From the Principal’s Desk

Dear Parents,

In an attempt to continuously remind parents and students about specific safety and security procedures, the District wants me to include the following information in our weekly newsletter:

"Every non-employee visiting the classroom during the instructional day must stop by the school office to sign in and receive a visitor’s badge.  All school volunteers or visitors are required to wear a Visitor’s badge while on campus.  We must be aware of all non-employee personnel on our campuses to assure the safety of our students, and to account for personnel in the event of an emergency occurring at the school.  Volunteers who regularly assist directly with children must have a TB test.  Parents who “volunteer” in the classroom must refrain from bringing siblings or other non-students on campus as supervision is not available during school hours."

 

Keith Karzin

Director of Safety and Risk Management

Saugus Union School District

 

Reducing Report Card Stress

For some children, report cards are terrifying documents.  Here is a child’s total More ...

Keywords: SK Newsletter

 From the Principal’s Desk

Dear Parents,

Reducing Report Card Stress

For some children, report cards are terrifying documents.  Here is a child’s total effort and achievement of a single marking period, all summed up by a row of letters and a brief comment.

But report cards shouldn’t come as a big surprise.  Each child is normally kept fully aware of his or her teachers’ expectations and how well they are being met.  As a parent, you, too, should have a good general idea of your child’s school performance before the report card arrives.

Talk about your child’s progress throughout the year.  Pay attention to homework and tests.  Ask your child how he or she is doing.  If you suspect any problems, don’t hesitate to get in touch with their teachers.  We have to be close working partners if we want your child to have the best possible school experience.

Put report cards in perspective.

Children want to please their parents.  A parent’s disappointment often hurts more than any poor grade.  So try to praise your child for what he or she does well.  If your child is squeaking through but is also on the student council and on Peace Patrol, recognize these achievements as well.  We don’t grade everything your child does-and some un-graded activities are nevertheless very important for his or her development as a thoughtful, responsible adult. 

Offer praise for work that’s well done.

Encourage your child to improve in those areas where the grades are low.

Avoid blame, punishment, and harmful labels.  Blaming or punishing a

child for poor grades won’t improve the situation.  In fact, such responses only

make matters worse by damaging a child’s self-esteem.

Be constructive.  Offer your help by setting specific times for doing homework or making available a quiet place for your child to work.

Don’t take your child’s achievements for granted.  When a report card brings good tidings, your child deserves to be praised for effort and the results.

Make allowances for setbacks.  Even the best student may not earn A’s all the time.  Children, like their adult parents, also have good days and bad days.  We all need understanding and encouragement to move forward and get those bad days behind us. 

Accentuate the positive.  Even a terrible report card will leave you some little corner to praise your child.  It may not be in academics, but rather in behavior or attitude or work habits.

(“Report to parents” by NAESP)  

 

Debbie Bohn, Principal

 

Congratulations

Congratulations to Miss King, Sixth grade teacher, and students Stee-V Johnson, Albert More ...

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From the Principal’s Desk

Dear Parents,

Did you know that almost half of all seventh graders visit Internet chat rooms?  Nearly 70% of all eighth graders admitted to having “flamed” someone (sent a hurtful or angry online message.) Over 30% of high school seniors have posted their photo on the web and up to 20% have met someone face-to-face they came to know online.  Skyblue Mesa has become a part of a nationwide Internet safety education campaign.  Teacher have been trained in the i-SAFE Internet Safety Program. We feel it is so important that we want to share this information with you. You are invited to attend the i-SAFE Parent Internet Safety Information Session on March 27th at 6:30pm at Skyblue Mesa.  You will learn how parents around the country are making their homes and communities Internet safe.  I-SAFE America Inc. is a non-profit foundation whose mission is to educate and empower youth to safely and responsibly take control of their Internet experience.  The i-SAFE program provides awareness and knowledge that enables the students to recognize and avoid dangerous, destructive, or unlawful online behavior and to respond appropriately.  Arlene Anderson will be presenting the program and Deputy Casey McMichaels will be on hand to explain what part law enforcement plays in Internet safety. If you would like more information go to www.isafe.org.

From Keith Karzin, Director of Safety and Risk Management

"Parking lots present a special concern to students and other pedestrians due to the potential risk from moving vehicles. Each school has specific regulations for student pick-up and drop-off as well as the use of the parking lot. Community members are asked to cooperate by consistently following traffic regulations in and around our schools. Through the use of courtesy and discretion by all drivers, we can further assure the safety of our students." I know most of you have communicated this topic in the past, but it's important to reiterate it due to the nature of the activity. Thank you.

 
Construction update: Steel beams will continue to be erected for the next week and a half.  Beams More ...

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From the Principal’s Desk

Dear Parents,

It’s no surprise to anyone that children need time with their parents.  Even though most parents are extremely busy, whether they work outside of the home or not, they do find time to spend with their children.  They want that time to count in helping prepare their children for the world they will find outside the home.

What counts most is what we say and do at home, not how rich or poor we are or how many years of school we have finished.  When children count on getting attention at home, they have a greater sense of security and self-worth.  This will help them do better not only in school, but also when they grow up.

If you think about it, school, while very important, does not really take up very much time.  In the United States, the school year averages 180 days.  So, the hours and days a child is NOT in school are important for learning too.

Communicating is probably the most important activity we can do in our home, and it doesn’t cost anything.  Ask questions, listen for answers.  These are no-cost, high-value things to do. 

Communication can happen any time, any place – in the car, on a bus, at mealtime, at bedtime. 

When our children continue school with good habits of communication, they are in a position to succeed, to learn all that has to be learned, and to become confident students.

Here are some things you can do when your children are young:

• Let them see you read, and read to them and with them.  Visit the library. 
• Keep pencils and paper, crayons and washable markers handy.  Writing takes practice, and it starts at home.

• Teach children to do things for themselves rather than do the work for them.  Patience when children are young pays off later.

It makes a difference when parents give children consistent messages and don’t allow tantrums or whining to change the parent’s directions or request. 

• Help children, when needed, to break a job down into small pieces, then do the job one step at a time. 
• Develop, with your child, a reasonable, consistent schedule of jobs around the house. 
• Every home needs consistent rules children can depend on.  Put a plan into action, and follow through.
• Give each child a easy-to-reach place in which to put things away.
• Set limits on TV viewing so that everyone can get work done with less background noise.
• Watch TV with your child and talk about what you see.

The time parents spend in conversation, exchanging ideas with their children is vitally important in setting the tone, the attitudes and the behaviors that make the difference in school.

  

Debbie Bohn, Principal

March is National Nutrition Month

Snacks can be fun, tasty and healthy too!  Set a good example-kids often want More ...

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From the Principal’s Desk

Dear Parents,

Healthy kids-that’s what every family wants.  Here are some important things to think about in terms of your child’s mental and physical health.

They need their sleep.  Children need ten hours of sleep each night to be well rested and ready to do their best.  Keep the TV out of their bedroom and have a firm “lights off” policy, with a little flexibility on Friday and Saturday nights.

Keep the lines open.  As busy as you are, it is essential to be available when your children have something they need to talk to you about.  Set up a code word, something silly, like “banana,” that they can mention to you when they have something troubling them.  Let them know that the code word isn’t to be used lightly.  When they do call you aside for something serious, give them your full attention.

“Counseling” is not a shameful word.

School counselors offer wonderful services to children and their families facing tough times. Each year of school is brand new to your child, with entirely new issues to deal with, but the counselors at the school have the gift of perspective.  They’ve seen hundreds of kids go through the same “growing up” process, which mean they can help your child to see that everyone has challenges at one time or another.

Ditch the junk.  We all need a minimum of five servings a day of fruits and vegetables, so stock up on fresh fruit and 100% fruit juice drinks.  If your kids eat school cafeteria food, encourage them to take as many fruits and vegetables as they are allowed to have and eat them before they start to eat their main dish.  If you pack their lunches, stop including cookies and high-fat snacks. 

Watch what you drink.  Water is absolutely the best thirst quencher around.  Sodas sweetened with sugar or syrups provide hundreds of empty calories.  And, as great as milk is for growing bodies (adults too), it’s important to choose low-fat or fat-free milk instead of whole milk.

Move it.  Go for family walks, runs, or bike rides several days a week.  Have a family fitness “club,” charting everyone’s progress on everything from shooting hoops to jumping rope.

Keep your home smoke-free.  If you or other adults in your household smoke, do your children a lifelong favor-never smoke in the house or in a car with them.  Do everything you can to keep your children from ever taking up the habit.

Don’t overlook checkups.  Fluoride treatments and early detection of cavities or gum problems can save your children toothaches and other dental problems.  The same goes for doctor’s appointments.

There’s so much to worry about when you have children at home.  Remember this:  Keeping them healthy-both mentally and physically-is your most important job.  

  

Debbie Bohn, Principal

 

School Health Week

This week is School Health Week. Each day has a designated color.  To earn stickers, More ...

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