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Parent Teacher Association of Connecticut, Inc. |
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| Back to School Tips |
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Internet Safety Made Easy with Two New Resources Visit Common Sense Media's site to download their Internet Survival Guide for Parents, which covers social networking, downloading, and other topics. PTA also will be featured with Common Sense Media in a series of PSAs starring Kiefer Sutherland that will direct viewers to this guide. The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has created a Teens and Technology area of their theantidrug.com site to monitor their teens for signs of substance abuse that might be facilitated by technologically based communication, such as cell phones or the Internet. The ONDCP published an open letter to parents that publicizes the site in major media outlets. PTA is one of seven national organizations who have signed the letter. |
Fill in the household calendar together as a family. Write the times when family members get home from work and when kids' school day or after-school activities end. Write down who is responsible for picking up the kids or whether the kids will bus or walk home on a give day. Complete as far ahead as possible. Keep up with changes.
Plan menus for the week. Make a grocery list and shop for fresh, healthy items for kids to bring to school or to eat at home. Find out who will be home at dinner time each day and how to plan accordingly.
Anticipate scheduling conflicts. Coordinate the times when family members use the shower, the laundry, the computer, or the TV to keep the peace during busy evening or morning hours.
Talk about the appropriate use of technology. Rather than defaulting to the "electronic sitter" when you are busy doing household chores or planning for the next day, learn more about appropriately using media and technology:
 | Internet |
| Cell phone |
| Television |
| Movies |
| Video Games |
| Music |
A new backpack, new clothes, and fresh supplies do not make a child successful in school. A month after school starts, the backpack will be torn, the clothes will be dirty, and the new pens lost. For lasting tools that will help your child succeed, try equipping your child with a positive attitude.
Here are some ideas to start the school year off with a winning attitude:
| Help your child set and achieve goals. |
| No vision = no direction. Have your child write down what he or she wants to accomplish in the first 30, 60, 90 days of the school year. |
| Encourage your child to find solutions to problems, not excuses. |
| Avoid the words that discourage achievement: no, can't, won't, and never. |
| Encourage "make it happen" words: yes, I can, and I will. |
| Every day, ask your child, "Did you give your best effort to today's activities?" |
| Enthusiastically take action on your dreams. |
When students develop an "I'll Make It Happen" attitude it will improve their class participation, personal decision-making, and the overall academic achievement.
For more ideas on helping your child have a successful school year, visit Teaching Moments.
The evidence from years of research is consistent, positive and convincing: Parent involvement is at the heart of student achievement. You don't have to be at the school to be involved. You can help your children have a successful school year by getting involved at home:
| Give your child a hug before you part of the day.
Look your child in the eye and say how proud you are of her or him and
that you expect her do to do her best - everyday. After school and work, create a predictable ritual that sets aside time to listen to your child talk about his or her day. |
| Fill your child's lunchbox with healthy snacks and lunches. Have dinner at a reasonable hour, as a family, as much as possible. |
| Remember, it's your child's homework not yours. Encourage editing and double-checking work, but allow your kids to make mistakes; it's the only way teachers can gauge if your children understand the work and teaches a lesson in taking responsibility for the quality of their work. |
| Fill your child's life with the love for learning by showing him your own curiosity, respecting his questions and encouraging his efforts. |
| Fill your home with books to read or look at and books that provide answers to life's many questions. |
| Tuck a "love note" in your child's lunch box or backpack to let her know how special she is. Knowing that you're loved makes it easier to love others. |
For more information on how to support your child's learning, visit the Parent Resources section of pta.org.
Parents can help their kids prepare for a healthy and successful school year by making sure they get plenty of rest, exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, and visit the doctor for a routine check-up.
Preteens and teens may be at risk for an infectious disease called whooping cough (pertussis), but parents may not realize it, since most babies and young children get shots to protect them. However, protection against whooping cough begins to wear off five to 10 years after the last routine shot. That can leave preteens and teens vulnerable to this highly contagious disease In fact, whooping cough is the only vaccine-preventable disease on the rise among teens in the U.S.
Whooping cough starts out like a normal cold, but can lead to severe coughing fits that can last for months. The first symptoms can include mild fever, runny nose, and a mild, occasional cough. Then, patients have coughing fits that are more severe. They may even vomit after these coughing spells. In teens, the disease is difficult to detect and is easily spread to others. It can be serious, even fatal, for babies. School children with whooping cough miss on average more than one week of school.
Talk to your child's doctor about protecting your child against whooping cough. If your child experiences a severe cough for a week or longer, consult the doctor and notify the school nurse. More information is available to help parents at www.pta.org. Literature was also included in the 2006 PTA Back-to-School kits for all PTA leaders to share with all parents in the school community.
GlaxoSmithKline has provided funding and other support to the national PTA organization for the "Get Smart about Adolescent Health" campaign.
Effective parent-teacher conferences involve information sharing between parents, teachers, and possibly students, goal-setting for the future, and progress evaluation. Parent-teacher conferences must be meaningful, regular, and two-way between home and school. Whether your child is in elementary, middle, or high school, asking the teacher the right questions can lead to a more productive conference and greater student success. Below are some suggested questions.
- What are your expectations of my child (in all academic subject areas)? What is my child learning?
- How do you know that she or he is learning?
- In what areas does my child need to improve? How can I help my child improve?
- How are you helping my child improve?
- What are the homework requirements?
- How are my child's learning skills and test-taking skills?
- What are my child's academic and social strengths and weaknesses?
- Are there any behavior problems that I should know about?
- How are discipline and positive reinforcement handled in your classroom?
- May I see my child's work?
It's also important to let the teacher know how your child is at home. Let the teacher know how your child reacts to praise, reinforcement, and disciple.
Visit the Student Achievement section of PTA's website for more information.
Drawing from the work of leading researchers and educators, the Alliance for Excellent Education has identified 10 key elements of a successful high school. This checklist can help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of all of your community's schools and determine steps for improvement.
- Challenging classes are available to every student.
- Relationships can be formed between all students and school staff.
- Extra help is available for those who need it.
- Connections are made between the real world and book learning.
- Family and community involvement is encouraged and valued.
- The learning environment is safe from physical harm, verbal abuse, and other threats.
- Every teacher is qualified to teach in their subject, knows how to teach all kinds of children, and is given the time and support to plan lessons, review student performance and improve their skills.
- School leadership is capable of providing instructional leadership and support and managing the day-to-day operation of the school.
- Every teacher and student has the tools and resources they need (e.g., books, laboratory equipment, technology, etc.) to be successful in school.
- All community members have access to user-friendly information that gives a clear picture of how well students are doing.
Back-to-School Tip #9: Children's Fears
The anniversaries of Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 will mean increased media coverage of these events. When done in a sensitive way, talking about these or other potentially frightening topics will not increase children's feelings of worry or sadness. In fact, it is usually through discussions with a trusted adult that children are able to feel safer and less afraid.
Parents are encouraged to help children cope by keeping the following tips in mind:
Maintain routines and normal activities. As much as possible, children and adolescents are better able to cope with stressful situations if they are provided with a safe and predictable environment.
Encourage children to write about their thoughts and feelings, or to draw pictures reflecting their experiences.
Discussion is ongoing. Answering questions and addressing fears does not necessarily happen all at once. New issues may arise or become apparent over time, and discussions should be had on an ongoing and as-needed basis.
Be an active participant. It is important that adults monitor children's exposure to the media so that they can be available to answer questions or provide support. If children choose to watch movies about 9/11 or reports about the movies' releases, parents are encouraged to invite an open discussion about their perceptions, thoughts, and feelings.
Make sure children know where to turn for support. Decide who your children can contact and where they can go if they become upset or overwhelmed.
These tips, reprinted with permission, were provided by New York University's Child Study Center. The Department of Homeland Security has also created a site for parents and kids to learn how to prepare for emergencies.
Back-to-School Tip #10: Prevent Head Lice
At back-to-school time, families are getting children ready to learn, which means staying healthy and not missing any days at school. As children return to class and also at peak times in the winter, head lice can be one problem that keeps students out of school.
Q: What are the most common symptoms of head lice?
A: Itching; small, red bumps (lice bites), infection accompanied by swollen glands (less common).Q: How do we find out about cases of lice?
A: Parents can look closely at the children's scalp at home. Head-check programs in schools help detect head lice on children and thus prevent the spread of head lice to more children. PTAs can work with school nurses and community health experts to organize these head check programs.Q: After getting rid of head lice, how do we prevent reinfestation?
A: Sources of possible infestation (bedding, furniture, hats, clothing, combs, and brushes) must be disinfected by laundering/dry cleaning, or sometimes discarding entirely. Items that cannot be run through the dryer (e.g., stuffed animals and toys) can be placed in a sealed, plastic bag for 10-14 days, and hair care items should be soaked in hot water for 15 minutes. A thorough vacuuming will get rid of lice or egg shells that are left behind.Teach your child to avoid sharing combs, hair accessories, and hats. If your child has been infested with head lice, report it to their school immediately so other children attending will be less likely to have an infestation themselves.
As a proud sponsor of the PTA, Licefreee! and Tec Labs are pleased to offer financial and educational support to PTA leaders nationwide. The goal of this partnership is to provide the necessary materials and training to PTA members who are helping their schools identify and treat head lice outbreaks. Visit www.licefree.com for information.
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Back to School Tips
