Sep 8th
vol. 2
Parent Wellness Toolkit
The start of the school year can come with much excitement, anticipation, and for some students, increased anxiety. How will I make new friends, or maintain old ones? Who will I sit with at lunch? How can I handle all my homework alongside my busy schedule? We’ve compiled a list of tips to help ease some common anxieties middle school students face when returning to school:
- Maintain a good routine- Consistent and quality sleep can help improve moods and concentration. Help teach your child to have a quiet and comfortable sleep environment. Added tip: Consider limiting screen time hours before bed to help better sleep quality.
- Decide how and when homework will get done. Is there a distraction-free space in your home? Is the library a better option? This is also a great time to discuss limiting cellphone use and other distractions during homework time.
- Help your child fuel their body in a healthy way: Adequate water intake and a nutritious breakfast can help eliminate brain fog. Work towards limited added sugar, more fruit, and vegetables, and protein.
- Ask your child to create goals for the school year: Separate academic, social, and personal goals are a great place to start! Writing these down and discussing them as a family is a great way to start a healthy life skill. Reference these goals throughout the school year as a positive reinforcement and a reminder for your child. Key to remember these goals should come from them so they feel more ownership over the success of these goals.
- Guide but don’t do: Middle school is a time for students to increase their independence and learn to manage their time. Guiding your child but not managing all of their time can help them to feel independent and have more control over their lives and learning.
- Let them know it’s okay to feel some anxiety- This is normal, and we can overcome/work through increased stress in healthy ways. Discuss healthy ways to decrease anxiety levels that work both at home and school.
- Help them to find a healthy outlet: Family walks, drawing, listening to or creating music, cooking/baking, exercise, and more! Having a healthy break from schoolwork and technology can help children relax and feel recharged for new school days.
And remember: One of the main modes of learning is through modeling. Children are sponges that absorb the way the people around them handle stress and create healthy habits!
Social Institute Parent Presentation
Parent Presentation "Win At Social" -September 27th 1:30 pm & 7 pm
I sincerely hope many of you will consider joining us at one of our two parent presentations on September 27th as we feature Chelsea Lopez, Account Executive from The Social Institute. We are fortunate enough to host these parent sessions featuring Ms. Lopez, who will present "Empowering Your Child to Navigate Well-Being, Social Media, and Technology in Positive, High-Character Ways.” As LCJSMS seeks to continually improve the quality of the curriculum and instruction of our advisory program, we have partnered with The Social Institute this year to acquire additional resources to enhance student conversation around bullying, technology, and social media usage. We are grateful to the SEF, who has made this program’s implementation possible through their generous funding.
In this presentation, the presenter will share actionable tips and best practices to help your child(ren) make healthy, high-character choices, online and off. As you know, our children today are navigating a digital world that, in many ways, we did not have to combat as teens. Please consider joining us for one of the sessions on September 27th so that we, as a school and community, can continue to partner with one another to provide the best educational experience for our students.
8th Grade Community Service Opportunities
8th Grade Community Service Opportunities
The Jefferson School PTO is hosting the annual Fall Festival on Saturday, October 15th, from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. This is a fun, community-wide event with pony rides, a petting zoo, bounce houses, raffles, various carnival games, and more! Please consider volunteering for this fun event! Thank you! Please bring any paperwork that needs to be signed with you to the event. We will sign it that day.
Summit Environmental Commission- Community Service Opportunity
Summit's Environmental Commission will be preparing the Tiny Forest for winter between 8:30-11 am on two Saturdays: Sept. 23 and Oct. 7. All are welcome. Please bring gloves (we will have extras available).
8th graders can earn Community Service hours. Email summit.nj.ec@gmail.com with questions. Park at the Community Center (100 Morris Ave) and walk down past the baseball field to reach the Tiny Forest.
Executive Functioning Classes
6th-Grade Parents:
We will offer a series of Executive Functioning classes funded by the SEF. The courses are free to students, and LCJSMS teachers will teach all lessons. Please be advised that there is a class limit. They are first come, first serve, and you must sign up in advance. These courses will be available later in the year for students in grades 7 & 8.
Please fill out this form in order for your child(ren) to attend the class. The 1st Topic being covered in the dates below is "Let's Get Organized." Classes will be held from 3-4 p.m. after school on the following dates:
Wednesday, September 20th
Thursday, September 21st
Wednesday, September 27th
Thursday, September 28th
Wednesday, October 4th
Thursday, October 5th
We will have more course offerings on a variety of Executive Functioning topics throughout the duration of the year.
*All who submit a request will receive a follow up email next week regarding registration status.
Lunch Balances
Parents, if your child has an existing balance on their lunch accounts from the 22-23 school year, please rectify these fines as soon as possible. Students with fines will be prohibited from purchasing additional snacks to accompany their lunch starting Monday, September 11th. To avoid this disruption, please reconcile accounts online.