November
2013
CALENDAR
Students Home 1, 8, 15, 22
Students Return 3, 10, 17
Thanksgiving Break 25—29
Basketball Games
NCSD—19 4:00 & 5:30
Berean—21 6:00 & 7:00
Academic Bowl Study
3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18
@ 6:30—8:00 pm
Viking Club 5 & 19 @ 3:00 pm
CCIC Meeting 5 & 19 @ 3:00 pm
Beta Club 13 @ 3:00 pm
Outdoor Club 13 @ 3:00 pm
PRESCHOOL
Preschoolers are natural scientists !
Young children love to figure out how the world works. Practicing
scientific skills, such as observing, testing and predicting, can help
them build important school skills. Here are some activities to try:
1. Have your preschooler use a magnifying glass to inspect things
up close. They can pick things they are interested in, such as
bugs, leaves or fabrics. Then they can draw pictures of what
they see and keep them in a science journal.
2. Let your child play with measuring containers in the bathtub
(with your supervision of course). See how many cups it takes
to fill a pint, or how many tablespoons make a half-cup. While
your child plays, say the names of the measurements, such as
teaspoon or gallon.
3.
Visit the zoo with your child. Ask questions about the animals
you see. “Why do you think seals have flippers?” or “Why do
you think that snake is brown?” Together, see if you can find
answers.
Source: Parent Institute November 2013
“Our Greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
- Thomas A. Edison
KINDERGARTEN
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Teach your kindergartner valuable organization skills
Intrinsic motivation is key to your
child’s academic success
Organization is an important tool for school success. Now
that your child is in kindergarten, they are ready to start
practicing the basics of organization.
Here are a few guidelines:
 Keep it simple. Start with having your child pick their
room up, not clean the entire house.
 Don’t expect perfection. Your child may not place
their shirts in the drawer the way you would. But if
they are placing them there at all, they deserve encouragement.
 Remember their age. Don’t get angry because their
school papers are crumpled in their backpack. Just
say, “You need to give these to Mommy every day.
When you get home from school each day, we will go
through your backpack together.”
 Give them some space. Your child can not put things
away if they do not know where they go. They need a
set place for their clothes, books and toys.
 Let consequences kick in. Do not nag about toys on
the floor; take them away for a week.
At one time or another, most parents use rewards to
motivate their kids. And there is no question that reward systems work. But when the rewards stop, the
good behavior sometimes stops, too. That’s important
to remember when it comes to school. Researchers
have found that students who are motivated only by the
desire to get a good grade rarely do more than the minimum they need to get by. However, when students are
motivated by an inner reward, they are more likely to
stick with a task. Students with intrinsic motivation
learn because they are curious. They retain what they
have learned longer, and they earn higher grades.
Here’s how to help your child develop intrinsic motivation:
 Start with their interests. Before they work on a project, have them think about what they want to learn.
 Help them see progress as they work on a big task.
 Help your child share what they are learning.
 Give positive feedback and also encourage them to
praise themselves for a job well done.
Source: Parent Institute November 2013
Source: Parent institute November 2013
MIDDLE SCHOOL
How to react when grades are less than
perfect
It’s natural to be upset if your child brings home a bad
report card. But showing your frustration and anger
won’t help them earn better grades. A better approach is
to:
 Put grades in perspective. Poor grades can sap your
child’s confidence. Make sure your child knows you
think grades are important, but that they are not a
measure of their worth.
 Accent the positive. Talk about what your child has
done well. Ask your child what they are most proud
of.
 Look behind the grade. Bad grades tell us there’s a
problem. Ask your child what they think the problem
is. Sometimes it’s not academic ability, but poor
study habits or too many activities.
 Set some realistic goals for improvement. Don’t expect all A’s if your child is getting all C’s.
 Contact—but do not attack—teachers. Sometimes
kids try their best but still fail. Or they blame teachers for their troubles. Gather more information by
asking teachers their view of what’s happening.
Source: Parent Institute November 2013
PARENT MEETINGS
Please call 865-579-2507 or email
[email protected] for locations and times
East TN
November 14 Kingsport 6-7:30
November 18 Chattanooga 6-7:30
December 9 Knoxville 6-7:70
Middle TN
November 21 Nashville 6-7:30
January TBA Hendersonville
West TN
November 16 TN Hands & Voices
November 21 WTSD 8:30 –10:30
November TBA Memphis C.H.I.C parent meeting
Email or call for more information
Remember: All meetings are subject to being cancelled due to inclement weather or other emergencies.
Email or call if you have questions about changes.
HIGH SCHOOL
Motivate your teen to succeed in the
classroom and in real life
Whether your teen wants to earn a place on the honor
roll, make the soccer team or get a part time job, they
may need a boost in motivation. Here are some tips you
can give them:
 List their goals. When goals are on paper, they become more real. Have your teen post their goals
where they can be seen.
 Make sure they’re goals, not dreams. Goals are
dreams with deadlines. If your teen says they want
to make the soccer team but never practices, they
have a dream. Only if they are taking action to make
the dream a reality can you call it a goal.
 Visualize success. Successful people all say the
same thing: They imagined themselves in a situation where they were successful. Before a big test,
your teen might try to imagine themselves sitting in
the classroom, looking at the test paper and knowing the answers. No, it won’t replace studying–but it
will keep them motivated to hit the books again.
 Start every practice or study session with something
you like least. After they finish, everything else will
seem easy.
Source: Parent Institute November 2013
PARENT RESOURCES
New Webinars from the Clerc Center
Without incurring travel expenses or workshop
fees, individual educators, professionals, and parents can interact with professional in the field of
deaf education. Webinars are presents in American
Sign Language (ASL) with a spoken English voiceover and captions. To view archived webinars:
www.galluadet.edu/cler_center/webinars.html
Next month: “Strategies to Prevent Visual SplitAttention with Students Who are Deaf or Hard of
Hearing,” a free webinar offered Wednesday, December 4, 2013 at 3 p. m. EST. Register at
www.gallaudet.edu/cler_center/webinars.html
Laurent Clerc National Education Center offers Info
to Go. If you are looking for information about deaf
and hard of hearing children visit:
www.gallaudet.edu/clerc_center/
information_and_resources/info_to_go.html
If you have questions or need information about Parent Meetings, email: [email protected]