The Carleton Chronicle
A weekly update from your principal, Mr. Kausch
Greetings from Carleton!
It was great to see so many of you throughout the week. Thank you for the many parents that participated in our Booster meeting on Monday evening. The planning of the Carleton Shuffle is off to a great start and our kids will have a tremendous time together. Remember, the goal of the Boosters is to have one major fundraiser in the fall and raise enough funds to support our students throughout the year. This event is 100% profit and does not require our students to be salespeople. If every family can contribute $10, we will raise $7,000 for our students' benefit.
It was great to see a packed house on Wednesday for our Title I meeting and Open House. It was nice to meet so many parents and to see you active in your student's academic life. As the year gets busier, I would encourage you to try and set aside time to be present and active during the middle school years. These are often the years our kids test the limits of independence and push boundaries, but they still need structure, routine, and positive adult role models.
I also want to thank those that volunteered for our Parent Advisory Team, this is a small group of parents that will provide us with feedback and an open line of communication for our Title I programming. If there is further interest to be on this small committee, please contact me.
If we missed you because you had to work or had other commitments, please don't hesitate to contact us if you have questions or simply want to meet any members of our team who work with your child every day.
Students displaying their artwork for Open House.
Volleyball practicing some passing drills.
Football players working on tackling.
A short article on parent involvement
A study from the American Psychological Association conducted a "Meta-Analysis," or a "study of studies" on the impact of parental involvement in a child's middle school education. In reviewing 50 studies and articles, published from 1985 through 2006 to look for trends, there was a clear positive relationship between parental involvement and student achievement. Children of parents who are involved in their education at the middle level have better scores and educational outcomes. Three kinds of parent involvement showed to be particularly critical:
1. Academic Socialization - talking with your child about school, your expectations for them, how much you value their education, discussing with your child how they think they learn best, and talking about future education plans are all examples of behaviors that have a positive impact on middle school students.
2. Home Based Involvement, such as taking your child on a trip, to a museum, library, or other educational event (including sporting events) where they can have a learning experience has a positive impact. In addition, the simple strategy of having a designated place in your home for reading or study purposes is significant.
3. School Based Involvement, such as coming to an event like Open House, Parent Teacher Conferences, or a Booster Club meeting to find out about your child's school and what we are doing also has shown to help children get a better middle school education.
These are three areas I continue to be intentional within my own family and hope to maintain a sense of balance as Carleton's principal. Please know that we are here to help you and support you in your child's academic journey.
Ms. Stawski's students in Science class.
Pre-assessments occuring in Ms. Bell's classroom.
Open House parents filling the cafeteria.
Clark's Corner
I, like many of you, went to my children's Open House this week, and my 6th grade son's teacher answered a question that I often fielded during my 12 years as a classroom teacher. What should my child do when they have no homework?
His response, "Make sure your child reaches their goal of reading 20 minutes each day." I nodded and smiled, thinking of my son sitting in his room with the book I bought him on his lap, just waiting to pick it up and pretend to be reading when I walked in. "Easier said then done," I thought. Then the teacher went on to add, "even if that means you reading to them."
I was reminded of how important it is to spend time showing our children how valuable reading is, and that night I picked up a copy of Prince Caspian and read the first chapter to my son. When I stopped he groaned and I told him he was welcome to read for another 15 minutes before lights out. Sure enough the next day when I went to pick up the book, the bookmark was on Chapter Four.
We often forget that reading to our middle school children is just as valuable as them reading on their own. It builds interest in literature, encourages independent reading, grows vocabulary, and sets a high value on education. I have challenged myself to make time three days a week to read to my sixth grader. I encourage you to join me in that challenge.
Happy Reading,
Mr. Clark
Events for Your Calendar
September 23, 2016 - Half Day of School (Dismissal at 11am)
September 24, 2016 - Cousino HS Dance Team Clinic (10am-12Noon) - Flyers in office.
September 26, 2016 - First Home Volleyball game against Beer
September 27, 2016 - First Away Football game against Jefferson
September 27, 2016 - Carleton Shuffle (Booster Fundraiser)
September 30, 2016 - Picture Retake Day
October 3, 2016 - Home Volleyball game against Warren Woods Tower
October 4, 2016 - Home Football game against Carter (Patriot Bowl)
October 5, 2016 - Student Count Day
October 7, 2016 - Home Volleyball vs. Roseville
About Us
Email: ekausch@wcskids.net
Website: http://school.wcskids.net/carleton/
Location: 8900 15 Mile Rd, Sterling Heights, MI, United States
Phone: (586) 825-2590
Twitter: @EricKausch
Carleton Sundae
The Carleton Colt Sundae is available at Coco Beam Creamery and Café on 15 and Dodge Park. the It is vanilla ice cream (or vanilla frozen custard), Sanders Caramel topping, whipped cream, maraschino cherry, green & gold jimmies, and a chocolate Carleton Colt garnish (either in green as shown, or in gold).
10% of the sales of the Carleton Colt Sundae will be donated to the Carleton Booster Club. Also, players in uniform will receive a discount, so please consider stopping in and asking for the Carleton Colt Sundae!