Good afternoon IA families,
With the changing weather, we hit the second half of the semester. We have been very pleased with how well our students have been doing this year, but this is always a delicate time for students as attention can wane as the semester progresses. This is a good time to check in with your students to see how they are doing.
Checking grades on Infinite Campus is always a great way to check in, but a deliberate conversation that focuses on what is coming up in the next few weeks will likely reveal some important projects or assignments that need early attention. Talking to your student about upcoming assignments can be a great way to see what they are worried about or need extra support on. Our teachers are asking students to engage in real assignments that are very difficult to do well on if they tackle it the night before. (When I think back on all the projects I waited until the night before to do, I can’t believe I made it through high school!)
It’s also a good time to talk to students about what they need to do when they are behind. We have wonderful teachers who care for their students deeply, but student self-advocacy is one of the most important skills we can teach them, so make sure they are reaching out to teachers when they need help. I’ve had several students who will tell their parents they are going in for help, but never make it to the teacher’s rooms. I don’t think this is because they are being deceitful, I think it’s because for our highly motivated students, it is very hard to ask for help. If they are going in for help, take some time to follow up with them. Or if you know they are struggling with getting help, give them some starters for asking for help. Even better, help them craft an email to the teacher to arrange a time to meet.
Please join us on social media over the next two weeks as we get ready for our October Skies event. Our Engineering students will be launching rockets! Thank you to our PTSO and Lockheed Martin for sponsoring the event.
Thank you as always for your support.
Scott Kent
Principal Educator