Back to School: 5 Things JHCS Teachers Want Parents to Know…

Back to School: 5 Things JHCS Teachers Want Parents to Know… by Mrs. Tatum Bunker, Fourth Grade Teacher

1-It’s okay for kids to fail
One of the “8 Keys of Excellence” that we teach our students is, Failure leads to success. We get it. Parents don’t want kids to fail but did you know, by allowing the opportunity for failure we are allowing students to learn? Through struggle and persistence to overcome difficult tasks, students can learn that they don’t have to get things right the first time. There is plenty to be learned from mistakes and those mistakes drive improvement. Our school is a safe place for children to fail because the teachers and staff support their failures. We’re teaching students how to get back up, learn from their mistakes and try again. At the same time we are helping to instill in your child the lifelong skills of grit and perseverance. As parents you can reinforce your child’s ability to cope with challenges. Encourage learning from failure by asking your family members, “Who had a great failure today? What did you learn from it?”

2-Be involved, stay involved
An involved parent greatly increases the success of students at JHCS. There are several ways you can be involved in your student’s education this year.

• Talk… a lot! Take time to discuss what your students are learning at school. Be sure to ask open-ended questions that elicit deeper conversations.
• Plan to volunteer at the school often. It takes a village to educate a child!
• Check on homework regularly, but please don’t do it for your student! Homework is assigned to reinforce the skills they have learned during the day.
• And most importantly- Read to and with your child daily. Discuss what your child is reading. Check out the research below to find out more about how important reading is!

3-Test results are not the be-all, end-all
While assessments help teachers drive instruction, we believe education is about much more than just a test score. We’re not here just to get your child to pass that end of year assessment. It is good to remember that just because your child scored poorly on an exam does not mean they are not smart. Also, just because they score high, doesn’t mean there is nothing left to learn. Our overall goal is to help every JHCS student enjoy learning and be prepared for the great big world out there

4- Healthy kids are better learners
Nutritious meals sustain your child’s ability to learn far longer than empty calories or an empty stomach. Make sure your child has breakfast every day. Even a piece of toast eaten during the car ride to school is better than a grumbling stomach during math class! Consider what you send with your child for snacks and lunch. Examine how much sleep your child should be getting per night and adjust bedtime routines to accommodate those needs.

• 3-6 year olds need 10-12 hours
• 7-12 year olds need 9-11 hours
• 12-18 year olds need 8-9 hours

5- Be organized & establish a study routine
You probably already know the importance of providing a dedicated place and time for your student to do homework. You may also know to provide a spot to store backpacks, lunchboxes, and homework folders. Did you know there are other good study skills we stress at JHCS?

Studies have shown that students who review information a few minutes before bedtime increase their ability to recall that information later. This is because all learning is “downloaded” into long-term memory during sleep. Does your child need to remember spelling words, math facts, or history content? Consider implementing the JHCS “Bedside 5” in which your student spends the last five minutes before bedtime studying the most important information from the school day. In addition, we encourage you to limit screen time and strongly suggest turning technology off at least an hour before bedtime. Turning of the tech along with a Beside 5 helps primes the brain to first “download” the school day information after your child falls asleep.

We believe JHCS is the best place for your child to be! We are grateful for the associations we have with you, our invested parents and our dedicated students. Here’s to a fabulous school year!