Newsletter January 2010
January 11, 2010
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We strive to bring you the most helpful and up to date information every month, and this month's newsletter is no exception.
You can scroll down through the articles below, or you can click on a headline you like to go directly to that article.
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This Month's Headlines:

Settling Back into School
New Years Resolution: Avoid Over-Scheduling
Mastering the 5 Paragraph Essay
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Settling Back into School

Returning from the long holiday break and New Year’s celebrations can be tough for students. Many of them may not be looking forward to starting a new year with more school lessons and homework, but this time of year is a great opportunity to reflect and prepare for the months ahead. Here are a few tips to help your children start 2010 in a fresh and positive way.

Accentuate the positive
Instead of focusing on the trials and troubles of 2009, start this year off with a renewed outlook. The New Year brings a new beginning that can be encouraging for adults and students alike. Talk with your children about what their goals and resolutions are this year, and try to pinpoint specific, measurable goals to start tracking, like doing better on math tests or spending more time reviewing science lessons.

Time on your side
Sit down with your child and take an honest look at his or her schedule. Are there any areas where he or she may be able to make better use of time? Set up limits for TV or computer time, or any other time wasters. Perhaps your child is interested in starting a new extra curricular activity, or exploring a subject matter that interests them? January is a great time to revise schedules and routines for a less stressful year.

A fresh start
There is something to be said for the ritual of clearing clutter and preparing for new things. Your child may feel better organized if they start the New Year with a clean backpack and orderly desk. Create filing systems or bulletin boards for homework and assignments if they are helpful, or create a spot on the table where children leave their things so there is no rush on their way out the door in the morning.

Get more involved
While you’re setting up a new agenda and routine for the coming year, take the time to become more involved in your student’s education. Plan a weekly activity that is academically based, whether you read assignments aloud to each other, or have your child give you a mini-lesson in what he or she learned that week.

And finally, if you feel your child struggled with schoolwork last year, give them the chance to get ahead again with specialized tutoring sessions. Starting 2010 with some extra help and guidance can go a long way in helping your child feel on track and positive about what the year will bring.

Adapted from “Help Your Child Start the New Year on the Right Track,” schoolfamily.com.
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New Years Resolution: Avoid Over-Scheduling

Even the most well intentioned parents can sometimes be over zealous in their attempts to help their child’s development. It’s true that extra-curricular activities, sports, arts and other programs help students identify their interests and passions. Making new friends and being exposed to new concepts and skills is important and nourishing, and allows your child to be the kind of well-rounded student that colleges look for. However, with reports on growing stress levels, even in young children, it’s important not to over-load your child’s plate.

Often called “hyper-parenting,” psychiatrists warn that the kind of pressure that comes with an imposed, demanding schedule can be damaging for children and young adults. Dr. Alvin Rosenfeld, author of The Over-Scheduled Child: Avoiding the Hyper-parenting Trap, says it’s normal for parents to want to push their children to excel, allowing them to try their hand at different activities and interests, but that some don’t realize when it is more than the child can handle. Over-scheduling brings stress both to the parents who have to drive back and forth from practice to dance class and so on, but also to students, who can feel like all the activities overshadow and undermine their individuality.

Rosenfeld makes a surprising suggestion on how to keep your children involved while eliminating stress—give them more downtime. While it may seem counter-intuitive, it’s often in those quiet, uneventful moments that real passions are awakened in children.

Hobbies and interests are important; remember that it’s a matter of cutting back, and not eliminating, the activities to a point that is comfortable for you and your children. Don’t let others—coaches, neighbors, teachers or friends—make you feel like your child should be doing more. As a parent, your job is to encourage your children and provide the tools they need to pursue their goals and dreams. Don’t be afraid to expose them to new ideas and activities, but remember that in the end, it’s their choice and their life to explore.

Source: Morin, Amanda. “The Benefits of Under-Scheduling Your Child,” education.com.
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Mastering the 5 Paragraph Essay

The five-paragraph essay can be daunting. Once students reach the middle school level, they are expected to take their essays to a higher, more analytical level. The five-paragraph format essay requires students to not only take a stance on a subject, but to organize and synthesize information from the text to support their stance.

Most middle-school students are familiar with this format, but many are intimidated by it. With a few tips to keep in mind, writing the five-paragraph essay can feel like a breeze. The structure of the essay is simple: an introduction paragraph with a stated thesis, three “body” paragraphs supporting the thesis, and a conclusion. Each body paragraph should begin with its own proof of the thesis, with examples to back up each piece of proof.

Often teachers will present a general thesis and ask students to use the text to prove the thesis is true or not true. Other times students will be crafting their own thesis, based on the themes and messages in the book. Either way, once students have finished reading the book in its entirety, one of the best ways to start is by gathering quotes and examples from the text, taking note of the supporting points and their evidence. Once this information is together, it serves as a sort of outline for the actual writing process.

When starting their introduction, students should choose words carefully, spelling out their thesis explicitly, and only restating the parts of the plot that are necessary to their main idea. Make sure they avoid retelling the story—the teacher is checking for understanding and comprehension, not a memorization of the facts.

One of the tricky parts is knowing when to expand in detail. Students may have a hard time with this, but it’s important in their understanding of a strong essay. For example, rather than simply saying a character felt a certain way, it’s better for students to retell in detail those situations that demonstrate this character’s feeling. Drawing strong and direct connections like this are exactly what the teacher is looking for.

Finally, the conclusion should be concise. It may be tempting for students to add in another periphery idea at the end. However, they should focus on reinstating the thesis and relating back to their introduction to strengthen their argument. The five-paragraph essay can be tricky, but by beginning with some organization and collected examples, students already have the foundation of the essay in their hands.

Source: Lucas, Cheri. “Introducing the Five-Paragraph Essay.” education.com.

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