It’s that time of year… your school-aged child is facing year-end examinations and progress reports. Being crucial to one’s education, regardless of grade, exams can be a stressful time for students. Turning exams and progress reports into positives for all children is something both educators and parents desire. The Calgary Catholic School District’s academic goal this year is “Success for all Students,” with a concentration on student wellness, specific to mental health and resiliency. A factor of resiliency for a student’s personal outcome is embedded in their ability to feel prepared for an exam. There are a number of ways you can take an active role in your child’s education, including promoting healthy study habits during this time.
There’s an unsettling trend: 100 per cent of kids in Kindergarten read for pleasure. By Grade 4, only 54 per cent say they do; 30 per cent in Grade 8 and just 19 per cent are choosing to read for enjoyment by Grade 12. Something happens to the reading experience of young people to make it seem a lot less enjoyable as they move from elementary to middle school to high school.
If you live in one of Calgary’s many growing communities, you may be seeing a welcome sight in the neighborhood: a new school. In fact, nine new schools are expected to open in September 2016 with an additional eight schools planned to open in January 2017. A new school creates a lot of excitement in a community, but can also generate many questions from parents and residents: What grades will be in the school? Who is the principal? Will there be a playground? What are the bell times?
"My kid always rushes through her homework!” I hear this complaint from many parents. As adults, it’s difficult for us to understand why our children can’t slow down, take time to focus and check their work. Rushing is not a serious issue if your child occasionally races through homework because she has ‘better things to do.’ Rushing only becomes a problem when your child can’t slow down, seems unmotivated to do well and often turns in work that is inaccurate and contains careless errors. For this type of student, rushing is frequently a daily habit.
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