Parent & Family Engagement News
Shelbyville ISD Newsletter Spring 2019
Upcoming Dates
- February - Black History Month, Valentine's Day, President's Day
- March - St. Patrick's Day, Spring Break, TELPAS Testing
- April - Easter Break, STAAR/EOC Testing
- May - STAAR/EOC Testing, Graduation Dates (Kindergarten/8th Grade/HS), Campus Awards Programs/Field Day/Parent & Family Engagement Meeting/Teacher Appreciation Month
- CHECK WITH EACH CAMPUS TO CONFIRM DATES ON THE SCHEDULE
Helping Your Child Through the Midyear Slump
The holidays have passed and you're midway through the year and school is decidedly not fun anymore for both kids and parents. Students and educators can also go through a “slump” during the first part of the second semester. Similar to the pre-holiday euphoria is the post-holiday letdown. The stage is set for a slump. Your child may respond to these third quarter adjustments in less than positive ways. If a student’s academic grades decline or there is greater incidence of conduct issues, the student may be experiencing the third quarter slump. Often during the third quarter, the content within the curriculum has reached a point where most information is new to the student and; therefore, the level of difficulty has increased. This may cause student frustration and discouragement that may lead to a number of unsatisfactory student behaviors ranging from apathy to acting out. So, how can a parent help his/her student avoid the third quarter slump? The following proactive measures are good any time of the year and will help you and your student develop effective student habits: •
First of all, establish family routines including time for studying, recreation, family meals and sleep. Children, in particular, thrive on consistency and definitive boundaries. Children find comfort in knowing the expectations and routines of the family. By placing importance on doing certain things at a certain time, parents are teaching time management skills and helping the student to discern the things that are the most important. Make sure your student is getting enough sleep. The winter can cause all of us to want to sleep more, but children really need additional sleep for healthy growth. •
Second, the new year is a good time to replenish school supplies and refocus on organizational routines, strategies, and practices. Perhaps, you and your student can do a mid-year binder check or notebook clean-up. This helps the student realize accomplishments from the first semester and get reorganized for the next semester. New materials, new organizational strategies or a new way of looking at something are always good to spark renewed energy and motivation. •
Third, avoid over-scheduling your student, but encourage some co-curricular activity. Many students actually perform better when they are involved in an activity of interest apart from their required school course work. By continuing to maintain family routines and by allowing your student to participate in an activity of enjoyment, many students actually improve their time management skills. These activities can be a stress reducer and help to eliminate seasonal blues experienced by some students.
Fourth, keep the lines of communication open between you and your student’s teacher. If you discover your student’s grades are sliding, conferences with the teacher can help you learn what you can do to help the situation. Educators can provide helpful suggestions and incredible insight into the observed behaviors of your student. If a student is struggling with new material, the parent and teacher can work together to develop a supportive intervention plan.
Finally, celebrate the learning successes. Students often just need to know that we, as parents, recognize their effort and achievements. Helping your student stay motivated, reinforcing organizational practices, and maintaining open dialogue will help your student avoid a slump during the third quarter or any other time. Be encouraged…it’s just a short while longer to keep moving forward and onto the promise of a relaxing, well-earned summer.
About STAAR Grades 3-8 and EOC
STAAR includes annual assessments in the following subjects and grades:
- Reading and Mathematics, grades 3–8
- Writing at grades 4 and 7
- Science at grades 5 and 8
- Social Studies at grade 8
- EOC assessments for Algebra I, English I, English II, Biology and U.S. History
STAAR Algebra II and English III EOC assessments are available for districts to administer on an optional basis as postsecondary readiness measures.