Middle School Expands Curriculum to Address Cyberbullying

Cohasset Middle School is expanding its wellness curriculum to address cyberbullying, digital media influence, and social-emotional learning in response to evolving challenges faced by students.

The updated curriculum, which aligns with new Massachusetts health and physical education standards, introduces lessons on self-awareness, responsible technology use, and the impact of social media on mental health.

Principal John Mills explained that the changes are designed to reinforce essential skills across all three middle school grades.

“So there's seven practices and then overall 24 subtopics essentially under each one,” Mills said. “So they've laid out a scope and sequence that covers all three years, covers horizontally, all seven practices, and there's some repetition there.”

A significant focus of the curriculum update is digital citizenship and cyberbullying prevention. School officials noted that students often struggle with social media pressures and online interactions, which can impact their mental well-being.

“They actually have the kids draw a footprint and then list or draw the apps that you use and then talk about specifically unpack what each of them might do or pitfalls or how they get used, what are some of the dangers,” Mills said. “So they become, like I say, critical, more critical users of the technology.”

The curriculum also includes an emphasis on assertiveness, personal boundaries, and fostering healthy relationships. School officials stressed the importance of helping students recognize appropriate behavior both online and in person.

“It could be in any relationship,” Mills said. “And then in the ninth grade health curriculum, then that's taught even a little bit more explicitly.”

School officials also highlighted an upcoming parent-focused event designed to provide families with strategies for navigating the digital world with their children.

“CMS in collaboration with our PSO is we've invited Elizabeth A. Winder from Bridgewater State’s Aggression Reduction Center,” Mills said. “She's really an expert on bullying and healthy adolescent use of technology.”

The event, scheduled for April 3, will be open to all middle and elementary school parents, with programming aimed at helping families manage social media and technology use at home.

School committee members expressed support for the curriculum updates and emphasized the importance of preparing students to navigate online spaces safely.

“I love that it's coming in sixth grade because the reality is even if they don't have phones, they're on iPads at home and other things,” said School Committee Member Victoria Hanna. “So I think that that's important.”

As the program continues to evolve, Cohasset Middle School plans to further integrate digital literacy and social-emotional learning throughout students’ academic experiences.

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