Thursday, December 8, 2011

"Save Our Waters Week" Essay Contest

Congratulations to the winners of the "Save Our Waters Week" Essay Contest!
1st Place - Rachel Ramm
2nd Place - Juliet Palmer
3rd Place - Abby Blocker

They won all 3 places for the essay contest out of the whole county!!

Monday, December 5, 2011

Homework Helper

Your child may not realize it memorizing the periodic table at 2 a.m., but homework is a good thing. It helps your child:

Practice what was learned during the day.
Establish study habits that will be critical in college.
Prepare for classes.
Get a sense of progress.

Homework tips:

How can you help your child get the most out of homework? Here are 10 ideas to get you started.

Set the mood:

Help your child create a good study area with all the resources she needs (for example, a dictionary). If you don't have a quiet place at home, she should try the school or local library.

Know where to begin:

Your child should make a prioritized list of everything she needs to do, so she can't use "I don't know where to start" as an excuse. It's important not to over-schedule. Without some flexibility, your child will set herself up to fail.

Study at the same time every day:

Even if your child doesn't have homework, she can use the time to review notes. If homework is something your child accepts as part of her day, she'll approach it with less dread. Plus, she will become a pro at using time productively.

Keep things in perspective:

Your child should know how much weight each assignment or test carries, and use her time accordingly.

Get more involved:

Does your child ever feel like she can't stay awake to read something, let alone process it? To keep her mind from wandering, your child may want to take notes, underline sections, discuss topics with others, or relate her homework to what she is studying in another class.

Organize the information:

People process information in different ways. Some people like to draw pictures or charts to digest information, other people like to read out loud or make detailed outlines. Your child should try to find the best methods that work for her. She should ask her teacher for recommendations if she's experiencing any difficulty.

Take advantage of any free time:

If your child has a study hall, or a long bus ride, she can use the time to review notes, prepare for an upcoming class, or start homework.

Studying with a friend:

Unless it's too distracting, your child may want to get together with friends and classmates to quiz herself, compare notes, and predict test questions. To you, this may seem like mostly a social time, but it can be very beneficial to your child to prepare for an assignment as part of a group.

Celebrate your child's achievements:

Reward your child for hitting milestones, or doing something well. You can provide treats or small rewards for your child while she is working on a big assignment. Your appreciation of your child's accomplishments in school is still very important to her, even though she may not always show it.

Communication is key:

Keeping the lines of communication open will help to broaden your understanding of what teachers and counselors expect of your child and may help you to think of new ways to be supportive while still giving your child the independence that she's craving. It will also help you to understand how much time your child needs to allot for her homework, time that might take away from her participation in family activities or helping out around the house.

If your child has concerns about the amount or type of homework she has, she may want to talk to her teacher, adviser, or counselor. Encourage your child to ask for help if she needs it.

(Source: www.GreatSchools.org)

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

PBS

Click to enlarge our PBS brochure and learn more about IMS's ABC's of PBS! :)

Monday, November 28, 2011

Reading is Cool

Online reading communities are fun places for kids to swap book recommendations and express opinions about what they read. They can rate and review books at http://www.goodreads.com/. Using the site regularly is a good way to keep track of titles they've read, too. At http://www.youarewhatyouread.com/, each reader can leave a "book print" - a list of all-time favorite books. They'll also be able to see which books their friends like best, and why.

(source: January 2012-Middle Years)

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Student Drop-off & Pick-up

FYI!

(Please click on images to enlarge)

Sunday, November 13, 2011

"Did you do your homework?"

Parents need to ask more questions than this one, teachers advise. How much should you help with homework? Monitor homework but remember it's your child's homework, not yours. You can help by asking questions that help guide your child to his own solutions. Some examples:

What information do you need to do this assignment?
Where are you going to look for it?
Where do you think you should begin?
What do you need to do next?
Can you describe how you're going to solve this problem?
How did you solve this problem?
What did you try that didn't work?
Why does this answer seem right to you?
Tell me more about this part?

(Source: www.greatschools.org)

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Have you smiled today?

When Claire Lemmel saw that people in her San Francisco neighborhood weren't connecting as they walked by each other on the streets, she decided to put kindness in action ... and her smile on a giant poster! Her kindness and smile are now inspiring hundreds of people on her daily walks.

(From RandomActsOfKindness.org)

Smiling is contagious! Try it!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Amber

How does Amber organize her AVID binder? Let's find out...

We Have a Facebook Page!

Woohoo!!! We officially have an IMS Team Guidance Facebook page! Please sign on, and "Like" us so you can receive our updates!

CLICK HERE!

Monday, October 31, 2011

Sensitivity

"I don't want anyone at the restaurant to see me. I hate the way I look."

As middle graders mature, their bodies start changing in uncontrollable ways. Examples: acne, growth spurts, facial hair. This often makes them feel awkward about their appearance.

Suggestions:

When your child makes negative comments about his appearance, listen to what he says. Try to avoid immediately reassuring him. Instead, make comments that prompt him to describe his feelings. Example: "That must be really tough." This encourages him to open up about his emotions.

Make your comments in a matter-of-fact tone. Middle graders are likely to find joking and teasing hurtful, even if you're just trying to be funny.

Talk about how you felt when you were his age. If he doesn't believe you, pull out old photos. He will quickly see that you're telling the truth. Gently explain that his friends probably feel the same way about their bodies. Let him know that these changes will be less and less noticeable as he gets older.

You Can't Study This!

Thank you Mrs. V for sharing this video on Cornell Notes!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Privacy

Has a sign that reads, "Keep out. This means you!" suddenly appeared on your child's door?

It's natural for middle graders to want more privacy as they grow older. They're beginning to see themselves as unique individuals who need more space. Also, changes in their bodies during puberty may make them want to stake out an area of the house as their own.

Suggestions:
The next time your middle grader shouts, "Just leave me alone" and slams the door, consider taking his advice. He may be trying to say, "This room is my private area." Having a private place can help him cool off and relax. If you haven't already established rules such as "Knock before opening a closed door," consider doing so. Tell your middle grader that you respect his need for privacy and expect the same treatment in return. Chances are he'll understand where you're coming from. Allowing your child to have privacy doesn't mean he has complete control over the room, however. Let him know your expectations on how the room is kept (dirty clothes in laundry basket, no trash on floor, etc.).

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Attention Parents of Moody Teens!

Does this sound familiar?
"One minute my child wants my help with homework, and the next minute she wants me to leave her alone."
This behavior may make you wonder what's going on. The answer is simple. Your child is becoming an adolescent. Middle graders tend to be very moody. One minute they're happy, and the next they're angry. These sudden moods can be difficult to predict and even harder to cope with.

Suggestions:
The best approach parents can take is to ignore as much of this erratic behavior as possible. Changing hormone levels in your child make it next to impossible for him or her to control their emotions. So, what do you do?
First, keep in mind that their moods have little to do with you - and try not to take them personally. If you don't comment, chances are they'll disappear as quickly as they arrived. The more attention you give them, the longer they're likely to stick around.
However this doesn't give your middle graders a license to walk all over you. Tell them that you understand they are upset, but they don't have the right to upset the rest of the household. Suggest they go to another room if they are not feeling sociable. When they come out, try to forget anything happened. They will probably forget about it too!

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Middle Years

Middle grade children go through dramatic changes and desperately need their parents’ support. Many parents want to help, but aren’t sure what to do. With Middle Years, you can get the help you need as well as practical ideas to:

Improve school success.
Strengthen the home and school partnership.
Enhance parenting skills.
Strengthen family life.
Understand middle graders’ behavior.
Build positive character traits.

Check out our September and October issues by clicking here!

Organized for Success

It’s a big jump from elementary to middle school. Not only will your child have multiple classes and teachers, he’ll probably have more homework, papers, and books. Being organized can help him cope with these changes like a pro. Share these suggestions with your middle grader.

Do a “run through.”

Have him think through his day. What will he need for each class? Help him decide what to carry and to plan times to trade books and notebooks at his locker. At the end of each day, he should check his assignments so he knows what to take home.

Avoid clutter.

Encourage your middle schooler to weed out what he doesn’t need by sorting papers and supplies every Friday, so he’s ready for the week ahead. Then, he can group old assignments, quizzes, and tests together for safekeeping.

Have a daily plan.

time. Suggest that he plan each day of the week with slots for school, studying, and other commitments (debate team, sports practice). If he doesn’t have some time to relax, he may need to cut back

on something.

**It’s okay to change his strategies until he

finds the one that works best for him!

(This was taken from the September issue of "Middle Years")