Counselor Connection
February-March Edition
Parent-Teacher Conferences
February 3rd and February 11th 2016
1. Check your child's progress on PASS. Having a sense of your child's grades can eliminate any surprises at conference night and can help you prepare questions about how you can best support your child and the teacher's efforts.
2. If there are concerns, collaboratively look for solutions. As a parent, you are the teacher's' best resource concerning how to motivate your child. Provide the teacher with ideas that have worked for you. Remember, education is a partnership and your participation is necessary to facilitate success.
3. Ask the most important questions you have first. Since the time is limited, spend it wisely by discussing the most pressing issues right away.
4. Ask about anything you do not understand. Education is full of acronyms (TBT, I/E, PBIS etc.) and educators sometimes forget that parents may not know what they mean. If there is language that you are unfamiliar with, ask the teacher to clarify.
5. Specifically ask what you can do to support your child at home. When you leave the conference you should have a good idea of your child's current progress, strengths, and areas that are in need of improvement. As a partner in the educational process, the work that you carry through at home is crucial to the success of your child.
6. Talk to your child about the conference. Make sure to include the positive points of the meeting, concerns, and any plans that were developed.
Classroom Guidance
6th Grade Learning Styles and Goal Setting
5th Grade Stress and Peer Pressure
The Game of Life
The safety of our students is our chief concern as educators. We strive to keep our students safe in the building, on the playground, and when traveling to and from school. As the digital world becomes more prevalent in the academic and social aspects of students’ lives, it is important that students are taught how to keep themselves safe online.
Some simple rules for internet safety are:
Never share personal information (name, age, address, school) online.
Never share passwords (unless with parents).
Tell a trusted adult if you feel uncomfortable or scared by something online.
Never post something mean, rude, or hurtful online.
Recently, a representative from the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) spoke to a group of parents in our district about strategies to keep children safe online. More information about ICAC and resources for you and your student(s) can be found at ohioicac.org.