• South Windsor Hartford Public Library Teen Events
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While School Counselors have met each student through their early September “Meet & Greet” visits to classrooms, Counselors will now begin their more formal and standards based classroom lessons. Upcoming lessons are as follows:

• Grade 6 - “Meet & Greet” lesson was longer and more in depth than at other grade levels, and included detailed information about TEMS logistics, especially regarding supports that are available to students, and how to access those supports.

• Grade 7 - Creating SMART Goals for the school year in the areas of academic achievement, career/future planning, and/or social/emotional health. These 3 areas represent the School Counseling domains in which all School Counseling work centers upon. To learn more about SMART Goals, click here

• Grade 8 - Learning Self-Advocacy skills and how to respectfully approach other people to share your perspective in hopes of changing something in your life. Additionally, this lesson will introduce the high school options available to students next year as 9th graders.

• Attend PTO Meetings- This is a great way to ask and answer questions directly with TEMS teachers and administration.
• Approach homework with positivity- The purpose of homework is to offer practice of key content and skills to build towards mastery. Homework is assigned to help build independence and also provides families with a window into the classroom.
• Monitor PowerSchool- We aim to keep grades as current as possible, check to see how your child(ren) are doing.
• Contact our staff- You know your child(ren) best- communicating with school counselors, teachers, administration, and support staff help to make sure we have necessary information to support each child.
• Emphasize a growth mindset- Middle school is HARD- and not just because of the content they are studying. Students are navigating adolescence, friendships, and learning. It is important that we celebrate success, and learn from failure.
• Help establish routines and structures- Help make sure that our middle schoolers are sleeping enough, eating well, and taking care of themselves so they are ready to tackle each day.
• Stay Aware- Students have access to so much information (and misinformation) with cell phones and other technology. Consider parental limits and open conversations about the safety of social media.
• Keep children in school- Attendance is important. Of course we encourage children who are unwell to stay home, but when they are well we need them here.
• Attend athletic games and other student events- Come cheer on the sidelines or in the audience for our TEMS athletes, musicians, competitors, and performers.
• Attend family information nights- We will be hosting upcoming family education events including substance abuse prevention and social media awareness. These are great opportunities to learn about key adolescent issues and work together to keep our children safe.
• Help reinforce schoolwide expectations- We are committed to maintaining our schoolwide behavior expectations. Being familiar with the Cougars R.O.A.R. matrix will help align conversations at home and at school.

Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students access learning opportunities and understand why attendance is so important for success in school and on the job. Families can also advocate for resources to help students learn if they cannot attend in-person. Click here for some other important attendance support ideas.

Mrs. Debbie Matchett is our school's Technology Content Coach. She supports educators, students, and families in navigating technological tools that can enrich educational experiences.

To obtain a better understanding of the apps and games that are available to your student, visit Common Sense Media. As a parent, you can access age-based ratings and reviews on apps, games, movies, tv, books, and podcasts. Additionally, there is a Parent Tips and FAQ section that provides rich information on topics and platforms that are prevalent among our students.

Mrs. Alison Fetta and Mr. Kent Besocke are instructional coaches that support faculty and staff in providing instruction that meets the needs of our diverse learners at TEMS.

To support your child’s growth mindset, focus on the process rather than the final result. Praise the effort and hard work that went into their successes, and celebrate mistakes as an opportunity to learn. If you’re concerned about the final outcome, consider the following questions instead:

• Are they growing and learning?

• Is their work improving?

• Are they making changes based on the feedback I (or others) have given?

For more ideas on giving positive feedback to your child, see Big Life Journal.

It has been a busy couple months here in the TE LMC. It’s been an absolute pleasure to meet and get to know the sixth graders and re-connect with seventh and eighth grade students.

Just a couple reminders:

Students can check out up to three physical items at once in addition to a combination of 3 e-Books or e-audiobooks through Destiny Discover, our school’s virtual library. This digital content is accessible to your student 24/7; they will never get an overdue e-mail notice for the digital content they’ve checked out because once it expires, it disappears off their account.

Speaking of electronic overdue notices- these are sent out to students’ Gmail account and to a parent or guardian every Tuesday. These are just friendly reminders to have students either bring their library materials to be renewed or returned. Students will not be fined for late books, but will be fined for damaged or lost books.

If you and your child want to learn more about how to access and use TE’s virtual collection, please check out this video.

Checking Out Digital Content from Destiny Discover

Peace At Home Parenting Solutions in collaboration with South Windsor Youth and Family Services now offers FREE online parenting classes. Included in this month's calendar are events that support youth and teen development. You are welcome to visit the catalog and can register by using the link below, your personal email, and the code below.

The login is : Peaceathomeparenting.com/login

Code: SWindsorPeace