Letter from the Superintendent - February 2017
The correlation between students who are involved in school activities and academic performance is a well-documented fact. Kids that involve themselves in some school extracurricular activity, any school extracurricular activity, almost always do better in the classroom. They form a connection with the school other than going from class to class during the day and also can express themselves in an area that allows them to build leadership skills, teamwork, dedication to a goal, etc. It does not have to be a sport, but certainly can. We see successes in all different areas of extracurriculars, and these successes are not always measured by wins or losses, medals or ribbons, or any other honors you may see in the paper or hear on the radio. They are great resume builders, as well. When applying for scholarships during their senior year of high school, a blank resume with great grades is a red flag. You want a well-rounded student at the college level, too, and your child is much more likely to catch a scholarship committee’s eye if they have a good balance of academic achievement and have been active in other things, whether that be sports, quiz bowl, FFA, FBLA, art, music… it goes on and on.
Another very important correlation between academics and successful students is parental involvement. I’m not talking about the “Helicopter Parent,” that hovers over their child and does not allow them to learn how to succeed and compete on their own. I’m talking about paying attention to what your child is involved in, asking about homework each night, checking your child’s grades and whether they are up-to-date on their assignments. I am fully aware that being a parent and working is very difficult at times, but knowing how your student is keeping up and performing in class is important. A quick check on Infinite Campus is one way to know, but even a quick e-mail to a teacher stating “is my child doing OK in your class?” is pretty easy. It may eliminate a problem that could evolve into a bigger issue later.
Children see things through very different eyes than adults do. It’s much easier for them to tell you that everything is just fine and “nope, no homework tonight” when in fact they very well may have some. They may think they’ll get it done before school or some other time. It’s just a different perspective, and as parents we really need to be aware of what is going on. We send out letters every week if your child is failing a class, or two, or more in some cases. I’ll bet they had homework, and maybe lots of it. We call, we e-mail, and we send home notes in backpacks. Remember, statistics show that schools only have your children for somewhere between 8-10% of their formative young lives. A big part of that non-school time is before they even start attending school. The rest of the non-school time is spent at home or with their friends. We want to work with you to assure your child is doing the very best they are capable of. It can lead to great futures for all of our kids. It may look very different for each child, but that is the way it should be. Success looks different for each and every child. Support your child as much academically as you might in anything else they might be involved in. It helps. Working together can help make that happen.