Welcome to 6th grade back to school night

1
Welcome to 6th grade back to school night

• Getting off to a good start with your 6th grader.

2
Didnt I already go to middle school?

• Strategies for guiding your student through their
  academic journey in middle school

3
Helping your student take responsibility for
their learning
4
What skills does your middle school student need
to acquire to be successful?

• Consistent recordation of assignments and due
  dates
• Organization
• Self advocacy
• Accountability
• Understanding the value of effort
• The ability to develop positive relationship(s)
  with an adult at school

5
Helpful Tool for Parents 1 Communicate with
your child

• Talk with your child about school
• What is working for them?
• What do they need help with?
• What do they like about school?
• What is difficult for them?
• Talk to your child about
• why education is important

6
Helpful Tool for Parents 2 Infinite Campus

• Help your child become an expert with the
  Infinite Campus Parent/Student Portal
• Infinite Campus will be a tool to use through
  High School
• Infinite Campus gives you a look into the
  teachers grade book for each class
• Request your child get into the student portal
  and look with your child at their overall grades
  and the individual assignment grades

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Helpful Tool for Parents 3Organization Skills

• Sit down with your student often and have a look
  at his/her
• Binder
• Planner
• A sample of an assignments s/he is
• working on for the week
• Have a conversation with him/her about how s/he
  is feeling about classes and assignments, what is
  the favorite thing your student is learning about
  currently, what does s/he find difficult, or
  frustrating?

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Helpful Tool for Parents 4 Learning Styles

• Help your child to know his/her learning style
  (visual, auditory, kinesthetic or a combination
  there of)
• Help your student know what learning and study
  strategies work best for the type of learner your
  child is.

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Helpful Tool for Parents 5 Study Time

• Help your child set a regular time for studying
• Some students need to decompress after school
• Some may want to start on homework right away
• Monitor TV and computer time
• Time on electronics is second to homework
• Reward your child for a job well done!

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Helpful Tool for Parents 6Self Advocacy

• Self advocacy is a lifelong skill that requires
  learning and practice
• Teach your student how to advocate for
  him/herself so that they can take ownership of
  learning
• Start with baby steps!

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Dont forget, School is both a commitment and an
opportunity

• Is school a place that you have to go or do you
  see it as a place that can help you develop your
  mind, your body, your talents and your interests?
• In addition to the basics youll find yourself
  investigating
• Learning styles
• People skills
• Service opportunities
• Career and interest exploration
• Post high school options
• and more

12
ExtracurricularsHow do I get involved?

• Extra curricular activities refer to school
• Sports
• Clubs and activities
• Leadership groups
• Whats good about them?
• Learning new things
• An easy way to make new friends
• Can help you blow off steam and stress
• Trying something new without worrying about
  grades or tests
• Helping others learn a skill/developing
  leadership
• A way to feel a part of and connected to school
• Listen to the announcements, read the newsletter,
  ask questions, make suggestions!

13
YIKES - STRESS!!!!!!

• Its normal to have some stress in your life
• You cant always avoid it, but you can manage it
• Healthy ways to cope
• Breathe
• Eat right and exercise
• Get enough sleep
• Laugh it up
• Positive self talk
• Have some fun
• Use your problem solving skills
• Perform a relaxation exercise

14
To Decide or not to Decide

• As you get older you become more independent and
  take on more decision making
• Steps for making the process go more smoothly
• Decide what the
• real issues are
• Review your options
• Make your decision
• Dont forget to take
• care of yourself

15
The social scene

• Tips for making friends
• Get out and about
• Join in at school
• Be friendly at school
• Cliques versus buddies
• Buddies include people
• Cliques exclude people
• Buddies are loyal to each other
• Cliques have only each other
• Buddies like each other and people outside the
  group
• Cliques look down on others

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Why wont my parents let go?Too old for this,
too young for that!

• Changing roles you still need your parents but
  are becoming more independent
• Communication/how to get along
• Use I messages
• Dont scream or yell
• Say what you mean in a direct way
• Be aware of what others feel
• Be open to a little give and take
• Watch your body language
• Learn to listen
• Privacy if you need a little more space, let
  your parents know you still enjoy being with the
  family, but you need private time too
• Trust Earn it
• HINT these strategies work with teachers
  too ?

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Middle school is all about sharing

• Problems, space, mistakes, successes, thoughts,
  feelings, potentials and dreams
• Dont forget to use your survival tips along the
  way
• Welcome to
• sixth
• grade!
• Robin Sackmann 2008