6th Grade Guidance Curriculum
Using the Pennsylvania State Standards for School Counseling as our guide, the Guidance Department at Boyce Middle School has developed a comprehensive school counseling program. This program includes a Guidance Curriculum that covers a variety of current topics to address the needs of our 6th grade students. Below you will find a list and brief summary of the topics that we cover throughout the year!
Study Skills & Organization:
The counselor will work with the students on several strategies that will lead to lasting academic success. Subjects include: active listening skills, organizational skills, time management skills, and test-taking skills.
Bullying & Cliques:
Students will be actively engaged in lessons that help them to understand feelings of being included and rejected by peers; understand district’s anti-harassment policy; and become aware of consequences of bullying and the importance of the role of a bystander in bullying situations.
Cyberbullying and Internet Safety:
This unit will focus on how to stay safe online. Classes will also discuss social media and how to stay safe when using social media.
Conflict resolution:
This unit is designed to teach the students effective methods of resolving conflict with their peers. In addition, we discuss teamwork and how to effectively cooperative in group settings.
Stress Management:
During our stress management unit in guidance, the students acquire an enhanced awareness of stressors in their life. We help them to identify various stress management strategies.
Self-esteem:
Recognizing likes and abilities, compliments, strategies and benefits of overcoming challenging things that may negatively affect self-esteem; personal accomplishments and ambitions.
Refusal skills:
Our refusal skills unit allows students to effectively recognize peer pressure. We review and practice the use of various methods of saying “no” to peer pressure. In addition, the students will learn about the dangers of using alcohol and tobacco.
Career Development:
Students will learn about various aspects of personality. They are then invited to explore how their personalities can help determine future career possibilities.
Accepting Differences:
This unit is designed to help the students enhance their cultural awareness and recognize similarities and differences between themselves and others. Through activities and discussion, students will consider consequences of names/labels they use to describe others.
Human Growth & Development:*
This unit is directed toward helping students understand the many physiological and emotional changes taking place at this time of their growth and development. During this unit, the boys and girls will be in separate groups. (This lesson is now taught by our physical education teachers, Ms. DiGregorio and Mr. George.)
If you are interested in learning more about the topics we cover in Guidance Class, please refer to the Parent and Student Resource links for suggested literature and online resources.