[16] May 16, 2014
www.BellevueReporter.com Contact and submissions: Daniel Nash dnash@bellevuereporter.com or 425.453.4290
A collaborative approach to reading proficiency Eastside Pathways uses data and shared resources to tackle student performance BY DANIEL NASH BELLEVUE REPORTER
Education agency Eastside Pathways has set a goal for 100 percent of thirdgrade students to read at grade level by 2016. Third-grade reading proficiency sat at 83.1 percent during the 2011-2012 school year, as published in Pathways’ December “Baseline Report” of student performance in the district. Pathways Executive Director Stephanie Cherrington said third-grade reading ability marks a vital tipping point in education that can set the tone for future learning. “It’s the point that a student stops learning to read and begins reading to learn,” Cherrington said said. The baseline report was the first of planned annual reports collecting data on several indicators of student performance “from cradle to career” — from birth to the age of 26. Pathways is currently trying to determine the most “useful and action-
able” timeline for releasing reports, data officer Kelly Jones said. Some of the indicators — all taken from 2011-2012 data — are based directly on academic performance, such as thirdgrade reading proficiency. Others relate to wellness, such as the proportion of kindergartners with complete immunizations — 86.2 percent — or the proportion of adolescents reporting more than an hour of daily physical activity. Still others have no data baseline established yet, due to the difficulty of their measurement, or in creation of a clear goal. How do you measure social and emotional skills? Or community involvement? “Some of (the indicators) are to be determined,” Cherrington said. “It could be in the measurement of the data out there, it could be that available data is not reliable or that the thing to measure is broader than can be easily measured. What does community involvement really mean? “Or (the indicators) might not be quantitative. They may be qualitative.” Socioeconomic environmental indicators, such as rates of student homelessness and eligibility for school meal subsidies SEE PATHWAYS, 17
Derek Zhang, Jason Yang, Tony Peiqi Jiang, Aditya Kannan and Nathaniel Yee. COURTESY PHOTO
Odle chess team takes ninth BY DANIEL NASH
BELLEVUE REPORTER
Odle Middle School’s chess team took ninth place at United States Chess Federation’s Junior High Chess Championship, held the last weekend of April in Atlanta, Georgia. More than 1,300 students from 38 states competed, and the Odle team placed among 43 teams.
The Odle chess team was comprised of sixth-grader Derek Zhang, seventh-grader Aditya Kannan, and eighth-graders Jason Yang, Tony Peiqi Jiang and Nathaniel Yee. Zhang placed 16th in the individual standings of the tournament, which allowed competitors from kindergarten through the ninth grade. Daniel Nash: 425-453-4290; dnash@bellevuereporter.com
Mindful parenting
The value in showing appreciation for your children
M
erriam-Webster defines appreciation as, “To understand the worth or importance of something or someone; to admire and value, or be grateful for.” Have you appreciated a child lately? Kids of all ages enjoy compliments, even sometimes-difficult teenagers. And kids especially appreciate it when you sing their praises to others. I have heard parents complain often about ungrateful kids, and I have witnessed kids be ungrateful. The truth is that kids learn to be appreciative by watching others, especially their parents. As parents, it’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day temper tantrums, arguments and homework struggles, while forgetting the things you really appreciate about your child or teen. Likewise, kids feel lower self-worth when they are not valued, or frequently reminded of what they need to do, or what they aren’t doing.
Slow Down Parents will find it more difficult to feel appreciative of their children if they obsess on what is done wrong or get stuck inside worries over grades, eating right and behaving right.
In the moments when you want to tell your child what to do or make a critical remark, stop yourself. Make a conscious effort to think about the things your child does well, what you are thankful for about them and how you can express it. An example: your child spills her snack in the living room where she isn’t supposed to be eating, and you walk in as she’s cleaning up the mess. You have a choice to be angry about breakPatti Skeltoning the rules, or thankful McGougan she is trying to clean it up, or maybe pleased that she got her own snack, or chose something healthy. That doesn’t mean you have to allow your child to break the rule. But you can respond this way: “Thank you for cleaning up your spill, I really appreciate it and that you managed to get your own snack today. I would also really appreciate it if we can keep snacks in the kitchen from now on.” Instead of looking for evidence to justify being angry and critical, look for what can be appreciated in a situation. Here are more examples:
Your teen is messy. Might he also be creative or spontaneous? Can you appreciate that? “Jon, I so appreciate how imaginative you are, that’s a great “You have a choice skateboard ramp you built. Could to be angry ... Instead of looking you please put the tools away when you for evidence to justify being angry are done with the and critical of your project?” A young child’s child’s mistakes, constant need for look for what can be appreciated in a attention can wear on a parent, but can situation.” you appreciate her lovingness? When a child won’t stop talking, perhaps you can appreciate honesty, assertiveness or how he expresses himself. And when a teen is lagging on homework or college applications, perhaps you can appreciate a clean room or extracurricular activities, like holding down a job. To maximize the ability to appreciate your children, make sure you have downtime. If that’s not happening, chances are you may feel tired, irritable and overwhelmed — making it much harder to stop and appreciate any situation. So don’t feel guilty about taking a break — a hot bath,
walk around the neighborhood or even a night out.
Make a game out of gratitude A great way to build appreciation in a family is to take time to mention what you appreciate about each other, and what you are thankful for. You can do this in the car on the way to school or practice, even around the breakfast or dinner table. Older kids can be challenged to add why they are grateful. When parents are intentional about appreciating their children, they may begin to see their family in a whole new light — one under which peace replaces worry, and struggles become opportunities to bond with your child. If you are not intentional, the moments of frustration will triumph over the good times and will erode at your child’s self-esteem and the relationship between you. Remember that it takes many compliments to overcome even one critical comment. Patti Skelton-McGougan is executive director of Youth Eastside Services. For more information, call 425-747-4937 or go to www.youtheastsideservices.org.