Severna Park Middle Goes Inside the Mind of a Preteen

If your middle school student’s moods and behaviors often leave you perplexed, Severna Park Middle School wants you to know you’re not alone.

In fact, on Sept. 25 the school will explain, or at least attempt to explain, what exactly is going on in the mind of your preteen.

Severna Park Middle will host "Riding the Roller Coaster," a workshop that will explore the mind of a middle school student in order to better understand the day-to-day dynamics of a preteen.

“We are talking about what middle school is like, especially for parents who have never had a middle school student before,” said guidance counselor Sandy Schachter. “There is so much that goes on between ages 11-14 that often times, parents don’t know what is normal and what isn’t.” 

Schachter, who has been a guidance counselor for 30 years, is new to Severna Park Middle. The workshop is something she did when she was at Crofton Middle, and she said she got a lot of positive feedback. So she decided to introduce it at Severna Park.

As most parents know, a preteen goes through emotional ups and downs—some of which are normal, some aren’t. Schachter said it is important to understand the difference and know how to help.

“Adolescents tend to fall apart emotionally or academically at one point during their middle school year, and we want to show parents how to get them back on track,” Schachter said.

Riding the Roller Coaster will discuss several different topics, including: differences between boys and girls, brain development, peer relations, communication tips and parental guidelines. Schachter said they would also do some role-play for different scenarios. 

The workshop will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 25 in the Severna Park Middle cafeteria. For more information call 410-647-7900.