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Graduation Matters Missoula and NCBI Missoula working to ease students’ transition

Graduation Matters Missoula is partnering with the National Coalition of Building Institute (NCBI) Missoula to facilitate workshops for grade 5 students that will help them build positive attributes which may ease the stress that they experience when transitioning from elementary to middle school and beyond.

The workshops are being funded with a $3,600 grant to Graduation Matters Missoula from the Montana Office of Public Instruction. Montana Schools Superintendent Denise Juneau announced the award of 21 grants in spring 2012 to increase the number of Montana students who graduate from high school prepared for college and careers. The grants were funded with a $450,000 award over three years from the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation to support community-based Graduation Matters initiatives.

Studies show that students in transition from elementary to middle school and middle to high school often experience anxiety when moving into a new school, meeting new students and learning a new class schedule. Positive youth development focuses on building positive attributes and developing resilience that help students successfully navigate these transitions. Specifically, the goals of the workshops are to increase resiliency in 5th graders and build a positive school culture; create increased engagement in school; empower youth to build safer and more inclusive learning environments; and support middle school transition, increased graduation rates, and academic success. The workshops are co-led by NCBI trainers and high school leaders. Follow up sessions will also happen in spring 2013.

To date, students in five elementary schools have gone through the workshops. Teachers report that the 5th graders are highly engaged, positive, and enjoy the group-based structure of the experience.

MCPS Region 1 Director Mark Thane says the program supports the long-term goals of Graduation Matters Missoula. "We want to give our fifth graders a solid foundation to address the challenges that will come when transitioning into the sixth grade and a new school. We want them to know that their nervousness is completely normal and that there are ways to handle the stress or anxiety they may feel," said Thane.

NCBI Director of Youth Programs Heidi Wallace will be at Russell School, 3216 Russell Street, on Tuesday, Nov. 27, from 9-11 a.m.; Cold Springs School, 2625 Briggs Street, on Friday, Nov. 30, from 9-11 a.m. ; and Paxson Elementary, 101 Evans, on Monday, Dec. 3 from 9-11 a.m. to meet with fifth graders.

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