1. Attend Meet-the-Teacher Night and Parent-Teacher Conferences
Kids do better in school when parents are involved in their academic lives. Attending back-to-school night is a great way to get to know your child's teachers and their expectations.
Attending parent-teacher conferences is another way to stay informed. These are held twice a year at CVUSD. The conferences are a chance to start or continue conversations with your child's teacher, and discuss strategies to help your child do his or her best in class. Meeting with the teacher also lets your child know that what goes on in school will be shared at home.
Parents or guardians are welcome request meetings with teachers, principals, school counselors, or other school staff any time during the school year.
2. Visit the School and Its Website and App
Knowing the physical layout of the school building and grounds can help you connect with your child when you talk about the school day. It's good to know the location of the main office, school nurse, cafeteria, gym, athletic fields, playgrounds, auditorium, and special classes.
On the school website, you can find information about:
- the school calendar
- staff contact information
- upcoming events
- testing dates
3. Support Homework Expectations
Homework reinforces and extends classroom learning and helps kids practice important study skills. It also helps them develop a sense of responsibility and a work ethic that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.
In addition to making sure your child knows that you see homework as a priority, you can help by creating an effective study environment. Any well-lit, comfortable, and quiet workspace with the necessary supplies will do. Avoiding distractions (like a TV in the background) and setting up a start and end time can also help.
While your child does homework, be available to interpret assignment instructions, offer guidance, answer questions, and review the completed work. Resist the urge to provide the correct answers or complete the assignments yourself. Remember making mistakes is part of the process.
4. Send Your Child to School Ready to Learn
A nutritious breakfast fuels up kids and gets them ready for the day. Our school cafeteria provides just that. In general, kids who eat breakfast have more energy and do better in school. Kids who eat breakfast also are less likely to be absent, and make fewer trips to the school nurse.
Kids also need a proper nights sleep to be alert and ready to learn all day. Most school-age kids need 10 to 12 hours of sleep a night. Lack of sleep can cause irritable or hyperactive behavior and might make it hard for kids to pay attention in class. It's important to have a consistent bedtime routine, especially on school nights. Be sure to leave enough time before bed to allow your child to unwind before lights out.
5. Teach Organizational Skills
No one is born with great organizational skills — they need to be learned and practiced.
When kids are organized, they can stay focused instead of spending time looking for things and getting sidetracked.
Talk to your child about keeping his or her school desk orderly so papers that need to come home don't get lost. Teach your child how to use a calendar or personal planner to help stay organized.
It's also helpful to teach your child how to make a to-do list to help prioritize and get things done. It can be as simple as:
- homework
- soccer
- put clothes away
6. Teach Study Skills
Introducing your child to study skills now will pay off with good learning habits throughout life.
Teach your child how to break down overall tasks into smaller, manageable chunks so preparing for a test isn't overwhelming. You also can introduce your child to tricks like mnemonic devices to help with recalling information. Remember that taking a break after a 45-minute study period is an important way to help kids process and remember information.
In general, if studying and testing becomes a source of stress for your child, discuss the situation with the teacher or school counselor.
7. Know the Disciplinary Policies
CVUSD disciplinary policies can be found here: https://policy.azsba.org/asba/...
Students in Middle and High School are provided student handbooks that go over the student code of conduct. The rules cover expectations, and consequences for not meeting the expectations, for things like student behavior, dress codes, use of electronic devices, and acceptable language.
The policies include details about attendance, vandalism, cheating, fighting, and weapons. We also have specific anti-bullying policies. It's important for your child to know what's expected at school and that you'll support the school's consequences if expectations aren't met. When kids see both environments, school and home as safe, caring, and consistent environments they have no problems succeeding in school!
8. Get Involved
Whether kids are just starting kindergarten or entering fifth grade there are many good reasons for parents to volunteer at school. Talk to the Principal about volunteering at Camp Verde Elementary School.
Parents can get involved by:
- being a classroom helper or homeroom parent
- joining the Site Advisory Council
- attending school board meetings
- joining the school's PTO
- reading a story to the class
- attending school concerts, and celebrations
9. Take Attendance Seriously
Students who are sick should stay home: If they have a fever, are nauseated, vomiting, or have diarrhea. Otherwise, it's important that kids arrive at school on time every day, because having to catch up with class work and homework can be stressful and interfere with learning.
If your child is is missing school due to illness, make sure to check with the teacher about any work that needs to be completed. It's also a good idea to know the school's attendance policy.
10. Make Time to Talk About School
It's usually easy to talk with elementary students about what's going on in class and the latest news at school. You probably know what books your child is reading and are familiar with the math being worked on. But parents can get busy and forget to ask the simple questions, which can have an effect on children's success at school. Ask open ended questions; Make it a priority to ask about the best and worst of their school day. When kids know parents are interested in their academic lives, they'll take school seriously as well.
These early years of schooling are an important time for parents to be informed and supportive about their child's education and to set the stage for children to develop and grow as young learners.