Middle School is fun, right? Not if you're a dazed and confused 6th grader at Weedhaven Middle School, and your name happens to be Jason. Like any red-blooded 6th grader, Jason wants nothing more than to fit in, make friends, and get through the new school year without getting into trouble. But no matter how hard Jason tries, trouble goes out of its way to find Jason-starting with his favorite principal in the history of forever, Mr. Thaddeus P. Thornton. Adding insult to injury, Jason is having a hard time finding his way around his new school. Follow the wacky misadventures of Jason as he struggles to stay out of trouble and adjust to the super-charged pace of middle school.

This pathology of midlife has even recently begun to be exported to all territories in the contemporary world system; people around the world are being invited to change the way they think about mature adulthood and to adopt the middle-class American version of middle age.

Welcome Speeches for Today can be used by laypeople asked to make welcome speeches for a variety of situations and events in the church. Sample speeches and prayers are included that can be used as a prototype for creating a personal welcome speech.

If it seems like everyone you know is playing Dungeons & Dragons, it’s because they are! After nearly five decades, the iconic roleplaying game is more popular than ever. Famous Hollywood actors and directors, therapists, educators, politicians, kids, parents, and grandparents all count themselves as fans. In Welcome to Dragon Talk, hosts of the official D&D podcast Shelly Mazzanoble and Greg Tito and their surprising guests show how this beloved pastime has amassed a diverse, tight-knit following of players who defy stereotypes. Shelly and Greg recount some of their most inspiring interviews and illuminate how their guests use the core tenets of the game in everyday life. An A-list actor defends D&D by baring his soul (and his muscles) on social media. A teacher in a disadvantaged district in Houston creates a D&D club that motivates students to want to read and think analytically. A writer and live-streamer demonstrates how D&D–inspired communication breaks barriers and empowers people of color. Readers will see why Dungeons & Dragons has remained such a pop culture phenomenon and how it has given this disparate and growing community the inspiration to flourish and spread some in-game magic into the real world.

With detailed examples of best practices from middle schools across the country, this book features research-based strategies and suggestions for transition programs. It covers the roles of school principals, counselors, classroom teachers, and the central office.