Greetings Middle School Parents and Families, 

Here is the latest information about what is happening in Middle School and Secondary!

We now have only 4 weeks left of school! There will be lots going on, so stay tuned to your emails and the weekly newsletter! 

AP Exams are officially finished and MAP testing is complete! Our students and teachers did a great job and all worked hard to make this a successful Spring testing session! 

As Summer approaches and everything is wrapping up, students sometimes have a hard time staying focused and motivated until the end. Below is an article from scholarsed.com with some (hopefully) helpful tips for you to help your student(s) finish the school year strong!  

 

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How To Keep Your Child Motivated At The End of the School Year

 

The end of the school year is getting closer and as classes begin to wrap up, summer break is probably at the top of your child’s mind.

But the end of the school year isn’t the time to lose motivation! With some of the most important parts of the year yet to happen (like final exams and assignments), it’s important to make sure your child is staying motivated to finish the school year strong.

The end-of-the-school-year slump can hit especially hard if your child is already learning from home. This is a whole different story than learning in a classroom setting, with many students (and parents!) already finding it difficult to stay organized, focused, and engaged.

This makes it even more important for both you and your child to stay motivated until their final class. Take time to clarify your plans and expectations with your child during the final weeks and days of classes to keep both you and your child on track for a strong finish.

Signs your child is slipping into the end-of-year slump:

• They don’t want to attend class
• They’re procrastinating on assignments and tests
• They’re struggling to pay attention during class
• They often tell you they’re bored at school

Keep reading to learn how to make sure your child finishes the school year strong.

6 End of the School Year Tips for Students & Parents

1. Maintain your routine

Children need structure and routine—and these become even more important during the last few weeks of the school year. Keep your school day routine consistent. A lax routine may lead to your child losing the organization and motivation to complete their lessons, assignments, and study for tests. 

Keep the same wake-up and bedtimes, do school work at the same time every day, and stick to your after school routines to help your child stay on track.

2. Stay organized

Keeping tasks and assignments organized is crucial at the end of the school year. Stay on top of keeping an updated agenda with due dates and notes so your child knows what needs to be done before classes are done for the year. 

Having hard deadlines and blocks of time dedicated to studying or homework will keep your child organized and motivated so schoolwork gets done on time.

3. Get excited about learning

Excitement and interest are great motivators to complete projects and tests well and on time. Make a point to get excited about assignments with your child. Lead by example: if they see you’re interested, they will try to be interested as well. Do they have a large final science assignment coming up? Talk about the assignment with them and show genuine interest. 

You can also make certain tasks into fun games to make learning more engaging and exciting.. If your child is studying for a test, create a game like study baseball. Quiz them on study material and for every question they get right (a hit!) they move around the bases until they get a home run and get a reward. Don’t be afraid to get creative with studying!

4. Make your own assignments

With all the new and exciting learning wrapping up in favour of revision before final tests, challenge your child with extra assignments that they can use for  review. Try some of our Free At-Home Resources for students in kindergarten to grade 8 or explore different math exercises from Education.com to build a customized lesson to interest your child.

5.  Incentivize success

You know your child better than anyone, which means you know what kind of incentives motivate them best. It could be a new video game or something like road hockey equipment so they can play with their friends. Even simple words of encouragement and praise can be enough to encourage your child to keep their grades (and effort) up until the final day of classes. 

6. Plan fun learning activities outside class time

If class time has your child feeling bored and uninterested in schoolwork, learn something new outside of class. Keep your child engaged with learning from your living room, kitchen, or backyard with this list of our favorite Fun Learning Activities for Students to Do At Home.

Finish the Year With Success

With summer on the way, many students struggle to keep themselves motivated and focused on schoolwork. Daydreaming about summer is normal and fun, but it’s important to make sure your child doesn’t let it interfere with their studies. Keeping them engaged until their last class ends will make sure that they end the school year on a high note.

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Keep in mind that some students are not only finishing current units, but also may have some older units that still need completed. Encourage your students to communicate with their teachers, use their time wisely, and utilize office hours with teachers whose classes in which they may be behind. There is still time to get caught up, but time is running out! 

Don't hesitate to reach out to Ms. Tempel (10 yo - Secondary IV School Counselor) or I if you have any questions or concerns regarding the end of the school year. 

 

Thank you,  

Jeff Tempel  

Director of Instruction – Middle School and Secondary