The middle school years � grades six, seven, and eight, - are an important time in the life of students as they continue to build on the knowledge and skills that they learned in elementary school while expanding the scope of their studies to include exploratory and elective courses. Ranging from technical classes, to language classes to fine arts and many others, these courses are a great way for students to discover their interests.

During the middle school years, students continue their academic and career planning process with an emphasis on exploration. As part of the academic and career planning process, students complete career interest inventories and update their academic and career plans. Students also set short and long-term career and post-secondary goals as they investigate careers and career pathways.

Being informed of the options early and planning ahead allows students to make the most of the opportunities available to them in middle school as well as high school. Students should consider:

• Taking advanced courses in middle school
  Taking advanced courses provides students with the opportunity to earn high school credit and may provide them with more flexible scheduling options in high school. In addition, taking advanced courses early is good preparation for many of the academy and advanced academic programs available to students in high school. Taking more rigorous courses throughout middle and high school also helps to better prepare students for college. Enrollment in advanced courses in middle school is based on student performance, teacher recommendation, and parent input. Talk to your school counselor to learn more.
• Earning high school credits while still in middle school
  Because there are a number of courses available in middle school that can count toward the credit requirements for graduation it is never too early to become familiar with the credit requirements for earning a state-recognized high school diploma. Students who take a credit bearing course in middle school but for whatever reason do not wish to have it included on their transcript may have their parents submit a request to purge the course. This request must be made no later than July 15 after the student�s eighth-grade year. Students should speak to their school counselor to learn more about these options.
• Pursuing personal interests through participation in school-sponsored extracurricular activities
  Involvement in extracurricular activities has been linked to many positive outcomes for students such as an increased sense of belonging, better behavior and attendance, as well as enhanced academic performance. Contact the Student Activities Coordinator (SAC) at your child�s middle school to learn more.