Inner Balance
January 2021
Exciting Events Coming Up for Dawson Middle School!
Welcome to a New Semester!
Course Selection
Welcome to 2021 and the Spring Semester!
Course Selection
Carroll Medical Academy
The application for Carroll Medical Academy (CMA) will open on January 4th. This competitive application process is for current 8th and 9th grade students who are interested in pursuing a career in the medical field. Find out more about the application process and other aspects of the CMA program. CMA Applications will be accepted online beginning January 4, 2021 (8am) through January 22, 2021 (4 pm). More info about CMA and the application process can be found by clicking here.
Teaching Responsibility
It is natural for your middle school student to desire independence. It is also natural for parents to want to help our children. As parents and educators of middle school students, it is important that we give our students opportunities to grow in their independence while also helping them to learn responsibility. We want them to see how their choices affect both themselves and others.
If one of your New Year's resolutions is to help your child be more responsible, check out the following tips:
- Make your child responsible for manageable tasks around the house. Look around and determine what your child could do on his/her own, such as folding laundry, checking his/her teacher's Canvas pages to set a homework plan for the week, or feeding the dog. Coach them on doing the task properly, then allow them to do it on their own. Check on their progress without micromanaging. Continue to coach them if they struggle or make a mistake, but then step back and let them learn. Let them make mistakes. When they are given added responsibility, it helps them to develop confidence.
- Encourage your child to be a problem solver. Resist the urge to solve problems for your middle school child. Instead, help them to identify the problem and brainstorm solutions on their own. Rather than emailing a teacher after your child fails, have your child email the teacher. If your child is doing poorly in a class, have him/her come up with a schedule for when to attend tutorials. If they are resistant to talking to the teacher or writing the email, help them by role playing the situation. This will help them build problem-solving skills for the future.
- Focus discussion on how our choices affect others. An important part of teaching responsibility is teaching children to recognize that their choices impact more than just themselves. Point it out when your child fulfills his responsibility, then point out how that impacted others (i.e., if your child folded and put away the laundry, point out how much easier it will now be for everyone to get out the door in the morning when he/she can find his/her clothes in a quick manner). If your child does not fulfill a responsibility, ask him her to consider how others may be impacted. Help your child draw the connection between their responsibilities and how others are impacted so that they can learn accountability.
Students who are allowed independence and are coached to be responsible at home will be able to take those lessons to school. They will see how their choices during the school day impact their teachers and peers and will work to solve their own problems and gain confidence.
Sometimes, students will still struggle to manage their school workload, even if they are being coached to be responsible and independent. If your child is struggling, reach out to one of your DMS Counselors. We work with students on developing small, achievable goals so that they can grow in responsibility and experience success.
Adult Self-Care
Check out this resource from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network to learn more.
Helping your Child Cope with Covid-19 Related Trauma
STOPit Anonymous Reporting System
What does it mean to have a certified HeartMath Coach at Dawson Middle School?
Your Counselor's can help your child boost resilience, composure and clarity!
The HeartMath Building Personal Resilience™ program is a focused and practical program, combining personalized coaching with scientifically validated tools to help your child self-regulate their body’s response to stress and build resilience. They will learn life-long skills you can use any time to increase well-being, personal and academic performance and quality of life experience.
Be sure to contact your child's grade level counselor for more details!
DMS Counselors
Katrina Tatum
7th grade Counselor
katrina.tatum@southlakecarroll.edu
Amy Hurlburt
8th grade Counselor
amy.hurlburt@southlakecarroll.edu
Lauren Canafax
Intervention Counselor
lauren.canafax@southlakecarroll.edu
Website: https://www.southlakecarroll.edu/domain/812
Location: 400 South Kimball Avenue, Southlake, TX, USA
Phone: 817-949-5500
Twitter: @DMScounselors