Middle School Principal

According to the Association for Middle Level Educators, Middle School is time to start preparing for college. Although the middle school years may seem a bit early to think about college for a 10 or 11 year old, there are patterns and habits that help ensure a college education. All of these practices and routines begin before high school. One way we have started helping your son get ready is by preparing for standardized test. Although the ACT is a few years away, by preparing to take the Terra Nova in March your son is preparing for the ACT. Each Tuesday in homeroom your son is working on test taking skills. All questions and your son’s responses are posted on Edline. Please ask him to share this with you so you can help him see the importance of doing well on standardized tests.

Other ways to help your son prepare to succeed in college:

1. Encourage reading! Help your child become a lifelong reader and open unlimited opportunities to learn and gather knowledge.
2. Establish a daily homework schedule. The habit of being responsible for assigned work will be important long past middle school and, once set in place, will be an expectation when parents are not around.
3. Provide a place to study. Pay attention to your child's learning styles—does he need white noise, absolute silence, a cozy place to curl up, or a well-lit table?
4. Make sure your child has access to a dictionary—and knows how to use it. Whether a hard copy or online dictionary, it is important for him to be able to find the meaning of an unknown word to expand his vocabulary.
5. Provide access to newspapers and magazines and prompt curiosity about articles of opinion and fact and aid in discerning between the two. Take advantage of opportunities to discuss these ideas.
6. Emphasize the importance of school and learning. Explore ways to enrich your child's education through local library programs, family games, cooking or building things, or community service.

Thank you for allowing us to share in your son’s journey to his future.

Sincerely,

Teresa Billings
Middle School Principal