Good Afternoon!
I hope you are enjoying this beautiful Friday, and I hope your week was a good one.
April and May seem to be some of the busiest months of the year if you are around a school, and Trinity is no exception. Please pay careful attention to the school calendar, located on the front page of our website , for a listing of events. Additionally, here are some important middle school-specific dates of note:
- Friday, May 1 - National Jr. Honor Society Induction. This ceremony begins at 8:15 am in Willett Hall. You should receive a letter shortly if your child is up for induction.
- Monday, May 2 - Our 8th grade students will be participating in a scavenger hunt around campus as they conclude their study of Treasure Island. Although this event does not include parents, I thought you would find it interesting to see how creative our teachers are as they provide educational activities that are fun and move the kids out of the "daily grind."
- Tuesday, May 5 - Awards Day. This ceremony begins in Willett Hall at 8:20 a.m. and should last roughly forty minutes.
Pictured here are our two latest winners of the "Who's the Best?" contest in the 7th and 8th grades. Ms. McLemore's 7th period and Mrs. Pirtle's 4th period claimed the honors this time around. These kids are not in uniform because they received a dress-down day as a reward for winning. In the coming weeks, the 7th and 8th grades will be competing against one another in the final round of "Who's the Best?"
Organizing Your Child's Spaces
In last week's post, we began looking at ways we can help middle schoolers get organized by making maximum use of the 24 hours we have in each day. Today, we will discuss how you can help your child organize his personal spaces.
The school locker is "home base" at school. It should be free from clutter, so it is important that your student clean it out regularly, keeping only what is necessary. Many of our students now clean the locker out completely on Friday afternoons, packing everything into the backpack for the "purge" at home over the weekend.
It is helpful for students to keep books and notebooks in the order of the school day, from left to right in the locker. Additionally, students should have a "locker plan," carefully deciding just when to visit the locker each day. For example, a student could grab supplies for first and second periods at the beginning of the school day, and wouldn't have to return to the locker until our break period just prior to 3rd period. This type of schedule would minimize locker visits, making more time for socializing, visiting the restroom, and making it to class before the tardy bell.
It is also very important to determine what all will be needed at home each evening by making notes in the daily planner. Students may then refer to the planner and retrieve the needed books before leaving for the day.
Other helpful locker hints include posting the daily schedule on the inside of the locker door, and keeping the combination in a safe place just in case it is forgotten over a long break.
The planner, mentioned above, is provided by the school and is absolutely essential for organizational survival. In his book, Get Organized! Time Management For School Leaders, Dr. Frank Buck describes the planner as the "signature tool." This simply means that the planner is the one place to trap all of the important information that comes our way during the day. In the case of the student, this will include homework assignments, upcoming tests, and critical due dates. In addition to marking important dates on the calendar in the planner, students should put reminders in place a day or even a week in advance depending upon the nature of a particular project. The planner should always be with the student, available to "trap" that important information during any class.
For more information on the signature tool, see this post in Dr. Buck's popular blog on organization. You might find this information useful for yourself as well!
Most teachers give very clear instructions as to the organization of the notebooks required for their classes. However, there are some universal tips of which we should all be reminded from time to time.
As has been said before, get rid of the clutter! Useless clutter creates stress and should be removed on a daily basis. Create the habit of removing that which is not needed from all notebooks, books, and the backpack itself daily. Finding things will be easier and stress will immediately be reduced.
Organize with tabs. No one likes flipping through page after page looking for something when sections can be divided with inexpensive tabs. Some companies even provide a table of contents that can show what each tab represents when the notebook is opened.
Keep relevant papers in the pockets provided. School can be fast-paced, and with that comes the tendency to shove papers in the first place available. Encourage your child to take the extra time to put loose papers in the pockets of subject-specific notebooks. Investment in a good hole-punch would allow these papers to be bound in a particular section at a later date.
It is also very important that you provide a good work space for your child at home. This area needs to be dedicated to homework and study, and should be neat and attractive. Make sure you stock the space with a variety of school supplies, and ensure that it is located in an part of your home that is free from distractions. If the space is neat, has good lighting and ventilation, and is comfortable, your child will be more inclined to use it for those daily homework and study sessions.
Remember that teaching our children organizational skills is a process. While anyone can learn to be organized, some will take more time and support to achieve success. Consistent effort, reinforcement, and modeling during the middle years will produce a person who enjoys the fruits of good organizational skills for a lifetime!
Tests for the Week of April 27:
6th Grade:
Tuesday - Social Studies
7th Grade:
Tuesday - Math
Wednesday - Keyboarding
8th Grade:
Thursday - English
Have a Great Weekend!
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