Counseling

Middle school is an exciting time for students, parents, and family members. Counseling Services at the middle school level strive to support the transitional challenges students navigate during seventh and eighth grades. Granite Oaks Middle School (GOMS) is integral to the Rocklin Unified School District (RUSD) Comprehensive Secondary Counseling Program. The Granite Oaks Middle School Counseling Services aims to help students develop new cognitive capabilities, foster positive peer interactions, and consider future academic and career opportunities.

Our mission at Granite Oaks Middle School directly supports the overarching Seventh- through Twelfth-grade comprehensive counseling mission to “serve all students by supporting a quality educational program which ensures that each student has the opportunity to meet their academic, career, personal, and social goals.” Our ongoing focus on the three domains of academic, career, and personal/social development creates the ideal school environment for the successful transition to high school.

Click here to request to see a school counselor.
Click here to Check In with the GOMS Counseling Department.

Academic Counseling

Student Scheduling.
Course selection/placement.
Strategies for improving grades/study skills.
Participation in student/teacher/parent/family meetings.
Testing: information and interpretation.

College/Career Counseling

Career Day.
High school graduation planning/college entrance requirements.
College/Career readiness activities/resources

College Resources:

CSUS Making it Happen
CSUS Summer Academies
- Sacramento State University has opened up the high school career related academies to incoming 9th grade students. If your 8th grader soon to be 9th grader is interested in any of the wonderful offerings listed for June and July, please check out the Summer Academies flyer.

Career Exploration Resources:

California Career Zone and CalCareers: Career exploration system with assessment tools and information on over 900 California occupations.
California Colleges: Primary source of information for College and Career Planning for California students and families
Exploring Career Information: Bureau of Labor Statistics website allowing students to explore career options: games, quizzes, videos, and employment data.
JobStar Central: Information about careers and educational preparation, salary information and job seeking resources.
Career Key: Career assessment to identify a career by matching your personality with careers, providing information to explore careers, electing a college major and isolating potential work related skills.
My College Major: Assessment incorporates interests, aptitudes and high school courses to identify both potential majors and colleges/universities.
Rocklin High School and Whitney High School: College and Career Centers provide resources for exploring. colleges/universities, admission requirements, military opportunities, scholarships, financial aid and community service opportunities/hours.

Personal/Social Counseling

Personal counseling is available upon request from the student/parent/guardian or by referral from a teacher/staff member/administrator.
Available for parent conferences.
Referral to school-based and community resources.
Crisis intervention, conflict resolution, peer mediation, and advocacy.
Drug/alcohol prevention, education, and outside referral information.

Middle school counseling services are organized by grade level, similar to Rocklin and Whitney High Schools. Each counselor will start with an incoming class of 7th graders and work with these same students through 8th-grade promotion. As counselors, we strive to create a safe and caring environment, support the learning process, and promote academic success. Ms. Marcarian and Ms.Lindsey possess a Master’s Degree and State Certification in School Counseling.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Academies

At Granite Oaks Middle School each student is assigned to an academy. Academies are teams of up to four teachers with 70 to 140 students, depending on the number of teachers in the academy. In this environment teachers are better able to collaborate with each other to assist students who may need extra help and support. The teachers are in separate classrooms and students rotate among the academy classrooms.

Each student is assigned a classroom within the academy to be his/her homeroom. Students spend the first five minutes of each day in homeroom. During this time roll is taken, announcements are made, and any material to be sent home is distributed. After homeroom, students go to their first class. This could be physical education, elective, or academic time depending on academy rotation.

The students spend five periods out of the seven-period day in their academies. These periods are scheduled for core academics (language arts, math, science, and social studies). Time in the academy may be used to teach periods of separate academics or blocks of time may be scheduled to accommodate instruction. All students are assigned to a reading (Accelerated Reading) or intervention class during the academy enrichment period.

The remaining two periods of the seven-period day are reserved for physical education and electives. Each student has one period of physical education and one period of an elective. The electives currently available at Granite Oaks for both grades include Band, Chorus, Publications, Orchestra, Art, Home Economics, Manufacturing Technology, Guitar Lab, Exploratory Spanish and Spanish 1. A student who enters Granite Oaks as a 7th grader and stays through the four semesters to promotion will be able to take four of the seven electives, plus Honor Band during "0" period. Students are given the opportunity to indicate their first, second and third choices for an elective.

How is the Food?

The cafeteria offers several choices of entrées each day. The daily lunch menu is available online.

Are there after-school sports or clubs?

YES --- there are fall, winter and spring sports and clubs --- have your student get involved. Specific information on sports available online.

When will we find out student class schedules?

A panel of counselors, teachers, and select eighth grade students from Granite Oaks will visit all five feeder schools sixth grade classes in April. An informational packet for you to review will be handed to each student to bring home following the sixth grade presentations. Your student will be able to select their electives and return the form to their teacher to forward to the middle school. In August, your student will be contacted to attend WEB (Welcome Everybody). This is a day that the students are placed in small groups, tour the campus and participate in small group activities. Academy assignments will be posted outside the Granite Oaks office the Friday before the school year starts. All students are given their class schedules during homeroom the first day of school. If your student has any outstanding RUSD fines for books or materials, they will not be able to pick up their class schedules until the fine is settled.

What time does Granite Oaks Middle School start?

Good News! Your student begins class at 8:30 a.m. --- sharp! The school day ends at 3:10 p.m. Of course this is always subject to change, but that has been the current schedule. Granite Oaks Middle School is quite strict on tardiness . . . if your child is late, they may end up serving after school or lunch detention . . . even if it is your fault that they are late.

What is PBIS?

Granite Oaks Middle School is a PBIS school, we adhere to the Falcon Creed: Be Responsible, Be Respectful, Be Resilient. Everyone on campus is expected to: Be Responsible by being safe, dependable and trustworthy at all times. Be Respectful by being courteous, kind and cooperative. Be Resilient by being perseverant and working through challenges.

What are Merits?

The merit system is the middle school behavior system. Each student begins the quarter with 100 merits --- this means they are outstanding in their behavior, attitude and respect for others. It is relatively hard to lose merits, but disrespecting a guest teacher, breaking any major school rules, or continual disruption of class can result in loss of merits. If a student maintains their merits for the quarter, there is a school-wide celebration that is TONS of fun. At the beginning of each quarter, the students are re-issued merits for another try.

Can I check homework assignments and grades online?

ABSOLUTELY! In fact, if you have not developed that habit this year, you need to do so for the upcoming school year. You can utilize Schoology for grades, homework, assignments and parent communication. You will find communication is more self-directed at the middle school, and the staff depend on you monitoring Schoology. E-mail is their most common way of communication, and you usually will get the quickest response by e-mailing your student’s teachers. Parents have found the Schoology App on their personal cell phone to be helpful.

Is there a dress code?

Yes --- the student handbook distributed the first day of school and reviewed with the students will list acceptable and not acceptable items that can be worn to school. It is not really all that different from elementary, but it is enforced. If your student should violate the dress code, they may be asked to put on PE loaner clothes for the remainder of the day. Repeated dress code violations can result in the loss of merit.

C-STEM

7th Grade C-STEM

For Current 6th Grade Students:

To apply for C-STEM, submit your Education/Elective Plan before the school deadline.

Contact the Granite Oaks school counselors if you do not receive your Educational/Elective Plan by mid-April.

Resources:

The 7th grade Rubicon Academy will offer the C-STEM program at Granite Oaks Middle School. This program is recognized by the University of California Admissions Department, including UC Davis, UC Berkeley, and UCLA.

The C-STEM program allows students to participate in an academic environment focused on Computing, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (C-STEM) to explore real-world challenges and create their computer programs. Through inquiry-based learning, students will experience the integration of computing. This is being made possible through collaboration with UC Davis. Spots are limited. Apply before the deadline to be considered.

Check out our C-STEM Student Video to learn more.

8th Grade C-STEM

The 8th grade Discovery Academy will offer the C-STEM program at Granite Oaks Middle School next school year. This program is recognized by the University of California admissions department, including UC Davis, UC Berkeley, and UCLA.

The C-STEM program allows students to participate in an academic environment focused on Computing, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (C-STEM) to explore real world challenges and create their own computer programs. Through the implementation of inquiry-based learning, students will experience the integration of computing. This is being made possible through collaboration with UC Davis. Spots are limited. Check out our C-STEM Video to learn more.

Resources:

If you are interested in the 8th-grade C-STEM program, please contact the school counselor to put your name on the C-STEM waitlist.