Middle School Teaching Units » High School Students

Can Parents be Too Involved With Their Child’s Education?

admin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:02:47 +0000

Being involved in your child’s education is obviously a good thing. But, some may wonder if ever there can be too much of a good thing. Can parents be too involved with their child’s education? While this, like anything else, should not be taken to the extreme, parental involvement in a child’s education is generally considered a good thing.

Research has shown that parents who are involved actively in their child’s education perform better when it comes to reading and math. Along with getting higher grades, parents’ involvement also leads to increased motivation in their children and better family lives. This being said, parents don’t have to run for an office at the PTO or the school board. A few hours of quality time spent with your child to help with his homework or doing an after school activity together makes a big difference. Below are a few points that parents who are or want to get involved with their child’s education will find helpful.

PTO

Being involved through the PTO opportunities in your child’s school can keep pertinent issues within closer reach. PTO organizations help parents be a part of what takes place at school, as well as keeps them informed of recent issues and developments. There will be meetings and events to not only discuss the issues, but also to have fun with the children while they learn. Many PTOs host events such as family math nights.

Will the Kids Be Annoyed at Parental Involvement?

Some kids may become annoyed if parental involvement in education is at a high level. I think this may be more common with high school students than students in middle or elementary schools. Many kids enjoy parental involvement and it gives a boost of confidence to Continue Reading

Middle School Students Caught In The Middle

admin — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 02:05:37 +0000

It’s amazing how easy it is to forget about the middle school years. Do you remember your crazy middle school years? Middle school students are often caught in the middle while we focus on preparing high school students for college. There needs to be national attention focused on the middle school years to prepare them for the career challenges that face this country. I have noticed that even those who write books focus their efforts on elementary and high school students and leave middle school students out. If you ever attend a national book fair there are limited creative efforts to excite middle school students to read. Any parent who is raising a middle school student can tell you that they are in a different transition in their lives. Communicating with middle school students can be challenging if you are unwilling to admit that you are not perfect. Middle school students need parents and teachers who will let them know that they care.

There should be a national effort to help middle school students to explore all types of careers. The rapid changes technology careers that are happening around the world are still far away from the minds of middle school students in this country. Now is the time to make them a part of the green revolution in solar and wind energy. It would be great to see how these students could envision their future with solar powered cars and wind technology that reduces the cost of energy in each home. Some of the most innovative students are wasting away in middle school because they continue to be taught by traditional methods. Maybe every middle school class should be full of green experiments that allow the students to find themselves and to make a mark on society using their creative ideas.

So who should care about middle school students? Everyone should care including parents, corporations, our government, teachers and Continue Reading

Orlando Schools. Magnets, Mufflers And More

admin — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 19:25:52 +0000

Every school district must strive for excellence. Orlando Schools are no exception. From Magnet Schools to new bus mufflers, from backpacks to free or reduced lunches, the Orlando Schools system is working to continuously improve itself.

BACKPACKS: The S.T.A.R.S. program (Supplies To Assist Our Students) is the only program that provides backpacks and basic school supplies to elementary, middle and high school students in Orlando Public Schools in West Orange County. Students will have the tools they need the first day of school. The goal of S.T.A.R.S. is to coordinate community based and individual efforts to efficiently and effectively assist Orlando Schools students in need so every child who needs a backpack gets one.

FREE/REDUCED LUNCHES: The Orlando Schools district is accepting applications from families who want to qualify for free or reduced-price meals for their children.

Applications are available at all schools. Orlando Schools families must complete the application and return it to the school their child will attend. For more than one child, one application may be used for all, and it may be returned to any school one of the children will attend. To qualify, families must be at 200% below the poverty level.

MAGNET SCHOOLS: Magnet programs have been established at Orlando Schools elementary, middle and high schools to provide an opportunity for students to engage in intensive study in specific areas. Orlando Schools magnet programs offer the opportunity for students to discover their talents and explore their interests while focusing on strong academic excellence. The programs are designated to attract students from across the district with transportation provided for elementary and middle school students, who reside in specified areas.

Orlando Schools grades 9-12 magnet programs provide unique personalized learning communities. These programs of study Continue Reading

Charlotte Mecklenburg School District’s CMS-TV3

admin — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:54:15 +0000

The Charlotte Mecklenburg School District

The Charlotte Mecklenburg School District is the main school district for the city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. The Charlotte Mecklenburg School District is composed of one hundred fifty schools: ninety one elementary schools, thirty two middle schools, seventeen high schools and ten alternative programs. There are one hundred twenty six thousand nine hundred three students enrolled in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School District. The District has the top 10% students in the state of North Carolina and in the nation. The ethnic distribution of the school district is nearly 45% African-American.

Charlotte Mecklenburg School District’s CMS-TV3

In order to better serve the students and parents of the Charlotte Schools the school district has created its own television channel. CMS-TV3 is designed to support the Charlotte Mecklenburg School District by broadcasting professional looking programming that can inform, educate, and entertain the parents, students and teachers of the Charlotte Mecklenburg School District. CMS-TV3 meets this goal by providing a variety of programming.

Current programs that address the needs of the students are the telecasts of the Board of Education meetings, Math Extra and Diversity Matters. The Board of Education Meetings are live broadcasts of the Charlotte Mecklenburg School District’s twice monthly meetings on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. This allows parents and teachers to know what is going on in the District. The meetings are rebroadcast on Wednesday nights. Math Extra is a live call in mathematics help show that allows students to get math help from math teachers throughout the school district. The show airs Monday through Thursday in the evening. The show aims to provide homework help to the middle school math students in the school district. Diversity Matters is a Continue Reading