When you have been in education 20 years, you start to see trends emerging before your eyes.  Many of our students do not have regular “sit down” meals with their families.  They tell us they eat dinner in front of the television, walk around the house and “graze”, or eat in the car as they travel from one activity to another.  No wonder so many children have trouble sitting down in the school cafeteria to eat their lunch. 

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to sit down together as a family.  In a recent article, Gary Hopkins related the following information:

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, eating dinner together as a family every night keeps the doors of communication open between parents and children. Many studies bear out the importance of the family meal. Did you know that…
● mealtime is a rich opportunity for young children to learn words and expand their vocabulary?
● teens who have dinner with their families five or more times a week are almost twice as likely to earn A’s in school than teens who have family dinners two or fewer times per week?
● teens who sit down for frequent family dinners are less likely to smoke, drink, or use illegal drugs?
● children whose families watch TV as they eat family dinners are more likely to be overweight than those who aren’t tuned-in to television at dinnertime?

“Although hectic schedules have made family dinners a thing of the past, there is compelling evidence that sitting down at a table to share a meal is an ideal environment for family interaction,” said Laura Olson, vice president of education for Kiddie Academy International.

Olson notes that families should aim to sit down to a meal most nights of the week for a minimum of 30 minutes. For those parents wondering how they can make the most of family dinners, Olson offers the following tips, which you might share in your next school-to-home newsletter:

Be curious. Showing an interest in a child’s likes and dislikes can result in the child feeling appreciated, respected, and emotionally secure. Ultimately, the child experiences a surge in self-confidence, which can positively shape his or her developmental progress in the classroom.

Get creative with conversation. Lively dialog is crucial to getting your kids to listen and share, so have all family members tell their favorite part or biggest challenge of the day. Not only will this give everyone a glimpse into each other’s routine, but it will also help kids expand their vocabulary with new and intriguing words.

Be specific in your questions. Instead of just inquiring about the day at school, ask about a particular book the child may be reading or an art project he or she may be crafting. This will help the child foster ideas and opinions about the assignment that he or she may not have previously considered.

Let kids plan the menu. Getting children involved in the planning aspect of dinner gets them accustomed to thinking ahead and following step-by-step directions. Additionally, cooking is a great way to have them practice their math skills, such as adding fractions.

MORE RESOURCES TO SHARE WITH PARENTS

Make Mealtime Family Time
Make Mealtime Family Time™ exists to encourage families with children, including teenagers, to make mealtime a family time priority. The site includes many resources, including a set of 32 Mealtime Conversation-Starter Cards.

Get Involved: The Importance of Family Mealtime
This resource from the U.S. Department of Human Services explains why family mealtimes are important and offers topics families might talk about at mealtime.

NuNews: Nutrition News Your Kids Can Use
NuNews offers printable newsletters for parents on nutrition topics. These informative articles are perfect for printing on the back side of school lunch menus that you send home. Articles are available in both English and Spanish.

Strengthen Your Family Bonds by Eating Dinner Together
Print out and send home this brochure from the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Division.

As most of our Eaton families know, we have made in the past few years a significant investment to install high quality Promethean boards in every Eaton classroom.  (We are deeply appreciative of our PTO and other donors who made this possible!)   While I have been convinced for years (from classroom observations) of the effectiveness of this technology to increase student achievement,  in  Educational Leadership, famed educator and researcher, Robert Marzano takes on this topic.   The verdict: “in general, using interactive whiteboards was associated with a 16 percentile point gain in student achievement on standardized tests.”

Three teaching features, he reports, enhances interactive whiteboard (IWB) effectiveness.   One is the use of graphics and visuals: “pictures and video clips from the Internet, sites such as Google Earth, and graphs and charts.”   This is consistent with one of Marzano’s biggest emphases in his research (see Classroom Instruction that really works) that ““probably the most underutilized instructional category of all those reviewed in this book– creating nonlinguistic representations– helps students understand content in a whole new way.” 

Second, he reports on the research evidence for using IWBs:

“reinforcers—applications that teachers can use to signal that an answer is correct or to present information in an unusual context. These applications include dragging and dropping correct answers into specific locations, acknowledging correct answers with virtual applause, and uncovering information hidden under objects.”

When used consistently by trained, experienced teachers, IWB use correlated to a full 31% improvement on standardized test scores.   

Finally, he reports that interactive Active Vote (clicker) useage by students improves effectiveness because all students answer all questions and the teacher has an immediate, accurate assessment of the lesson’s success.  Instruction can be modified based on the results of this instantaneous information. 

The newest Active Votes are now equipped to allow text messaging which allows short answer response to curriculum content.  This is the next phase of the Promethean initiative at Eaton — to gain enough classroom sets of Active Votes and Active Expressions to enable all our teachers and students this collaborative learning and assessment opportunity. 
What are your thoughts on this? 

A recent study published in the July issue of Developmental Psychology confirms what many educators already know: a child’s ability to exercise self-control is a determining factor in his or her success in school.  Indeed, self-control can be more important when it comes to ensuring student achievement than IQ or a host of other factors.

Children who have impulse control and are self-disciplined fare much in school emotionally, behaviorally, and academically.  These are all reasons our guidance curriculum and so many aspects of our behavioral/school discipline plan focus on self-control. 

As a principal, I can walk into any classroom on any day and identify right away those students who are exercising self-control. You can see it in their ability to listen. You can see it in their focus. You can see it in their level of on-task behavior…   It really is the strongest indicator of student success in school. 

What can you do as a parent to foster self control in your child?  Education World has published a list of several ways:

Controlling Impulses
Skill 1: Managing Situational Lure
– Learning to identify appropriate behaviors outside the classroom
– Learning to adjust behavior to match the situation
Skill 2: Demonstrating Patience
– Learning to wait
– Learning to take turns
– Learning to help others
Skill 3: Verbalizing Feelings
– Learning to build a feeling vocabulary
– Learning to identify one’s own feelings
– Learning to identify feelings in others
– Learning to share feelings
Skill 4: Resisting Tempting Objects
– Learning to discuss how the allure of material objects can influence behavior
– Learning to evaluate the need for material objects
– Learning to use objects appropriately

Following School Routines
Skill 5: Following Rules
– Learning to understand why rules are necessary
– Learning to identify with rules
– Learning to monitor one’s own behavior
Skill 6: Organizing School Materials
– Learning to follow instructions
– Learning to plan a task
– Learning to organize materials to complete a task
– Learning to complete homework
Skill 7: Accepting Evaluative Comments
– Learning to learn from mistakes
– Learning to distinguish criticism from teasing, sarcasm, and mean statements
Skill 8: Making Classroom Transitions
– Learning to follow steps in a routine
– Learning to move appropriately around the classroom

Managing Group Situations
Skill 9: Maintaining Composure
– Learning to ignore classroom distractions
– Learning to independently select a classroom activity
– Learning to behave appropriately when the teacher is out of the room
Skill 10: Appraising Peer Pressure
– Learning to evaluate a situation in terms of personal beliefs about good and bad choices
– Learning to act in accordance with personal beliefs
– Learning to identify peer situations where students should say “no”
Skill 11: Participating in Group Activities
– Learning to help others
– Learning to cooperate
– Learning to contribute to group discussions
Skill 12: Understanding How Behavior Affects Others
– Learning to identify behaviors that affect others
– Learning to demonstrate helping behaviors
– Learning to behave responsibly

Managing Stress
Skill 13: Adapting to New Situations
– Learning to identify ways by which people adapt to their surroundings
– Learning to cope with change
– Learning to direct one’s own behavior
Skill 14: Coping With Competition
– Learning to identify positive attributes of competition
– Learning to participate in competitive games
Skill 15: Tolerating Frustration
– Learning to identify feelings of frustration
– Learning to develop methods of coping with frustration
Skill 16: Selecting Tension-Reducing Activities
– Learning to identify physical signs of stress
– Learning to identify situations that cause stress
– Learning to identify tension-reducing activities

Solving Social Problems
Skill 17: Focusing on Present Situation
– Learning to evaluate disturbing feelings
– Learning to concentrate on a task
Skill 18: Learning From Past Experience
– Learning to describe a chronology of events
– Learning to learn from the experience of others
– Learning to learn from one’s own experience
Skill 19: Anticipating Consequences
– Learning to explain cause and effect
– Learning to understand the meaning of consequences
– Learning to accept consequences for behavior
Skill 20: Resolving Conflicts
– Learning to recognize situations
– Learning to develop alternatives to conflict
– Learning to use words to resolve conflicts

Teaching Self-Control: Strategies for Parents
The National Association of School Psychologists offers strategies to help parents teach self-control and to help them deal with their child’s feelings as they teach the skills.

Teaching Your Child Self-Control
This KidsHealth.org article offers suggestions to help parents teach their children to control their behavior. Tips are provided for kids from infancy to adolescence.

Here we are the first of October faced with another school closure due to illness.  Don’t get me wrong — I believe this closure was justified and necessary (24% students/21% teachers absent) — it just creates headaches for both parents and school personnel.  

If you are like me and our teachers, you are probably wondering how long before students must make up these missed days.    You might not know this, but for  several years, Loudon County has built extra minutes into the normal instructional day to account for 13 “stockpiled” days.  In the past, these were the days used for inclement weather closures.   So far, we have used six days for illness.    The biggest worry now is about future outbreaks of flu and additional school closures later in the winter months. 

As we face these issues, let me reassure you we will do everything possible to ensure our students meet and exceed all grade level expectations.  Our master schedule has little time for “fluff,” and over the next several weeks, we will be looking for ways to “sneak” in additional teaching time. 

Our custodial staff is in the building as I write this cleaning all desks, door knobs, and stair railings.  We will all continue working together to make the best of this difficult situation. 

The attached article from Men’s Health has excellent tips for Dads, Moms, and teachers when dealing with common issues that arise in raising children.  I particularly liked the advice for handling tantrums and how to handle it when your child wants to quit a chosen activity. 

8 Lessons All Dads Should Teach

It looks like I’ll be postponing Principals Night In from September 22 to October 13.  All the illness and school closures are playing havoc with our schedules here at Eaton and made it impossible to plan appropriately for this event. 

I want to encourage as many parents as possible to attend.  Not only will we feed you and provide childcare services, but we will have a great time brainstorming together ways to improve our school.  It’s a unique way to meet other Eaton parents, and we always incorporate suggestions from this event into our school improvement planning process. 

Go ahead and mark your calendars now for Tuesday, October 13.  I look forward to a fun-filled evening hearing your ideas and getting to know you better.

It would seem the flu season is upon us early.  Our friends across the driveway at NMS are out of school the next three days to to absenteeism rates of 25% and above.  We have avoided these massive absences so far, but we know our turn is coming.  Custodians are doing double duty cleaning, we are washing our hands (and going through soap and paper towels like never before), and we are sending students home immediately when symptoms are reported.  With that in mind, you may want to open the link below for H1N1 information. 

H1N1 Information and FAQ

Coloring Contest for TN Students — College Savings Month is September

For those parents who attend Eaton Parent Nights the first two weeks of school, you heard us talking about new, more rigorous, state academic standards and requirements for high school graduation.  These changes are directly tied to the federal No Child Left Behind law and are designed to align Tennessee curriculum more closely to national standards.  In addition, the past few years, state testing has moved from norm referenced (where each child is compared to all other students taking the test) to criterion referenced (where each child is measured according to his/her level of skill acquisition).  All these national policies and mandates have led local school districts to become very focused on curriculum goals and aim toward creating learning environments where all children can become proficient in grade level standards. 

Which leads to the question many of you asked at Parent Nights — Why the switch to a Standards Based Report Card?  Loudon County Schools made this change for several reasons:  (1) This type report card allows students and teachers to be clear on the most important skills/content to be learned at that grade level, (2) The standards based report card gives clear information about what students know, what they are able to do, and where they need specific additional help, and (3) Teachers, students, and parents are more focused on the academic strengths and instructional needs of the individual student.  The main purpose of the standards-based report cards is to specifically communicate student progress toward mastery of the new Tennessee academic content standards.  Everyone is on the same page and understands clearly what is expected of students. 

You may wonder how this type of reporting is beneficial to students and parents.  Students can see the exact skills and concepts on which they need to continue working.  They are able to make connections between classroom lessons and the skills and concepts which are on the report card.  Parents will have access to detailed information about their child’s progress toward achieving grade level standards.  If your child struggles or excels in a certain standard, you will know.  This type of reporting also facilitates teacher/parent communication as the child’s academic progress is discussed. 

Eaton teachers will utilize a variety of measures to assess student learning.  These include, but are not limited to, tests, observations, projects, presentations, and graphic organizers. 

A few parents have expressed concerns that without letter grades, students will not be motivated to achieve at advanced levels.  We would contend that as long as our teachers challenge the students with rigorous, challenging curriculum, engage the students with interactive learning opportunities, and tie the learning to real life experiences and examples, that our students will be motivated to do their best.  When a child receives an “M” (Met the state standard), that tells us the child is ready to move on to new material or perhaps more challenging applications for that skill.  Our teachers will use this information to better individualize instruction for our students. 

If you continue to have questions or concerns about these new report card procedures, please come in and have a conversation with me.  This is the pilot year, and I’m sure we will be utilizing all data and feedback as we look toward making any changes for the 2010-2011 school year.

As always, I appreciate your support of our school.  My door is always open.

The School Psychologist Blog has five important ways parents can ease back-to-school anxiety for their children.  Click the link to read the article.  Have you, as an Eaton parent, found strategies to help ease those jitters we see at the beginning of a new year?  Please comment and share.