Room 107 News November 14
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Report Cards
Report Cards will come home Friday, November 14th. Here are some tips from Laura Mayne, co-author of Meet the Teacher: How to Help Your Child Navigate Elementary School from an article on todaysparenting.com.
DO stay positive. Find something to praise initially, even if it’s only to comment on the slight improvement in your child’s English mark or how well she gets along with her classmates. “If the marks aren’t stellar, but your child has worked hard and tried her very best, she deserves recognition for what she’s achieved,” says Mayne.
DON’T compare. Avoid the temptation to talk about his sister’s, cousin’s or friend’s exemplary reports. “It’s very easy to get caught up in the grade craze,” says Jennifer Sabatini, a professor of early childhood education at Seneca College in Toronto and mom of 12-year-old twins. “You need to focus on having reasonable expectations for each of your children, not on everyone else.”
DO listen to the key player. A lot of parents fail to realize that children are insightful about their own strengths and weaknesses, says Mayne. Ask your child what she thinks about her report card, what she’s most proud of, or disappointed in, and why she thinks she received the marks she did. Remember to keep calm, cool and collected — this is a conversation, not an interrogation.
DON’T lose sight of the big picture. A report card is just a snapshot of the work your child produced during a specific period of time, says Mayne. A lower mark doesn’t always mean she’s slacking off or slipping in a subject. Your child may bring home an A in math one term, and a B the next if the course content has changed and she finds algebra more challenging than geometry (as was my daughter’s case). Look carefully at the teacher’s comments as well, since they can give you a better idea of how your child is performing overall, adds Sabatini. “As parents, we should focus on the area of the report card that indicates learning skills, such as initiative, problem solving and conflict resolution, because they are the long-term indicators of future success.”
DO prepare a follow-up plan. “Take time on report card day to focus on and celebrate successes,” says Mayne. “Then begin fresh the next day with plans for improvement.” Ask your child what he thinks he has to do, both at home and at school, to get better marks. Report cards sometimes reflect a lack of effort more than a lack of skill, so maybe he needs to limit TV or cut back on extracurricular activities. Offer your own suggestions and then, together, set small, realistic goals. You may also want to talk to your child’s teacher about what your child can do to bring up his grades, especially if they’re not reflective of the time and effort he’s putting in.
International Day Next Friday
International Day is a ‘hands-on’ learning day to celebrate ISB’s rich intercultural diversity. Many of our ES classrooms are ‘transformed’ by parents into country themed rooms so that our students can celebrate different cultures, food, dress, language, music, geography, throughout the day. If you would like to bring in a book, photos or a snack from your home country just let Mr. Hagen know and we can arrange a time.
A few details for parents:
Students wear a costume representative of their home country to school on International Day
Students are invited to wear country t-shirts instead of their uniform or P.E. uniform in the week leading up to International Day. A country t-shirt represents a country or place-visited with their family.
International Day begins with an Assembly. This year, parents are welcome to join the Assembly, as we are gathering in Rajendra Hall. As a result, the parade of classes will happen inside the Hall. Parents will need to be seated by 7.30am SHARP so that the Assembly can begin on time.