NEA Kids' Directory

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Teachers Say Parents Are Often “Unpleasantly Surprised” By Child’s Report Card The first report card of the year can create feelings of pride, happiness and excitement for many parents. It can also produce feelings of anxiety and frustration for those who are surprised by their child’s grades. However, effective and continuous communication among teachers, parents and students can help minimize the “report card surprise.”

* Don’t wait until report cards are issued to talk about school and grades. Frequently discuss with her how she is doing in each subject and what grade she anticipates receiving.

Report cards are part of every child’s academic experience, and don’t need to be a surprise to parents. If a parent is surprised by a “poor” report card, it often means that they haven’t been effectively communicating with their child or their child’s teacher throughout the school year.

Maintaining open and continuous lines of communication with children and teachers throughout the school year, and not just when report cards are issued, will help parents stay informed about their child’s progress and help them avoid the report card surprise.

* Teach your child that education is important to your family.

Students who are surprised by their own report cards also need to improve their communication and organization patterns.

A student who surprisingly receives a “D” or a failing grade on his report card learns the hard way that he needs to regularly talk with his teachers and stay on top of schoolwork, homework and test results. Students should never be surprised by their report card grades.

Organization is an essential part of a student’s education. By tracking test scores and all other assignments throughout the year and speaking regularly with teachers and parents, students are prepared for their grades come report card time, and can work to improve their performance prior to report cards.

It shouldn’t take a surprise report card for parents and teachers to communicate effectively. Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of tutoring to students of all ages, grades and skill levels, offers the following advice to help parents maintain clear communications with their children and teachers:

* Encourage your child to tell you about his day. Find out what he learned and what are his favorite activities.

* Discuss goals and objectives for the school year. This may be a great way to learn about difficulties your child is having in specific subject areas. * If your child is having trouble in school, talk about a method to help organize her schedule, subjects and activities. A calendar can be a great way to track tests, homework, activities and study plans. * Talk with your child about his extracurricular activities, such as team sports or after-school jobs. Being overscheduled may affect his grades. * Set improvement goals for your child. This will help her work towards an attainable grade for each class. * Talk with your child about his study habits and develop a study plan. Set aside specific time for studying, projects and activities each evening and make sure that he has a properly equipped and well-lit area to work. * Communicate with your child about her school experiences. Know what she is thinking and feeling. Also, openly talk with her about her worries and concerns as well as her joys and achievements.

For more educational resources for children in grades pre-K through 12, please visit www.SylvanLearning.com or call (870) 932-4494.

Tips for Talking to Children & Teachers * Talk about school every day. Make it a regular part of the family’s routine.

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10/18/2013 2:44:21 PM

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10/18/2013 2:45:05 PM

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Create New Rituals for the Kids You have so much power in your family to affect your children’s future. I frequently encourage parents to create rituals that emphasize the all important values in a family. What do you value for yourself and your family?

Values need to be congruent with those qualities that you believe to be important to society. In other words, those values need to make the world a better place. If you work from a value-based hierarchy you will teach your kids the morals they need to operate and function with greater purpose.

Some examples of intrinsic values that perpetuate that kind of energy include:

• • • • • • • • •

Persistence Honesty Loyalty Commitment Honor Appreciation Respect Responsibility Spirituality

Or if “Community” is important you may use one Saturday morning to get involved in neighbor cleanups or spiritual gatherings or nursing home visits.

Perhaps you would like to incorporate more spirituality into your day.

Carol Juergensen Sheets Well that ritual may be as simple as praying at each meal, which may have been a ritual you did in your childhood but got away from as things became more hectic.

As a child, my family had a family ritual whereby we always shared a “Family Pleasants.” Each one of us was expected to talk about one good thing that occurred in our day. This obviously taught the family the attitude of gratitude. So if gratitude is on your list, you may decide to ask each family member to discuss one thing that they were grateful for in their day.

What are your values? And more importantly, what values do you promote in your life? Write them down in the order of what importance they have.

Be honest. Don’t write them down in the order you feel they should be in your life. Instead, write them down in the order in which they fall in your current life with others. For example, many people put spirituality or God at the top of their value list, but when they get honest, they admit that many of their decisions are not God-based. This can be a wake-up call to help you figure out ways to put God back into your decision-making process.

Now look at what you want to teach your kids? Is it honesty, generosity, communication or loyalty?

Decide the 3 most important values and then create some family rituals to emphasize these values. It may look like a mandated...yes I said mandated....family movie night where you pick a movie that teaches the values.

Now these new found rituals may meet with some resistance, but don’t let that discourage you. I would advise that you have a family meeting and discuss the importance of family values and let the kids know that you want to incorporate a family ritual to emphasize these values. You might ask them what is important to them and add their values to the list. When a client of mine did this with her 3 children ranging from ages 6-12, she was amazed when one of the children pulled her aside and said I want to make Dad an “I Love You Book” which reminded him of all the reasons this child loved him!

The important thing to remember is that you stay convicted about the importance of creating these rituals because kids actually do better with structure and ritualization. Know that you are planting the seeds for healthier child rearing!

Carol Juergensen Sheets LCSW PCC is a psychotherapist and personal life coach. She does motivational speaking and empowerment trainings locally and nationally. To find out more about her services--contact her at www. carolthecoach.com or call her at 317 218-3479.

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November Calendar of Events November 1&2 @ 8:00am- Share the warmth drive at Startek November 2 @ 9:00am- Pastel Painting, ASU Continuing Education November 2 @10:00am- Harvest Craft Show, Paragould Community Center November 2 @12:30pm- Portrait Photography Basics, ASU-Jonesboro Communication Building November 2 @6:00pm- BeneďŹ t Concert for the Billy Campbell Family, Community Fellowship Church November 4 @ 5:30pm- Beginning Bows, ASU-Jonesboro Continuing Education Building November 7 @ 6:00pm- Superman: Man of Paper to Man of Steel, ASU Wilson Building November 7,14 & 21 @6:00pm- Voice Basics for the Community Singer, ASU-Jonesboro Continuing Education November 8-10 @ 12:00pm- Little Bita Christmas, ASU Convocation Center November 10 @ 10:30am- Souper Sunday for Habitat for Humanity, Hilton Garden Inn November 11 @ 6:00pm- MOPS meeting, First United Methodist Church November 14 @ 5:30pm- Pinspire Creations: Tie Dye, ASU November 21 @ 6:00pm- Pinspire Creations: Creating Keepsakes, ASU Jonesboro Continuing Education

If you would like your event included in our monthly calendars, submit it by going to NEAKidsDirectory.com.

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10/18/2013 2:49:48 PM

Monday

Tamolly’s Kids eat for 1.99 from the kids menu (nights only)

Tuesday

Pizza Hut Free kids buffet with adult buffet purchase Shorty Small’s Kids eat free after 5pm with purchase of adult meal Fazoli’s 5-8pm Kids 12 and under eat for .99 with adult meal Pizza Inn Free kids buffet with adult buffet purchase nights only

Wednesday

IHOP Wednesday- Kids eat free form 4-10pm with purchase of adult entrée

Thursday

Front Page Café 1 free kids meal with purchase of adult meal after 4pm Ryan’s Kids eat for .99 with purchase of adult meal from 5-8pm

Saturday

Dixie Café 11-4pm, kids eat for 1.99 plus get a free sundae with adult meal purchase

Sunday

Slim Chickens 1 free kids meal per adult entrée purchase Lenny’s Sub Shop 10% off entire ticket with church bulletin (Please call ahead to verify details)

To have YOUR restaurant listed here,please call 870.931.8282 Please say “I found it in the NEAKids’Directory!” Thanks!

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10/18/2013 2:50:49 PM

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