From the Desk of the Principal: Mrs. Norris
What a whirlwind January was. We had so many great things start at our school. We have GED prep classes available, parenting classes and starting this month we will have Keyboarding classes available at 1:00 on Thursdays. Our vaccination clinic was a success; we had almost 30 families come by for vaccinations. Please contact Kristen Salyards with any questions at 575-420-4164.
A day and time has not been determined for out Grief/Loss Group for adults. If you are interested, please RSVP by contacting 575-420-4164. We have many more wonderful things planned for these coming months!
Thank you,
Mrs. Norris
Assistant Principal: Mr. Garcia
Dear Eagles,
As we are getting closer to the end of the year, there are certain points I would like you (6th,7th, and 8th grades) to focus on.
First, Grades. Please keep up with your classes! End of year is coming, and if your grades are not passing, you may be doing Summer School! Especially 8th graders who want to graduate to High School. If your grades are not passing, you will have to go to Summer School if you want to go to High school. Please turn in all your work! Zeros are the hardest grades to bring up. ONLY YOU, can make or break your grades!
Secondly, please remember Eagles, Sierra is our Home! We need to keep our bathrooms clean, playground clean, and we need to respect each other. We are a big family, and we need NOT fight or talk bad about one another. Please help us keep our home safe, and make it a great place to learn! I am proud to be at Sierra Middle School!
Mr. Garcia
Assistant Principal: Mrs. McDonald
Parenting Teens
Taken from NIH News In Health – April 2019
Guiding Kids Through Turbulent Years
The teenage years are filled with change. Body, mind, and feelings are maturing quickly. Teens are also learning about who they are and who they want to become. To do that, they need to try new things. But that means taking risks.
“Parenting during the teen years can be a very exciting but also a really risky time,” explains Dr. Kevin Haggerty, an NIH-funded prevention researcher at the University of Washington.
That’s because a teen’s brain is still developing and is extra sensitive to emotion and to things that feel good. The parts of the brain that control impulses and rational decision-making are still being formed.
“That creates a perfect storm for quick addiction,” Haggerty explains. It puts teens at higher risk for alcohol, drug, and tobacco use, high-risk sexual behavior, and risky driving choices. They’re also more likely to experience mental health issues, like anxiety and depression.
Teens can make unhealthy food choices and neglect physical activity. Most don’t get the eight to 10 hours of sleep they need each night. But certain parenting strategies can help guide kids toward healthier and less risky choices.
“Keeping lines of communication open, monitoring and knowing your children’s peers, and staying engaged and connected as a parent are the key ways to reduce risk,” explains Dr. Beth Stormshak, an NIH-funded psychologist at the University of Oregon.
Stormshak and Haggerty have studied different parenting programs designed to reduce risky teen behavior. Their research and other studies have shown that some strategies can help.
Build a Positive Relationship
Creating a positive, trusting relationship with your kids is key. It makes them more likely to listen to your advice and follow your rules.
“Positive parenting really means forming a positive relationship with your child that’s focused more on praise, support, and incentives and less on negative things like yelling, criticizing, or nagging,” explains Stormshak. “If you could choose one thing to do differently with your teenager, that would be it.”
You can create a more positive relationship by spending quality time with your teen. Listen to what they’re thinking and feeling. Show interest and concern over their problems. That helps them feel more connected with you.
It’s important to stay calm when they share, and respect differences of opinion. That helps build trust. It also gives you the chance to teach them how to problem solve. Sharing your experiences rather than lecturing helps build better communication.
You can build stronger bonds with your teen by recognizing and rewarding their positive behaviors. Give them opportunities to learn new things. Tell them when they’re doing well.
It’s also a good idea to have your kids be a part of the discussion about expectations for the family. That helps create positive, open communication and keeps everyone clear on the rules.
Making sure you have good communication with your teen will help you catch problems early, support positive behavior, and better monitor their life.
Keep in Touch
As your kids age, you’re with them less often. That makes building trust and good communication important. Your ability to know what’s going on in their lives largely depends on what they’ll share with you.
“Monitor what’s going on with your adolescent in ways that don’t destroy bonding or connecting, but in ways that promote it,” Haggerty says. “Have conversations, ask questions, know who your kids’ friends are, have conversations with your kids’ friends. So much of these things take place, not in a face-to-face conversation, but in a casual conversation when you’re walking or talking or in a car or listening when you’re driving kids around, and being aware of what’s going on in your kid’s life.”
Dr. Bruce Simons-Morton, a public health expert at NIH, has found that kids who have more friends who drink alcohol are more likely to do so themselves. In fact, peer influence is one of the highest predictors of teen drinking.
“As teens get older, they spend more time with peers. The parent influence wanes while the peer influence increases,” he says.
Talk with your teen about what qualities to look for in a friend, like being honest, respectful, and involved in school, and not acting in dangerous or unhealthy ways.
Studies have found that parents’ expectations and support can affect their kid’s choices into early adulthood. Teens with parents who are more involved in their lives have less alcohol and drug use and safer sexual behaviors.
Set Limits and Consequences
Parents can also help teens avoid risky behavior by setting clear limits and expectations ahead of time and consistently following through with consequences.
“We find that parenting matters even the year after high school,” explains Simons-Morton. His studies have found that young adults whose parents had high expectations
for them to not abuse alcohol were less likely to increase how much they drank after high school.
Start telling your child early on what your expectations are about drinking, drugs, driving, and sexual behavior. Encourage them to eat healthy and get enough exercise. And keep talking about your expectations and values throughout their teen years. Be consistent with praise and rewards when they follow the rules.
Setting consequences your teen will care about is another important part of parenting. That can mean different things depending on the teen. Privileges like cell phones, video games, spending time doing their favorite hobby or sport, or driving may work to encourage good behavior.
“In adolescence, you’re trying to figure out who you are,” Stormshak explains. There’s no guarantee you can help your teen avoid risky choices. But sharing your values and expectations and talking about how their choices can affect their life can help guide them toward better options. See the Wise Choices box for some tips on parenting teens.
Community Schools Update from Mrs. Salyards
COMMUNITY OFFERINGS
GED PREP MATH CLASS
Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:00 - 11:30
Parkview Early Literacy Center
ADULT KEYBOARDING
Thursdays at 1:00 Starting February 3rd Sierra Middle School
RSVP by Contacting 575-420-4164
PARENTING CLASS
Tuesdays 5:30-6:30 Starting January 18th
On Zoom
ESL CLASS
Tuesdays 4:00 - 6:00
Sierra Middle School
Grief / Loss Group for Adults
The day and time is to be determined based off interest. If interested, please RSVP by contacting 575-420-4164.
After School Clubs
After school clubs continue to grow in number of kids attending and enjoying. A cooking club will be starting soon for 8th graders. See Mrs. Ford for details. If you want information about any of the current clubs, please see the sponsor.
Math - Mr. Smith or Mrs. Whitlow
Coding/Robotics - Mr. Busby
Anime - Mr. Bewley or Mr. Garcia
Harry Potter - Mr. Busby
Board Games - Mr. Katz
MESA - Mrs. Patterson or Mr. Busby
Tutoring
Featured Article: February Facts
- February fluctuates between having 28 and 29 days per year. The 29th day only occurs every 4 years during leap years.
- The length of February was finalized when Julius Caesar remade the Roman calendar and assigned the month 28 days and 29 days. In 713 B.C., February was officially added to the Roman calendar.
- If you were born in February, your birthstone is an amethyst and your flower is a primrose.
- The western zodiac signs in February are Aquarius which is until February 19th, and Pisces, which starts February 20th.
- Over time, the length of February kept changing. At one point, it had as little as 23 days.
Message from 8th Grade Girls Basketball Coach Patterson
This 2021 - 2022 8th grade Basketball season has been a wonderful experience at Sierra Middle School. Both the boys and girls team had their ups and downs but they still tried to work hard to make our school proud and they did. Boys had a 6-6 winning season record, took 2nd place in the city for the RISD tournament and made it to the first round of playoffs where they unfortunately lost to Houston Middle School in overtime.
The girls team have a 7-5 winning record this season, took 2nd place in the RISD Tournament, and have advanced to the 8th grade girls Basketball Quarterfinals against Houston Middle school. I am very proud as a coach to watch these 8th graders seeing as how I started working at Sierra 2 years ago when they were 6th graders. Watching them advance their skills, maturity and determination in everything they do, especially sports has been the best times of my tenure here so far.
As a coach I always tell them that we do not determine their time on the field, court, etc…they do, and their determination to play and succeed and advance in any way possible is to prepare them for high school athletics. That is my job as a coach, to make sure they are ready and prepared for the next level. “One person can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one person cannot make a team succeed.”
Coach Patterson
Message from 8th Grade Boys Basketball Coach Garcia
This year's 8th grade Sierra Middle Schools boys and girls basketball season has been a fun journey as they worked hard on their basketball fundamentals in becoming a well-rounded team for the 2021-22 school year. They learned that becoming a better basketball player is not just about getting in the gym and working hard, but now you also must be a student of the game and learn the proper way to do things. In addition, they developed positive traits by learning the game and creating a mentally tough demeanor when the pressure seemed insurmountable. Furthermore, they discovered that this would give you an advantage over your competition, and you will be able to take your game to the next level. The season has gone by fast, and all the players learned some outstanding life lessons. Moreover, it has been a pleasure coaching and guiding our Eagles in developing their mindset, toughness, discipline, and mamba mentality to be the best version of themselves. Lastly, the team's main goal was to inspire and motivate each other to be better teammates and realize their full potential to become productive, responsible, and caring citizens.
Respectfully,
Coach Garcia
Book Recommendations
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens: 52 Cards for Motivation and Growth Every Week of the Year by Sean Covey
Timeless Wisdom for a New Generation
This card deck companion to Sean Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens is the essential go-to resource for busy teenagers preparing for a highly effective and successful life. Use the tools in these 52 cards to build the confidence you need to take on challenges, do hard things, and create lasting change.
Finally get results. Many teens know that establishing proactive habits is the first step toward personal success. The problem is, most teenagers don't know how to implement these new habits while trying to deal with all of their other tasks. Between the pressures of school, society, and overburdened schedules, it’s no wonder many young adults are stressed out. You need a tool to help find balance and increase effectiveness. In this card deck, bestselling FranklinCovey author Sean Covey breaks down the timeless wisdom of the 7 Habits into a weekly format that is easy for busy teens to commit to and apply in your life.
Rely on trusted guidance. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens card deck helps young adults navigate the often confusing spheres of building self-esteem, managing social pressure, promoting activism, and much more. With the tools in this deck, you can build confidence to take on challenges and implement lasting change. This deck contains weekly challenges, calls-to-action, and inspiration to ensure lasting personal change throughout the whole year, all based on dependable advice from Sean Covey.
Learn to:
- Determine what principles are important to you
- Create and map out short-term and long-term goals for a meaningful life
- Foster healthy, meaningful relationships to support yourself into your future
In the second book of the Harry Potter series: 'There is a plot, Harry Potter. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year.'
Harry Potter's summer has included the worst birthday ever, doomy warnings from a house-elf called Dobby, and rescue from the Dursleys by his friend Ron Weasley in a magical flying car! Back at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his second year, Harry hears strange whispers echo through empty corridors - and then the attacks start. Students are found as though turned to stone... Dobby's sinister predictions seem to be coming true.
