Guidance

Are you concerned about Summer "Brain Drain"?

Summer brain drain. It's what happens during the long, hot summer months when kids who are out of school, forget a lot of what they learned in class.

What's a parent to do? Experts agree: Reading helps to plug that summer brain drain. And parents – who serve as role models for lots of different behaviors – can help their kids develop a love for reading, as well.

Twins Edward and Thomas are in the third grade, and they love books. "They read at over the fifth-grade level right now," says their mom Jogie. "And they'll just pick up and read whatever."

A history of the Civil War, for instance, which is what 8-year-old Thomas is reading now. "I like to read because after you read a book more than once, it gets more interesting because you understand it a little more."

How did Thomas and his brother learn to love reading? There are two answers: Mom and Dad. "For me, one of the neat things about reading is the pictures that it puts in your mind and how you can see certain things," says Jogie.

For 20 minutes every day, all you'll hear in their home is silence. No television, no video games, no phone, just a book. "Twenty minutes of reading, but I usually do more," says 8-year-old Edward.

"Seeing adults read (and) having fun, (tells kids) this is something I want to do too," adds reading specialist Linda Stokes from Sylvan Learning Centers.

Dr. Sherri Lauver, a project director for 21st Century Community Learning Centers, agrees.

"There's natural messages that we as parents demonstrate to our kids. Whether it's us taking the time to read a book ourselves or read the newspaper, pay attention to the news, um, sit and read with our child, or just quietly watch them read to us. These are ways that we show our children how important education is," she explains.

Experts say parents should re-prioritize and put reading near the top of their list. Whether a toddler or a teenager, show your child that reading is important to you.

Linda Stokes, an educational tutor, suggests taking your children to the library, have books available and read aloud and simply discussing books together. "Ask 'What books have you read? What are you reading in school? What do you have to read? Tell me about it.'"

What Parents Need To Know

The U.S. Department of Education reports that, on average, children are set back by 25% in reading skills each summer. This phenomenon is so well known that educators even have a special name for it – either "the summer slide" or "summer brain drain." Teachers often invest the first two months of every school year focusing on lesson plans that help students regain skills they lost over the summer.

Parents can provide high-quality learning opportunities for your children during the summer months that are different from those activities children are exposed to during the school year. Thomas Haller and Chick Moorman, authors of The 10 Commitments: Parenting with Purpose, offer these suggestions to encourage reading and plug the Summer Brain Drain:

• Keep lots of reading material around your home. Read to and with your children. Create a family book club. Pick a book with your child and both read it. Just sit down together at least once a week and discuss the plot development or characters.
• Model learning. Turn off the TV and computer, put away the video games and put down your cell phone. Let your kids catch you reading this summer.
• Get help. Every community has learning activities for kids. Libraries have reading programs. Recreation centers and churches have day camps. Schools have inventor's camps. Art Institutes have drawing, painting, pottery and drama classes for children. Sign your kids up.

Resources

• Tips to Avoid Summer Brain Drain
• Reading Rockets Ideas for Summer Reading Fun

The failure to plan is the plan to fail.

The guidance department is eager to welcome you to  a new year at VCS.  We want your experience with the 2010-2011 school year to be a smooth, seamless, and successful one.

Ms. Haight primarily will cover the 7th and 8th grades this year; Mrs. Graham  will serve the 5th and 6th.  Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns about your student(s).  We encourage you to email us, or you call the school. 

 Algebra I Honors and Spanish I-  These courses are again available here at the middle school for high school credit. Algebra I Honors is available to 8th graders only.  Spanish I begins in the 7th grade and is completed in the 8th.  Both of these courses are considered advanced level classes.

Are Your Students Prepared for the Organizational Demands of Middle School?
Susan Mulcaire

Middle school moves at a fast pace. Students have many different teachers, each with his or her own homework, test schedules, and due dates. Add to the mix the after-school clubs and sports that students participate in, and it is a challenge to get organized.

Good work management and organizational skills are essential for balancing the load and minimizing the stress. For some students, organizational skills come naturally, but for most, they must be learned. While there is little classroom time to assess and train students in work management skills, here are some ideas for how you can help your students be prepared.

Help students make the connection
Getting students to value good organizational skills is the first step. Teachers can help by connecting the benefits of good organizational skills to the things this age group values most—more independence, less stress, more free time, better grades, and more self-confidence.

Organized binders are key
A binder is like a compact file cabinet that a student carries around all day to file and retrieve papers, homework, and information. Students must be able to access materials quickly and keep papers neatly stored by subject. Be sure to give students time in class to file papers in the correct place in their binders—no shoving loose papers into backpacks!

Planners are essential
No matter how good a student's memory is, he or she must have a central place for recording activities. A student's planner should contain important dates and events such as bell schedule changes, holiday breaks, exams, homework assignments, and project due dates. It's a good idea for students to include personal items scheduled during school days such as medical appointments, vacations, and after-school activities.

Have a study bud
Students should identify a classmate in each class who can be contacted in the event of a forgotten homework assignment or lost worksheet. The study bud can also help when a fellow student is absent and needs a handout or class notes. Study buds should exchange home contact information.

A homework space that rocks
Encourage students to locate, design, and stock a work space at home. This will help them do their best work in the least amount of time. The space should be quiet and free from distractions such as people talking, TV, and video games. They can deck it out with posters, pictures of friends, or team photos to make it a place they won't mind hanging out. Make it a "Designer's Challenge" classroom activity in which students design and photograph their work spaces and vote on the work space "most likely to succeed."

Be proactive!
Most students, particularly those fresh out of elementary school, have no idea that a typical middle school teacher works with 100 or more students each day. Unaware of the many demands on a teacher's time, students continue to believe that, as in elementary school, their teachers will track them down to provide a missing assignment. Encourage students to take personal responsibility for following up. You can role-play various student dilemmas in a "What Would You Do?" classroom activity to help students learn to recognize and follow up on matters that affect their grades.

Without basic organizational skills, middle school students can become overwhelmed. In some cases it begins a downward spiral of underachievement that can last into the high school years and beyond. Take some time to help students recognize and appreciate the benefits of good basic organizational skills.

Susan Mulcaire is a teacher, lawyer, and mother of three in Corona del Mar, California.