The Connect
An 8th Grade Newsletter. Edition 2
Week Two - Aeries is Up and Ready for Use!
Because of the possibility of student being moved into our classes the Thursday Folders are going home for our first GRADE CHECK IN NEXT THURSDAY! Please look for the Thursday folder each week -- this is a way for you to have a conversation about your child's grades each week. Make sure you are able to access your student's process by signing into the Aeries system. Please contact the office if you have not already set up your password to the Aeries system.
PTSO: The membership drive is still going. We would love to have 100% participation! PTSO would greatly appreciate your support. It is only $10 to join & PTSO membership QR codes have been sent home through Remind. With support from parent membership, the PTSO was able to help fund new shade structure and also support S.T.E.A.M with Classroom Grants for technology.
How to Help Your Child Succeed at School - By Jessica Lahey - New York Times - PART 2
Key Values
There is so much to think about each school year, but above all else, these simple rules can help keep you focused on what’s most important for school success.
Do
- Focus on the process, not the product.
- Encourage kids to self-advocate.
- Keep a long-term perspective.
- Maintain a healthy sleep schedule.
- Love the child you have, not the child you wish you had.
Don’t
- Overschedule.
- Worship grades.
- Encourage helplessness.
- Compare kids to one another.
- Love kids based on their performance.
Value Goals Over Grades
One easy way to invest in process is to set goals, both individually and as a family. Try to do this at the beginning of a new school year, the first of the month, or the beginning of a new season. Keep the discussion light and low-pressure. This process isn’t about getting better grades, it’s about supporting learning as a family.
Everyone (yes, that means parents, too) sets three short-term, achievable goals oriented around tasks and improvements under your control. For example, “I’m going to get all A's this semester” is too broad and too difficult to control. Instead, try “I’m going to ask for help in math more often,” “I will plan one extra help session a week,” or “I will practice my multiplication three extra times this month.”
One of those three goals should be a challenge. We can’t hope to convince our children to be emotionally and intellectually brave unless they see us do the same, so set some goals that get you out of your comfort zone. Take guitar or dance or Spanish lessons, try an activity you have never tried before, or pick up a new hobby. This is, after all, how we expand our cognitive potential and make new connections in our brains that can help us become stronger, smarter and more efficient learners.
A few years ago, one of my sons’ goals was to make a few new friends, a goal that was both challenging and important to him.
Before you set new goals, take the time to assess how everyone did on past goals. Review these goals once a month or once a semester. If you fail to achieve your goals talk about why, and what you plan to do differently next time. If you succeed, celebrate that achievement!
Model: Watching a parent set a scary, ambitious goal and talk about the process of achieving it is the most direct way to teach children that learning and striving to be better are human goals, not just school goals.
More Ways to Help Your Child Succeed at School in NEXT WEEK'S The Connect NEWSLETTER!
Dates to Remember:
Monday 8/23-Minimum Day - all sites
Monday 9/6- No School - Labor Day
Monday 9/13 - Staff Development Day - Non Student Day - No School
Monday 9/20 - Minimum Day All sites
Monday 9/27 - Friday 10/1 - Parent Conferences Minimum Days All Week
Mrs. Daley and Mrs. Kaneshina
Mrs. Kaneshina - matilda_kaneshina@etiwanda.org
Email: angela_daley@me.com
Website: www.kanley.org
Location: 12345 Coyote Drive, Rancho Cucamonga, CA, United States
Phone: (909) 803-3300