school.
Resources:
- “Stop the Anger Now,” by Ron Potter-Efron (anger/conflict management skills)
- “Social Skills Activities,” by Darlene Mannix (basic social skills knowledge and application)
- “Making & Keeping Friends,” by John J. Schmidt (lessons and activities for building and maintaining relationships)
- “Teaching Students to be Peacemakers,” by David Johnson & Roger Johnson (conflict resolution strategies)
- “Bully-Proofing Your School,” by Marla Bonds & Sally Stoker (a comprehensive approach to addressing bullying in middle school)
- “The Bully, The Bullied and Beyond” by Ester Williams (skill-building activities)
- Sunburst multimedia (harassment resources)
- “Queen Bees & Wannabees,” by Rosalind Wiseman; “Girl Wars,” by Cheryl Dellesaga; and “Mean Girls,” by YouthLight (relational aggression/bullying resources)
- Seattle Public Schools cyberbullying curriculum
- Michigan Model health curriculum
- Life Skills Curriculum (Friends of Youth)
Middle School Student Support Programs:
Bullying & Harassment assemblies/discussions
At the beginning of each year, middle school students are provided training on bullying/harassment. This is presented during an assembly or classroom presentations. They discuss the definition of bullying/harassment, the laws around it, examples of bullying and harassment, and a specific plan for how to deal with bullying and harassment at school if they experience or witness it happening. Also, if staff should notice an ongoing social/emotional issue at a certain grade level (ex: tolerance, conflict resolution, etc.), the school provides one or more educational sessions for that entire grade level, focused on the specific social topic of concern.
Student Perception Surveys
Input and data help shape our policies, programs and strategies. In analyzing survey data, careful attention is given to responses which relate to bullying and harassment. Surveys include:
- The Healthy Youth Survey is administered every two years to students in grades 6, 8, 10 and 12 attending Snoqualmie Valley schools (and other participating schools across the state). The multiple choice survey questions cover a broad range of social/emotional topics, including bullying and harassment, as well as drug and alcohol use, depression, and other health concerns. Results of the surveys provide school staff valuable feedback regarding social trends and risky behaviors that may impact how safe students feel at school.
- School-based surveys – Schools also conduct surveys on the students’ perspectives of bullying/harassment and other issues at school. The survey results are compiled and shared with parents, students, and school staff, to help focus the school’s efforts around prevention and school safety.
Cyberbullying education
All middle school students receive training on Cyberbullying –a topic which changes as quickly as technology changes. Students learn about the definition of cyberbullying, the various forms it takes, the laws related to cyberbullying, steps they should take to help protect their personal information online and what to do if they feel they are a target of cyberbullying.
Pledge sheets
Students sign pledge sheets that demonstrate their understanding of their school’s policies regarding bully and harassment, and give their commitment to uphold those expectations. If a student is involved with bullying or harassment issues later in the year, this pledge is revisited during disciplinary discussions.
Peer-to-peer support
Our middle schools are establishing peer mediation programs. For example, through a program called Natural Helpers , a group of students who represent each grade level receives special training to learn how to be good listeners for their peers and how to recognize when another student may need help dealing with issues (from an adult). Peer support programs empower students to intervene effectively with troubled friends, prevent some problems of adolescence, and increase their capacity to improve their school and community.
Poster projects
During a class, students create posters that address bullying prevention and reporting in the school setting. They post these messages throughout the school for ongoing reminders that those behaviors are not tolerated.
Health classes
In middle school Health classes, students learn about mental health, conflict resolution, problem-solving skills, refusal skills, and also how to handle bullying/harassment, and sexual harassment.
Focused Counseling groups
Social Skills, Anger Management , Friendships—depending on student needs, there are usually one or more of these groups at each grade level that meet regularly to discuss social situations, conflicts, friendship qualities, etc. Schools also use groups as a way of handling specific bullying/harassment issues as they arise. Counselors from the Friends of Youth organization also partner with our schools to conduct counseling groups and provide classroom presentations.
“Problem-solve” meetings
When there are students with a conflict or issue of bullying or harassment that is not resolved immediately, there are regular meetings with the individuals involved to problem-solve and mediate the ongoing conflict, setting ‘ground rules for peace’.
Parent education
In conjunction with school administration and counselors, Parent Teacher Student Associations (PTSAs) offer presentations to raise awareness about bullying/harassment (in general), sexual harassment, cyberbullying, relational aggression, mental health issues, suicide prevention, friendship support, dating & relationships, etc., to help parents support their teens at home.
Middle School Incident Response Guidelines
Middle School Activities