September is upon us, the kids are back in school, and the recent weather reminds us that there are still some warm days in our near future. In just a very short time, parents will be juggling work schedules with fall sport schedules. September was never my favorite month as a kid. I went from being nearly feral all summer, back into needing organization and structure. My parents always had to work extra hard leading up to September trying to get my brain and my habits back into "school shape." While I didn't appreciate it back then, I certainly owe them a really late thank you for doing what they needed to do, so I could function when school began. In this issue we have a list of important dates for this month, as well as some advice for parents as they work to set up routines for their student's success this school year. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns that we need to be aware of. Our office phone number is 360-538-8220.

We will work to highlight information that we hope is useful for parents/guardians as they walk the middle school pathways with their students. Our first entry is about some of the things you can do or keep in mind as your middle schooler heads back to school. There are routines that experts agree upon that will support them at school, while they are at home.

• It begins with sleep! At this age range the recommended number of hours of sleep per night is anywhere from 8-10 hours. Studies have shown that 2/3 of kids this age are falling far short of that. Experts agree that establishing a consistent bed time, as well as a consistent pre-bedtime routine can help a student mentally relax, and support their need for sleep. That means that screen time should end well before bedtime.

• Eat Breakfast! It is the most missed meal of the day, but their brains need the nutrition to develop properly, and their growing bodies definitely need the fuel. We open our doors at 7:35 for students to eat breakfast, if they can't do so at home.

• Stay Engaged with School: Regularly check in on your child’s academic progress by reviewing their grades, attending parent-teacher conferences, and staying informed about school activities.

• Set Clear Expectations: Establish and communicate your expectations for school performance, behavior, and responsibility, but remain flexible as they develop independence. It may start with you "laying down the law" on expectations, but as they get more independent and mature, listen to their input.

• Maintain Open Communication: Keep an ongoing dialogue with your child about their day, friendships, and challenges. This helps build trust and keeps you informed about their emotional and academic well-being.

• Monitor Online Activity: With increased access to technology, help your child navigate social media safely, and set rules for appropriate online behavior and screen time. I hate to say this, but the online world is full of traps for students. It also gives a lot of people access to your student at all hours. This is an area to definitely be alert with.

• Create a Consistent Study Routine: Help your child establish a daily schedule for homework and study time, ensuring they have a quiet and organized space to focus. Beyond having a good space to do their work, help them with time management. It is not a skill that many are "born with" but have to learn.

• Model Positive Behaviors: I'll be honest, their peer group becomes increasingly more important and influential on your child at this age. You may think they don't listen to you very seriously. BUT your child is watching and learning from you, and studies show that you as the parent still have the largest influence on your child even during the teen years. This is a great time to model behaviors such as problem-solving, healthy communication, and time management.

Our purpose here isn't to tell anyone how to parent their child. But if we can get some information out there that may be helpful, we want this to be a resource for you.

Some big changes in our Music Program this year. We have two new music teachers in the Hoquiam School District: Drew Shipman is our 6-12 band teacher, and Anna Messenger is our 6-12 Choir teacher. We are excited to welcome these two gentlemen to our community!

Another change is that this year we are asking Band and Choir families to sign up their child in Final Forms. This is due to the travel that both programs have, and the need to have student information if medical attention is required.

If you are looking for Final Forms, you can find it at this web address: https://hoquiam-wa.finalforms.com/

Parents need to create an account. Here is where you can find directions for making an account: https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/sportshub2-uploads-prod/files/sites/2656/2020/12/14094353/Hoquiam-FinalForms_ParentPlaybook.pdf

And we are off to another fantastic year!!

My name is Ms. Andrews, your school counselor.  I have been here since 2007.  If you have been to my office, you will see that I am a very proud Vandal, University of Idaho.  I have two degrees from there: BS Education and BS Family & Child Development.  My masters in school counseling comes from City University.  I am married, and together we love to travel and find treasures while antiquing or thrifting.  We are also home bodies spending time in our hobbies.

As you get your child's schedules, you will see some changes this year.  Sixth grade will continue with PE all year.  Seventh & eighth grades will have PE for one semester, starting with 8th grade.  Opposite of PE will be coding.  But some students have been chosen to have PE all year with advanced PE.  We also have two music teachers this year.  Mr. Shipman will be the band teacher, and Mr. Kautzman will be the choir teacher.

Students have until Friday, September 6, to turn in a change schedule form.  We would love to build our choir and band programs!!  We will not allow any changes after that time until 2nd semester, January.  

Welcome back!!

Hope Squad

What is Hope Squad?  Hope Squad is the bridge between students and adults to seek help when feeling sad, depressed, or suicidal.  Hope Squad team is composed of students that are peer nominated.  They will be trained in QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer), which is the universal steps to help someone get help.  They are not counselors!!  Their job is to get the student to a trusted adult.  Hope Squad is now recognized as an evidenced-based best practice curriculum.  

Attendance

Each day you show up matters!  Attendance is part of the student success equation.  #ShowingUpMatters 

#AttendTodayAchieveTomorrow

Reminder!!  Parents/guardians have 48 hours to call and excuse your child. Per the state, students should not have excessive absences, whether excused or unexcused.  It is important to be in school.

We love seeing your child(ren) at school!  If they are absent, make sure you are calling the school to excuse them.  If they have a doctor's appointment, bring in a doctor's note to excuse.  If you are planning a vacation, contact the office to set this up in a timely manner.  Mrs. Glasgow is our attendance person, 360-538-8221.