West Ridge Reflections January 11, 2018 West Ridge Middle School WRMS Kindness Campaign. Because kindness changes everything. MESSAGE FROM INTERIM PRINCIPAL ROBIN LOWE Parents, Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season with your families. As we start our spring semester, let's talk about starting to let go and let your student accept accountability for their schoolwork. How do you do this and how do you help your middle schooler with this transition? First, set a schedule of when you want to review grades. Please know that you should not be looking at your student's grades. I realize that may seem counter-intuitive, but if you want your student to be responsible and accountable, then he/she needs to be the one looking at the grades. Set a time and day of the week that you expect your son or daughter to log into their school account. Each and every week. Next, they need to show you their grades and be ready to talk about them. If there are no concerns, then awesome, things continue on. However, if there is a concern (missing assignments, failing test grades, etc), your student should come up with a plan of action on how they will address the issue. Have them put the plan into writing. When you and your student sit down and do the weekly check the next week, refer to the plan and see if it had an impact on the concerns. (Do not nag them throughout the week or suddenly have them start checking every day - give them a full week to work the plan.) If the plan worked, your student is rewarded by understanding that planning and follow-through are worth the effort and have a positive impact when implemented. If it didn't, then expect them to revise the plan (with your input) and set a check for a few days later instead of waiting the entire week. Be sure to have a discussion of why it didn't work - Did they actually follow the plan? Did they allow other areas to lapse trying to address something else? Was the plan realistic? What will they do differently? Working with your son/daughter to establish this routine will be such a help in the long run and it will empower them to understand they are accountable for their learning - not you. It should also help to keep the peace in your home. It can be traumatic for you when you care more about their grades then they do! Remember to take your emotion out of the equation when this doesn't work magically the first time. Maintain your composure and stay faithful to the plan and eventually, they will come around. Your student may need some consequences for their actions if they are not following through with their plans. Removal of electronics can be a powerful motivator! On the flip side, they may need a reward for following through and effecting change. This is entirely your discretion. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns and have a wonderful rest of your week! Robin REMINDERS & TO DOs WILDCAT CLUB NEWS We hope everyone had a great break! Thank you again for all your support of the Adopt-a-Family project (WOW!) and our Holiday Cookie Exchange for the staff. We are looking forward to our next big event...6th Grade Medieval Fest on February 23rd. Stay tuned!
It's a great day to be a Wildcat! Don't Want to Miss a Thing This Year at WRMS? COUNSELORS' CORNER SEL Highlights Social-Awareness Jan 2018 Social-Awareness and caring for others is the EISD SEL focus for the third nine weeks...which ties right in with our WRMS Kindness Campaign. Empathy is being able to understand and value someone else's perspective and having compassion for others even when they are different from ourselves. One of the ways parents can support their teens with tolerance and acceptance is to continue to have an open dialogue. "Providing messages that promote healthy self-esteem can go a long way to encourage [teens] to embrace differences in [themselves] and others". We can support our teens in understanding and accepting others by initiating conversations around relevant current issues. Our teens are watching and listening to how we treat others. To learn more, read "Beyond the Golden Rule: A Parent's Guide to Preventing and Responding to Prejudice".
SAVE THE DATE! Image: Dan Siegel, author, Unlocking the Adolescent Brain DISTRICT NEWS Our students, teachers and staff are our stars, help the Eanes Education Foundation ensure they continue to SHINE as bright as possible. Join us for the 2018 EEF Gala on Saturday, February 24th at the JW Marriott Austin. Social-Awareness and caring for others is the EISD SEL focus for the third nine weeks. Empathy is being able to understand and value someone else's perspective and having compassion for others even when they are different from ourselves. Book Studies will focus on "The Gifts of Imperfect Parenting" by Brene Brown PhD, LMSW and "How To Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk" by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish
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