School Counselors
Visit the SMS School Counseling website for a calendar of events, Community-Parent-and Emergency Resources, Information for transitioning to High School, and MORE!
Tips for Transitioning to High School
Get Organized: Use your planner and write down assignment due dates, testing dates, application deadlines, relevant upcoming events, grading periods, and reminders (I.E. question you may want to follow-up with your teacher about).
Maintain Good Attendance: Missing school puts you behind and impacts your grades. If you know you will miss a day or be tardy, inform your teacher in advance and make plans for making up assignments. If emergencies occur, it is your responsibiliy to get missed notes and complete missing assignment asap. Get with your teacher to learn about their policies for make-up work.
Work Hard All Year: Remember you cannot be promoted to high school if you have not passed all your middle school core classes. It is very important that you aim for a C or higher every grading quarter. If you have a quarter where you weren't successful, get with your school counselor immediately to make a plan on how you can improve your grade going forward.
Attend The High School Showcase in the Fall: This event is for 7th and 8th grade middle school students and their parents to learn about the outstanding programs and academies available to high school students in volusia county schools. (Dates and more information about this event will posted)
Become a Well-rounded Student: When attending the high school showcase or viewing your potential high school's website, explore student organizations, athletics, band, choir and other extracurricular options. This will help you form a supportive group of friends with similar interests, help improve time management skills, improve your leadership skills, and start building a resume for your college applications.
Make Plans to Begin Your Four-Year Plan: You can start by thinking about your interests. This will help you pick classes in high school tailored to your plans after graduation. Check out sites like Florida Shines that has a variety of transition assessments (interest inventory, values inventory, employability skills inventory), which allows you to research careers (demand for, education required, working conditions, salary), create a portfolio, create a resume, and even write cover and thank you letters.
Ask For Help: If you have questions, concerns, or need any type of help, supportive adults are on campus to assist you. Please don't hesitate to speak with your teacher, counselor, or administrator; we are all here for you.