Good vs. Responsible Parenting
Much emphasis has been placed on the importance of having a good teacher in front of the classroom each day of a child's education from kindergarten through university. There is no arguing that this is fundamentally important but it is also clear that responsible parenting has a significant impact on the achievement of students. Even just asking students about their day, or reading to them (yes, even throughout their middle school years), or engaging them in conversation over a meal, or having a family game night when everyone unplugs everything related to entertainment and focuses on interacting over something fun (we used to call it "Forced Family Fun" or FFF for short) or planning a family outing on the weekend makes a significant difference in the achievement of your child.
There are some alarming statistics about how little middle school students spend in conversation with a significant adult role model in their lives. Some estimate this to be around 7 or 8 minutes a day for an average with many students having less time than this on a regular basis to talk about important issues in their lives and to engage in conversation around important topics. There is a misconception that keeping kids "happy" (my definition of a "Good Parent") is the same as being a "responsible" parent which takes time effort, some level of discomfort on both the child and parents part to work toward common goals and which is not always easy but, in the end, develops the kinds of qualities that are going to contribute to a responsible student and citizen.
There will be a parent coffee on Tuesday, Oct. 9 from 9:00-10:30 in Room 110 on the North Campus as St. Mary's where ideas will be shared about the important partnerships required to maximize your student learning this year at the middle school. We will talk about setting the direction for your child's education, about communication and Power School, and about continuing the discussion about how we can work together to make this a great year for your child. Hope to see you there.
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