January

Yes, it is cold. Yes, it is dark and dreary. But you know what is great about January? It provides a long stretch of uninterrupted academic work time.

Students know the classroom routines now. The distraction of Christmas is over and summer is far enough away that students can focus solely on their schoolwork. For some students this consistency and routine is fantastic, for others it causes them to feel like their academic prowess is in the spotlight for the first time all year.

For these students, complaining about work at school and homework is a frequent January theme. This is when a parent should bring up the topic of perseverance. Reminding your student that their job is to go to school and help their brain grow is a good start. As for complaints about homework, I came across this great article by Carolyn Rahaman that has some good advice for dealing with the top 5 homework excuses.

“"I have too much homework"

A very common complaint from students is that they have too much homework. This may be the result of several factors. If your child considers any homework at all to be "too much," the work may be too difficult. It is possible that she takes longer than her teacher expects because the core concepts elude her understanding. This is a sign that your student requires additional help or needs to further study and practice those concepts. It may also be that your child is not leaving herself enough time for homework, and she should start earlier and adjust her expectations.

"This is too hard!"

If your student is struggling, consider requesting additional help. She can speak with her teacher before or after school, work with a study group or review with a parent at home. Occasionally, when children complain that their assignments are too difficult, it is not because they cannot complete the work, but because they do not feel confident in their abilities. Encourage your student to try, and remind her that homework is there in order to help her improve.

"I left my book at school"

Homework is a responsibility, and part of this responsibility involves preparedness. Your child must learn to remember the materials she needs, not just to do well on her homework, but also to do well in college and in the workplace later on. Emphasize that she should bring all her materials home, and remind her that if she forgets, there are consequences (such as a poor grade on the homework assignment).

"I'm tired"

If your student is too tired to do her homework, re-evaluate if she is over-scheduled. Homework is a priority, and extracurriculars are not an excuse for failing to finish it. If your child must participate in an important activity or event, help her plan ahead and complete her homework ahead of time.

"I don't know what my teacher wants me to do"

Many students complain that they do not know what their teacher expects from an assignment. If this is a persistent problem, prompt your child to have a discussion with her instructor about expectations. Teachers will often be transparent about their expectations, and they are typically happy to explain them if a student asks. Your child can also ask other students or check class documents. If her concerns involve just one assignment, and she does not have the opportunity to ask her instructor, she can do her best, explain her worries to her teacher, and then offer to correct it if her work is incorrect."

If these excuses sound like your child and you are at the point that you can't listen to them another day, please don't wait until February. Come and talk to me and his/her teacher. It may just be January or it may be something we need to help with.

Helping Hands

 I could hear the glee from my office yesterday. I had to go and check out what was happening at our school. When I turned the corner it was like there was a celebrity in our building because students were pointing and shouting with excitement. What could cause this joy? Our brand new drinking fountain!

One of our parents graciously donated a fountain that not only filters the water but also has a bottle filler. This was so kind and thoughtful, and exciting for our parched students.

I also had a similar experience last month when our new basketball hoops were hung in the gym. Students (and our PE teacher) love that they no longer have to aim at the paper hoops Mrs. V would hang up during our basketball unit.

Why am I mentioning these two fantastic new additions to our school? Because seeing a need and helping fill it is the best way parents can make our school the best it can be. This may not always be a physical object, but it might be volunteering to read in your child's classroom, or picking up a scrap of paper left in the hall. There are many ways to help.

Together we can all make our space and community an exciting, safe, and fun place to be!

Staying Healthy

This week I experienced the joy of teaching again, unfortunately it was because two of our teachers got the stomach flu. Not only have our teachers been under the weather but many of our students have been as well. I thought it may be a good time to remind you of our policy to prevent the spread of germs.

Our policy is that we ask you to keep your son or daughter home until they have been fever and/or vomit free for at least 24 hours. I know that it is hard for some students to stay home (and working parents, too) but it is an important part of keeping our healthy students healthy and helping our sick students feel better faster.

Here are some other things to teach your child in order to keep them healthy (Taken from the article “So Long Sniffles” by Cheryl Lock) :

1. Wash Hands Like a Pro. It’s not enough to just tell your child that she should wash her hands after using the bathroom, before and after eating and any time she comes in contact with someone who is sick. You should demonstrate the correct way to wash hands. Wet your hands under warm running water (warm is more effective than cold at removing dirt and germs) and use liquid or bar soap to lather up. Scrub for 15 to 20 seconds (tell young kids to hum “Happy Birthday” in their heads twice through). Also: Teach them to keep their hands away from their noses and mouths after touching anything that could be contaminated, until they can wash them properly.

2. Preach “The Three Nos.” Teach your child to avoid putting her hands near her eyes, nose and mouth, whether or not she thinks she’s touched anything suspect. This is especially important to prevent the spread of pinkeye, a common infection kids get … and spread.

3. Perfect the Elbow Sneeze. Show your child how to cover up a sneeze by sneezing into his elbow, so he won’t transmit any germs he may be carrying to his hands.