Heart & Home: The BCS Parent Page
August 2023
The Month of August: Family Fun & Meal Ideas
August 2: Find a Four Leaf Clover Day, National Coloring Book Day, National Ice Cream Sandwich Day
August 3: National Watermelon Day
August 4: National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, National Water Balloon Day, U.S Coast Guard Day
August 5: Campfire Day, Mustard Day, National Oyster Day, National Clown Day
August 6: American Family Day, Sisters Day, Friendship Day, Wiggle Your Toes Day, International Forgiveness Day
August 7: National Lighthouse Day, Professional Speakers Day
August 8: Happiness Happens Day, International Cat Day
August 9: National Book Lovers Day, Smokey Bear Day, International Day of the World's Indigenous People
August 10: Lazy Day, National S'mores Day, World Lion Day
August 11: National Kool-aid Day, Presidential Joke Day, Son & Daughter Day
August 12: Middle Child's Day, National Garage Sale Day, National Vinyl Record Day, National Bowling Day
August 13: Left-Handers Day
August 14: National Financial Awareness Day, National Creamsicle Day
August 15: Relaxation Day, International Homeless Animals Day
August 16: National Tell a Joke Day, National Bratwurst Day
August 17: National Thriftshop Day, Neighbor Night, National Nonprofit Day
August 18: National Fajita Day, Bad Poetry Day, Hawaii Statehood Day
August 19: National Potato Day, National Honey Bee Awareness Day, World Humanitarian Day, World Photography Day, International Geocaching Day
August 20: National Radio Day, World Mosquito Day, National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day
August 21: Senior Citizens Day, National Poets Day, National Spumoni Day
August 22: National Toothfairy Day, Be an Angel Day
August 23: Ride the Wind Day, National Sponge Cake Day, Cheap Flight Day, International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
August 24: Iconic American Restaurants Day, National Waffle Day, Kobe Bryant, International Strange Music Day
August 25: National Banana Split Day, National Secondhand Wardrobe Day, National Park Service Founders Day
August 26: Women's Equality Day, National Dog Day, National Toilet Paper Day
August 27: National Just Because Day
August 28: Stuffed Green Bell Peppers Day, Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day
August 29: More Herbs, Less Salt Day, International Bat Night
August 30: College Colors Day, National Grief Awareness Day, Frankenstein Day, Toasted Marshmallow Day
August 31: National Eat Outside Day, National Trail Mix Day, World Daffodil Day
Welcome to the 2023-2024 School Year!
Dear Parents and Legal Guardians,
Nothing is more important than your support for your child as they go through school. Make sure your child gets any extra help they may need as soon as possible and always encourage and praise your child's efforts.
Tips for a Successful School Year
We ask that you guide and support your child’s learning by following the tips listed for a successful school year. By showing an interest in your child’s education, parents and families can spark enthusiasm and lead a child to a very important understanding—that learning can be enjoyable as well as rewarding. We hope that you use the information provided to get involved in your child's education and prepare them for a rewarding life of continuous learning.
1. Attends school daily and arrives on time, ready for the day’s learning experience
- Attending school regularly and arriving on time consistently, not only helps your child(ren) learn about routines and commitment but ensures your child doesn’t miss out on important learning opportunities.
- Studies have shown students who have better attendance have better grades and better success at school.
- Arriving on time also allows your child to greet their peers prior to class and reduce classroom disruptions.
- Have a set morning and night routine. The schedule should be written and placed in an area frequently visited in the home as a way to help your child with time management. Use pictures if your child cannot read yet. Do what you can the night before. Check the weather, lay out clothes, and pack backpack(s). Place all items in the same location every night.
- Morning breakfast slowing you down? Set the table the night before and have quick and easy breakfast choices on hand. Make extra waffles, pancakes, muffins, etc. on the weekend for the week ahead. Freeze these if necessary. Fueling the body helps maintain concentration for long periods of time.
- Make sure you child has a regular bedtime. It is easier to get up on time when well rested. Sleep deprivation affects brain functioning. Without enough sleep, children and teens can have problems with attention, memory, and problem-solving which can affect academic achievement.
2. Completes all homework assignments and projects given by teachers
- Have a set time and place for your child to study. Having a regular time to do homework helps children to finish assignments. You’ll need to work with a young child to develop a schedule. You should give your older child the responsibility for making up a schedule independently—although you’ll want to make sure that it’s a workable one. The schedule should be written and placed in an area frequently visited in the home as a way to remind your child when homework should be started.
- The homework area doesn’t have to be fancy but is should be clear of clutter and distractions. The area should have good lighting and it should be fairly quiet. Have pencils, pens, writing paper, erasers, calculator, index cards, and a thesaurus or dictionary available. If possible, keep these items together in one place. If you can’t provide your child with needed supplies, check with the teacher, school counselor or principal about possible sources of assistance.
- Help with homework even if you’re reluctant. Don’t expect or demand perfectionism. Show interest in what your child is working on and provide praise when your child has done something well. Helping with homework is about supporting your child or teen to do their best. You may not know enough about a subject such as calculus to help your child with a specific assignment, but you can help nonetheless by showing that you are interested, helping your child get organized, providing a place and the materials needed to work, monitoring work to see that it is completed and and praising your child's efforts.
3. Reads daily to develop a love for reading and to improve literacy skills
- Set aside quiet time for family reading. Some families even enjoy reading aloud to each other, with each family member choosing a book, story, poem or article to read to the others. Encourage discussions and talk about what was just read.
- Make sure that your home has lots of reading materials that are appropriate for your child’s age. Keep books, magazines and newspapers in the house. You can also make a family outing out of going to the Library and checking out books!
- Teens who enjoy reading are more likely to succeed in school. Continuing the habit of reading into teenage years help teens to continue to develop their vocabulary, improve their writing, and gain confidence when speaking. It can also help them deal with the increasingly complex world and adult issues they may have to encounter.
- if you would like reading help for yourself or other family members, check with your local librarian or with your child’s school about literacy programs in your community.
4. Shares school experiences with you so that you are aware your child's school life
- Talking with your child about the school day shows you're interested in what's going on in their life. Showing an interest tells your child that you value and place an importance on education, which encourages them to value it too! This can have a direct positive effect on your child’s academic and behavior success in the school setting.
- Talking with your child about school can help you understand the school’s expectations, how your child learns and handles difficulties. Understanding how your child feels about school can help you identify and address challenges together before the problem becomes overwhelming.
- Talking about school issues is also a great way to teach family values and morals about subject matters such as self-respect, cooperation, honesty, responsibility, kindness, and integrity.
Recommended Screen Time Limits
The transition from lazy summer days to studious school routines might be a tough adjustment for kids—especially those who favored screens over other forms of entertainment. At home, parents need to take the reins on "back to school" screen time limits. Enforce screen limitations even if your child's work load is light. Before you let your child zone out on the screen, encourage them to read for 20-30 minutes, review a subject's content, or hone another skill during their down time.
Depending on the source of information, time limits may fluctuate slightly.
- Under 2 years old: Zero screen time, except for video chatting with family or friends
- 2-5 years old: No more than 1 hour a day, should be educational and co-viewed with a parent
- 5-17 years old: Generally no more than 2 hours per day, in addition to time needed for homework
The benefits of limiting screen time for your child can include, but are not limited to-improved sleep habits, better focus and brain function, increased academic success, decrease in obesity, better vision, and lower risk of anxiety and depression.
Create a family media plan here: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/fmp/Pages/MediaPlan.aspx
Reward Systems: Motivator for Success
How to Implement a Reward System in the Home
Little Kids
Create sticker charts and positive praise from adults
An example may be creating a sticker chart and each time the young child completes homework, they earn a sticker. Provide a sticker immediately when you see the behavior and provide lots of praise. Praise is another way for a child to receive positive attention from their parent. You want to reward the behavior immediately then gradually increase the time between awards such as every 2 days, then every 3 to every 4 and so on as they begin to complete and achieve the skill desired. This can take a week or a month, depending on when your child masters the task/behavior. Over time you will give the rewards less often. This is important so that your child understands that once they’ve mastered something, they don’t need to be rewarded every time. However, you will still need to provide your child with positive praise to reinforce the good behavior every time they engage in the behavior or complete the task.
Behaviors/tasks a sticker chart can work for are leaving a fun place without a tantrum, staying in their own bed, going to the bathroom, and picking up toys. Provide a sticker immediately when you see the behavior and provide lots of praise. Praise is another way for a child to receive positive attention from their parent. Rewards can also be extra positive attention such as hugs, kisses, smiles, and compliments.
School Age Kids
Chart with check marks or earning “tokens”.
Tokens can be used to “cash in” for a “bigger” rewards such as a video game or take out of their choice. At this age, children tend to want more tangible items. Create visual prompts of what behaviors receive rewards. Visual prompts can encourage and remind the child what behaviors you want to see and be rewarded. For example, a child earns a token for completing their homework without being asked. If you want your child to be cleaner, start with 1 task such as making their bed and rewarding them for completing the task then gradually adding more to the behavior as they have achieved that task. Do not nag your child. Give your kids a deadline to have the task completed and then let them take responsibility for getting it done. Make sure your child earns rewards on a daily basis and receives praise for their efforts. Again, over time you will give the rewards less often. This is important so that your child understands that once they’ve mastered something, they don’t need to be rewarded every time. However, you will still need to provide your child with positive praise to reinforce the good behavior every time they engage in the behavior or complete the task.
Tweens and Teens
Tweens and teens may benefit from a reward system with “bigger” rewards such as more freedom. These rewards do not have to be costly. This age group appreciates more screen time, later bedtimes on the weekends, a chance to have more outings with friends, and more independence. You can mix smaller awards like choosing dinner one night with larger rewards for long-terms goals. For example, if you child is working on improving their grades. You can give a smaller award like choosing dinner for making a B or A on a test and they can earn a larger award like having a sleep over with friends for improvement on progress reports/report cards.
Please visit VeryWellFamily for more information on reward systems, token economies and behavior charts that motivate children at http://verywellfamily.com
Need Additional Support?
You can contact your school's Professional School Counselor (PSC) or School Social Worker (SSW) for resources available in the community. Do not know who your PSC or SSW is? No problem, you can just call your school's main office and be connected!
Your PSC or School Social Worker may also be able to provide additional support within the school setting depending upon your child's needs!
Have Suggestions?
Parent newsletters will be distributed bi-monthly/quarterly. Be on the lookout for the next edition of Heart & Home: The BCS Parent Page in October 2023