Who will your middle schooler become over the next 10 or 15 years? A mechanical engineer … nurse … graphic designer … perhaps a first-generation college graduate?
You have dreams about the opportunities you want for your child. College and career might seem like a long way off; but, have you considered how their middle school environment will support your aspirations for their future? Your child will spend a lot of time in school — an average of 16,000 hours by the time they graduate high school! The mentors and peers who surround them will play a big role in how they see themselves and what they believe is possible for their future.
Here are four ways middle school can prepare your child for a bright future.
Set Goals
Does your child’s middle school encourage goal setting? Whether it’s a short term goal to serve on the student council or a long term goal to become a business owner and leader in the community, setting goals (and learning how to achieve them) is essential for growth.
At St HOPE Leadership Academy, we approach our academics by beginning with the end in mind — where are we going and how can we help your child understand what’s possible? That’s why St HOPE has a distinct emphasis on college readiness.
We begin early with our Advisory Program, where scholars set both academic and behavioral goals. Scholars start each day in their Advisory small group with 11 other peers while advisors facilitate conversations around topics such as gratitude, mindfulness, decision making, and relationships. Class outings, college tours, community service projects, and trips help scholars learn about future career options and keep them focused on the possibilities ahead.
We Help Middle Schoolers Dream a Bigger Tomorrow.
Download our Parent Info Packet to learn how.
Access Resources
Will your child’s middle school provide them with the resources they need to accomplish their goals? While it’s great to dream, your child might feel discouraged if they do not have access to the things they need to keep pursuing academic interests.
Some charter schools like St HOPE Leadership Academy offer scholars:
- 1:1 laptops so every scholar has the technology they need to be successful
- Four $10k scholarships each year to alumni attending college
- A $5k Journey Scholarship to a rising junior to honor their hard work
- Six counselors who help scholars stay focused on their goals
- Achieve 3000 — a program that helps students increase literacy and reading skills
Academic support services so every child can build success
Identify Strengths
No one knows your child like you do — their gifts, interests, personality … all of the wonderful things that make them the unique individual they are. You know they are capable of great things!
Middle school is a unique season when your child can learn to fail, get back up, and try again as they discover their strengths and pursue new interests. But it is also a time where the decisions they make are going to have a greater impact on their future. Helping scholars learn what they’re good at and encouraging them to grow through challenges is key to long term success.
When considering how a middle school will support your child, ask these questions:
- Will my child receive the challenge and support they need to excel through differentiated instruction?
- Will my child have the opportunity to get a head start on high school and earn Regents Credits?
- Will my child be encouraged in their individual pursuits by teachers who care about their interests and goals?
- Will my child be able to actively engage in athletics, digital arts, performance, fine arts, and more?
Build Cultural Awareness
Over the next few years, as your child understands the opportunities for their future, they’re also going to grow in awareness of other cultures as they broaden their horizons and think about what happens in the world. How will their middle school environment shape their character and grow them into a confident leader who is committed to serving others and passionate about lifelong learning?
At St HOPE, we live out our core values as we work towards individual and collective goals, taking responsibility for helping and encouraging ourselves and others in learning.