Thanksgiving is a good time to check in with your school family!
Teachers, students, and parents are now in our third month of school. Hopefully, everyone got off to a good start! Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect on our family – including our school family. How is your child performing in school? Is there anything that you want to change? Can you do something more at home to support your child and our teachers?
This is a great opportunity for parents and teachers to continue to work together so students continue the 2017 – 2018 school year in a successful way.
Parents play a critical role in the education process. What parents and teachers do together helps to set a pattern that will continue for the entire school year. Parents can help their children achieve by following the following suggestions. As your superintendent of schools, I want the remainder of the school year a success. It is never too late to get involved.
1.Become involved in your child’s school. Join the local PTA or serve as a volunteer. When parents become involved in the education process, they help to reinforce the importance of school. Remember, children imitate parents. If school is important to parents, it will be important to their children.
2.Establish routines at home that reinforce education. A great way to experience success during the remainder of the school year is to set aside a specific time to do homework so that a homework problem does not develop. Reward children with praise when they complete their homework.
3.Get to know your child’s teacher and classroom routine. Find out what his/her expectations are. Is there homework every day? When are tests scheduled? When is he/she free for telephone conferences? Parents are encouraged to contact teachers frequently.
4.Read to/with your child every day. Kids learn to enjoy reading when parents read too. Reading is a critical skill that requires practice and reinforcement. Try to subscribe to a magazine or visit a library.
5.Boost your child’s self-esteem. Parents, more than anyone else, help develop the level of self- esteem that a child has. Offer praise when a child tries something new. Offer encouragement for improvement and never ridicule a child.
One of the most effective things that parents can do at home in order to boost self-esteem is to tape certificates and homework/tests on the refrigerator or some other visible location.
6.Watch television programs, not just television. As a general rule, kids watch too much television.
As a matter of fact, most kids spend more time watching television than they do in school. Parents may want to plan the shows they will watch and coordinate this with the homework schedule time.
7.Set up a study area in your home. Many kids do homework and forget to bring it to school. One easy step that parents can take is to set up a study area. This can be a desk, or the kitchen table. The key is to pick one location in the home where kids do their school work. Have it stocked with supplies: A pencil sharpener, paper, scissors, etc. When this routine is set up, homework and the lunch box don’t get lost.
8.Catch your child being good. Let your children know that you appreciate their good behavior at school or home; the more positive your responses, the better your children will feel and behave. Don’t take “good” behavior or grades for granted. Children need your attention.
9. Contact the school at the first sign of a problem. Parents need to keep teachers informed about developments at home that can impact the child. Parents and teachers can accomplish great things when they share.
On behalf of the Fair Lawn School District, our Board and staff, I wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Dr. Ernest Palestis