Educational Preparedness for the Next Level: High School

The door of educational possibilities opens wide once students transition to high school. It’s an exciting moment for teens to reach a milestone of greater independence and life-altering pathways. More than ever, teens need parental support to navigate changes and guide them in decisions that set the stage for life beyond high school.

Establishing Study Habits

Middle school offers a stepping stone to organizational and time-management skills. Homework journals, for instance, provide a one-method system to maintain next-day, short-term, and long-term assignments. Not all methods work; however, finding practical tools and strategies ease stress and save time. By ninth grade, teens should: • Choose one format to record assignments, whether using a notebook, calendar, or phone. Confirm completion through a check-mark, and add tasks to finish short- and long-term assignments. • Maintain a study schedule and determine the best location to study without distraction. • Reflect on strengths and weaknesses and set attainable goals. Determine how to resolve procrastination. • Use a variety of study strategies, such as writing in bold colors to emphasize words, rewriting notes, talking or reading aloud, using a tape recorder, learning

SQ3R and Cornell Note-Taking methods, or listening to audiobooks. • Set a schedule, which includes breaks and days off. Determine how many extracurricular activities eliminate time with family, friends, and self. Preparing for high school requires smart decisions, and the word, “No,” on occasion.

The Independent Teen

By the age of 13, teens seek greater freedoms and the opportunity to make choices. Open conversations provide

the best moments to praise successes, while talking through mistakes and disappointments. Guidance isn’t necessarily advice. Through questions, parents can lead teens to look beyond blame, discover answers, and grow in remarkable ways.

Two essential conversations include: • Defining the expectations of friendship.

By having a high expectation, teens will not surrender to bad or declining relationships, and gain loyal relationships. • Encourage the connection and value of every assignment, task, effort, or goal to your child’s life. The reputation of a strong work ethic begins with dependability and leads to leadership.

By talking openly and answering honestly, teens need to know they can come to their parents, regardless of the situation or time of day.

Address Good Health

Roughly one out of six members of the world’s population is an adolescent, ranging in age from 10 to 19. In today’s world, preteens and teens need to be fully aware of the following topics: • Alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and other addictive substances. • Physical activity, nutrition, and a healthy diet. • Unprotected sex, STDs, and rape. • Interpersonal violence • Healthy versus dysfunctional relationships • Cyberbullying and Internet predators. • Stress and sleep. • Feeling positive.

As a stepping stone into high school, teens need to be fully aware of the dangers that can impact their mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Addressing difficult BY LISA S.T. DOSS topics will help when challenges surface. As conversations blossom to other areas, teens can strive for balance well into adulthood.

Exposure to Extracurricular Activities

Opportunities will arrive to learn a life skill or potential hobby. It is the one time in life where being a student allows time to invest in new passions. Encourage your child to learn a foreign language, take a class in creative writing, quilting, or learn to play an instrument! In almost every extra-curricular activity, group dynamics offer opportunities to solve problems and engage in various forms of public speaking or writing skills. Through experiences, rising ninth-graders will feel more comfortable contributing in large groups or upper-level classes.

Community Involvement

The résumé of one’s adulthood begins well before the first job. Students obtain accomplishments through grades, athletics, extra-curricular activities, and acts of participation. Students may enjoy the interaction of a group, reaching goals, or helping to support a cause. Volunteering within the community, and even state-wide, helps students discover how to create a positive impact on society. Help your teen find a passion within the neighborhood, community, or school!

The freshman year represents more than just attending classes, taking tests, and interacting with friends. It’s one year to consider a pathway, whether it’s attending college or a trade school, joining the military or the workforce. Teens are by no means alone in their thought process. Guidance comes from teachers and instructors, grandparents and parents, older siblings, influential adults, and friends.

Mentorship & Family at

BY DENISE HEIDEL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARCO BASILE IMAGES

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” ~Proverbs 27:17 ESV

Many business owners will agree that at some point, customers begin to feel like family. In Dr. Tina Merhoff’s world, her customers are patients, but certainly the sentiment holds true. Since 1997, Tina S. Merhoff & Associates Pediatric Dentistry has carved a niche for itself in the community, building a stellar reputation for excellent dental care in a kid-friendly environment. However, a side-effect of the practice has proven that work life is a very personal matter.

“Family was always a priority for me,” said Dr. Tina. “When I was in dental school, I recognized that pediatric dentistry would offer me more flexibility, and indeed it has! I was able to bring both of my daughters to work when they were very young, which I wouldn’t have been able to do in another area of dentistry.”

“However,” Dr. Tina continued, “What I was not expecting was the familial relationships I would build with my patients and staff— relationships that would prove to have a significant impact on my business. Dr. Jennifer Macdonald is a prime example! She joined the practice in August 2019 as a pediatric dentist, but Jennifer’s tenure goes way back—she was a patient first. Then, she worked for me as a teenager before graduating and going to college and dental school.”

Dr. Jennifer laughed as she began to recount her earliest years with Tina S. Merhoff & Associates Pediatric Dentistry. “I started working with Dr. Tina when I was 13, and my mom has been a dental hygienist with Dr. Tina since 2003. In a way, this was in my blood. I’ve never doubted that I would eventually become a dentist, but the mentorship along the way certainly made the journey much easier!”

“It’s incredible,” smiled Dr. Tina, “I’ve watched Dr. Jennifer grow up in many ways, and, truly, it’s been a family affair! Dr. Jennifer not only worked her way up through the practice as a teenager, but she also babysat my daughters! One of my daughters has expressed interest in dentistry, and though I’ve been a dentist her whole life, she now looks to Dr. Jennifer as her mentor! Whether my daughter pursues dentistry or not, Dr. Jennifer continues to be a great example to both of my daughters. It’s been a delight to watch! I’m so blessed to be able to love what I do, while at the same time helping to develop that same spark in someone else…and then, watch them pass the spark to someone else, too!”

The rapport between Drs. Tina and Jennifer is evident, but the role of mentorship is a tremendous part of the business—not necessarily by design, but because these are women who are passionate about what they do. As well as caring for the children and families they serve, they find mentorship lends itself naturally to the day-to-day operations of the business.

“There is a lot of encouragement here,” said Dr. Jennifer. “I’m a living example of how an investment in a child can shape their future.” She smiled at Dr. Tina as she continued, “Dr. Tina has taught me so much, and I love that I get to work beside her. It’s a privilege to do for others what she did for me—teach them, guide them, and watch them grow.”

Dr. Tina agreed. “While not every patient expresses interest in dentistry, of course, we can still demonstrate care to them and encourage them—whatever their aspirations. When you spend eight hours a day with your team and patients, it’s important to create a kind of work-family. And family cares about one another—their interests and success. We hope our families know that our concern is far greater than [just] clean teeth and dental health. Yes, that’s what’s on our front door, but our core mission has always been caring for people. We want kids to feel safe here, and part of doing that is meeting them on their level. We even offer Happy Visits on Friday—where kids can come familiarize themselves with the smells, sounds, and environment of our office. We don’t charge for this time, but we do ask parents to make an appointment.”

“Even our staff gets excited about Happy Visits,” shared Dr. Jennifer. “Our dental hygienist, Denna (whom I know as Mom), loves to help kids overcome their fears of the dentist. And since she raised a daughter who eventually became a dentist, I think she’s very good at what she does. Everyone on our team is! We have a dynamic team who loves the patients as much as we do! Work never feels like work here.”

“This is a very trust-oriented business,” chimed in Dr. Tina. “That’s another aspect of the familycentric atmosphere we have here. We want everyone to feel heard, loved, and cared for when they are in our office, whether they are here as a patient or a part of the staff. We are here to invest in the people we serve, just as ‘iron sharpens iron.’”

Tina S. Merhoff & Associates Pediatric Dentistry is located at 185 Kimel Park Drive, Suite 202, in Winston-Salem. Call their office to schedule an appointment (336.659.9500) or visit Dentist4Kids.com. Be sure to like Tina S. Merhoff & Associates Pediatric Dentistry on Facebook and follow them on Instagram, and Twitter!

“LOVE everyone at this office! My son had extreme anxiety about the dentist. They have worked with him and done everything to keep him comfortable. Today he had the best experience he’s ever had!! He’s finally comfortable and calm enough to get through a cleaning and exam with no tears! They never gave up on him and have always been so warm and kind. They are truly the best!!” ~Christina B.

“I went to Dr. Merhoff when I was a young girl. I still remember how wonderful she and her staff were. The office’s environment is super child-friendly, making going to the dentist an enjoyable experience! If you are looking for a pediatric dentist—look no further!” ~Summer A.

“We drive two hours to come here and it’s worth every second! My daughter is treated with the respect she deserves and it means so much to me!” -Amy H.

“We love coming to this practice because they are so kind, caring, and loving. There is no fear in coming to the dentist and my kids look forward to their visits!” - Jennifer H.

The staff at Tina S. Merhoff & Associates Pediatric Dentistry has made safety a priority, but has also worked hard to ensure that the environment remains kid-friendly and comfortable. If there are any questions about the additional safety measures taken to protect the patients, families, and staff from COVID-19, please feel free to contact the office at 336.659.9500.

We have had the honor to watch this beautiful family grow up in our practice! Dr. Tina and her family, as well as some of our staff, had the opportunity to visit them on the mission field in Peru! It truly is a family environment at our office! Dr. Tina leads by example and her daughters, Maddie Bea & Abbie, are following in her footsteps! We’re so excited to show them the ropes as they help in our office over summer vacation!

Caring for family is what we do! What a pleasure for Dr. Jenn and her mom, Denna, to see Dr. Jenn’s nephew, Brody.

“We didn’t get to choose our DNA, body type, birthday, time slot in history, or many of our cicumstances and challenges, but make no mistake, we do get to choose what kind of women we’re going to be” - Beth Moore