RNCC Things Parents Need to Know on an Elementary School Level…

Elementary School 1.Parent-Teacher Communication 2.Parent Involvement Procedures/Process 3.Provide Current Contact Information 4.Reading Together 5.Talking and Listening 6.Types of Assessments Required (Per Grade Level) 7.Curriculum Information (WCPSS Connections document)

Elementary-Parent Resources parents can find information about their child's school, district, and state. parents can find data about their child's school and information about states' best practices studies. available to parentswww.ncpublicschools.org/ec/policy/resources The Department of Education has several resources for parentswww.ed.gov - Where parents can find resources to help with elementary level projects and assignments Much more to come…

Elementary-From A District’s Point of View… Entrance into elementary school: Eligibility Requirements School Assignment Area (Base School/Options) Before and After School Care Cafeteria and Food At School Curriculum Information (WCPSS Connections document) Types of Assessments (by grade level) Transportation Intervention/Enrichment Options for students Guide To School System Alphabet Maze (SST, NCLB, AYP, etc.) Parent Involvement Procedures/Process

Going to Middle School 10 Tips for Parents

Know the teachers Meet each of your child’s teachers. Ask about their academic expectations. Find out how much time your child should spend on homework each night. Find out whether there will be regularly scheduled tests and if so, when. Ask about the best way to get in touch with them if you have questions ( or phone call)

Find a niche for yourself at the school Serve as an adviser for an extracurricular activity such as the Yearbook clubs, battle of the books club, recycling club or science fair. Help out in the computer lab or the media center. Be a substitute if you have flexibility with your schedule. Being in the school is a great way to get a feel for what goes on there.

Do behind the scenes work If you can’t be in school during the day, ask teachers and other school personnel to pass along some work that you can do on your own. Such as, collecting recyclables for a science or art project or serving on a parent-school advisory council. Join your middle school PTO or PTA.

Go to school meetings and events Attending band concerts, plays, assemblies, meetings, and other activities is a good way to become familiar with your child’s school community. Even attending sporting events is a great way to meet teachers and casually discuss questions that you may have regarding your child.

Give your child a quiet place to study and do homework Find an area in your home that is free of distraction where your middle schooler can concentrate on homework. Be available to help if your child has a question. Cut the t.v. off…..take the iPod……turn off the computer if it is not needed for a specific homework/project assignment…..turn off the radio.

Find out about homework assignments, projects and tests For WCPSS parents, use SPAN! This is important to get weekly updates on the academic progress of your child. If your school has a website where teachers list homework assignments, get in the habit of checking it regularly. If not, contact your child’s teachers and ask them to alert you when there’s an important project or test coming up. Use the student agenda’s daily!

Talk to your child about school Ask specific questions to draw out your child. For example, “How do you think you did on the math test?” “Did Mr. Evans say anything funny today?” “What experiment did you do in Science today?” Don’t accept single words as answers to your questions.

Check your child’s homework, but don’t do it for them Offer to check math problems, proofread written papers, and look over spelling words. If you find a mistake, point it out to your child and help them figure out the correct answer. If you are unsure of their accuracy, don’t be afraid to ask others for help. Use all available resources that you have.

Post a family calendar in a central place Write down important school dates, including parent meetings, due dates for projects, and tests. Encourage your middle schooler to add to the calendar and to check it daily. Use SPAN and if your teacher has a website (Blackboard), make it a “Favorite” on your computer.

Final Points 6 th Grade math is critical for advanced math opportunities in 7 th (Pre-Algebra) and 8 th grade (Algebra). Know what your child scored on the End-of-Grade for the past school year. Set goals for EOG achievement for the upcoming school year. If there are behavioral concerns - Ask questions! Call for appointments….just showing up won’t give you all the answers that you want at that time. A scheduled meeting will be more profitable.