The struggle is real. As students enter middle school, many habits created in elementary school won't translate well in this tougher terrain. Multiple teachers, a more rigorous workload, graded assignments, and increased demands in the evenings are a recipe for anxiety and diminished confidence, especially since students have lived with unpredictability in their schooling for over a year due to Covid.
It's clearly time for a habits reboot for 6th, 7th, & 8th graders since last year was so unstable. Students will have to level up their skills in order to be successful during these critical foundational years.
For 8th graders preparing for high school, now is the perfect time to implement the strategies that will set them up for a strong start to their freshman year.
What would your student's life look like if they had a proven system for how to keep their head above water, maintain balance, and exercise skills that will help them reach their full potential?
Wise Student Middle School Success Prep Course combines live, interactive academic & life skills coaching with expert course material to help students thrive during middle school and as they prepare for high school.
Live Meetings + Online Course = Success
1.) Weekly meetings provide a place to come together, focus on productivity and purpose, and create an effective plan for the days and week ahead.
Students gain:
Increased productivity through time management exercises, plus organization and study skills check-ins
A plan for the week and weekend ahead through small group and individualized feedback
Practical techniques for effective student/parent/teacher communication
Confidence and networking skills through lively discussion about pressing academic & student life topics with their peers facilitated by a professional
2.) Wise Student 101: Academic & Life Skills Success Program is included to ensure the formation of strong organizational and study habits in middle school.
PLANNING: A live meeting where students schedule important academic & personal responsibilities plus weekend study hours for the coming week in their planners or online calendars
SUPPORT: Open and productive conversation where students build the helpful habits of communication, time management, and prioritization as they prepare for the week ahead
COACHING: A lively discussion topic relevant to student life includes accountability measures and action items to focus on for the coming week
INSPIRATION: An encouraging and secure live forum allows group members to share ideas, learn from each other, and walk into the new week feeling motivated to succeed. Includes Q&A, celebrations, and a motivational quote to close out each meeting on a high note
RESOURCES: Ongoing support from Wise Student 101 course material, including 23 video modules, worksheets, and quizzes, that comprehensively teaches students how to be successful and thrive in middle school
MAXIMIZE TIME
“Attending Penny’s weeky meetings has really helped me plan my weeks and weekends and maximize my free time. When I organize my upcoming important events and goals, I feel more relaxed and well-rounded as a person and a student.”
— James B., San Mateo High School, CA
HELLO SELF-CONFIDENCE
“Wise Student has impacted my organizational skills tremendously. Every meeting that has taken place is one more step towards success. Our Sunday meetings are fantastic! They help me gain control of my week one assignment or test at a time. They have brought my self-confidence back to the arena. I now feel prepared for any obstacle in the coming weeks!”
— Niko B., Marianapolis Preparatory School, CT
NEW CAPABILITIES
"Under Penny's guidance, I have grown so much as a student. Weekly meetings really helped me through my freshman year of high school. I had no idea how to plan or schedule my time prior to our meetings. I am grateful for the opportunity to hang out with Penny and my peers each week and I know that I will carry the lessons I learn with me throughout the rest of my school and professional life."
— MaryRose C., Burlingame High School, CA
PEACE OF MIND
“Balancing the life of a student with their extracurricular activities and studies can be overwhelming. Penny helped our daughter break it down into manageable components that gives her piece of mind and keeps the stress level down at home. Our daughter participates in Penny’s weekly online sessions which is a valuable tool to start the week off right. Taking time to plan the following week’s schedule helps to stay on target and use time efficiently.”
— Maria P., San Mateo, CA
BOLSTERING MATURITY
“I highly recommend the weekly coaching sessions! I can honestly say it feels wonderful to step aside and let someone else take the wheel and hold him accountable for his weekly academic deadlines. The ease of joining the online sessions, as well as how informative the discussions are, make these meetings an absolute MUST! After just a few weeks into the program, I can see how much my son looks forward to joining each time and also how he tackles his vigorous academic schedule with more maturity.”
— Maria H., Hillsborough, CA
One-time payment
2 monthly payments
This class is for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders who want to be successful in middle school and learn techniques to balance their academic and personal responsibilities. The spring course is ideal for 8th graders who want to prepare for high school and have a strong start to their freshman year.
Once you select a purchase option, you'll be prompted to create a new account with the student's first name, last name, email, and password. Please make sure to enter the student's first & last name and email in these main fields so that the proper name appears on the course site and completion certificate. There are also optional fields where you can add a parent or guardian's name and email address to receive emails from me.
Once a student is enrolled, they can immediately start working through the modules Wise Student 101 modules. I recommend two modules every few days so that they have time to implement the strategies over the 6-week course. If they would like to move a little faster, e.g. it’s summer and they’d like to complete the course before live meetings begin, they should feel free to work at a pace that is quicker but does not compromise their learning. Average video run time is 6 minutes. Videos are short, sweet, and impactful to encourage students to use the tools immediately. All course modules include a video, full text PDF so they can read my exact words from each video, worksheets, quizzes, and answers to FAQ's to facilitate learning. As they work through the course materials, they can mark them as complete to easily track their progress. Once they've finished the course, they will receive a completion certificate which recognizes them as an official Wise Student! Students will also have to show up to live Zoom meetings for the weekly planning meeting component on Mondays.
Weekly meetings take place via Zoom for five Mondays. You'll need to download the Zoom driver to your computer first to connect to the meeting via a link that you can access once you sign up. Download the program a few days before your first meeting to make sure it works. Once the meeting starts, I conduct it like a classroom. We discuss topics, I call on students and they answer, and I have a whiteboard that I write on which students can see on their screens while also being able to view me as I speak.
Students have the option of participating with their cameras on or they can choose to keep them off and still have voice capability and use of chat features. When a student participates with their camera off, only their voice can be heard when they speak. If a student prefers, they can go by an alias that only I know and I will call them by that name.
If a student has to miss a meeting, video recordings will be available within 24 hours after the live sessions. Recordings will be saved and filed by date within the course.
