We are rocking and rolling here at The Main Street Academy (TMSA). The first month of school has been exciting and full of smiles. It hasn't been without its challenges. COVID-19, combined with the fact that our kids have been somewhat disconnected from school, has us stressed. In younger children, this stress can be seen in different ways. They may cry easily, be tired, unmotivated, develop unusual eating habits, and be easily distracted. Here are a few tips for helping your kiddos manage stress...
- Exercise. Regular exercise is one of the best ways to manage stress. For children, this means activities like walking, bike-riding, outdoor play, and individual and group sports.
- Write or draw. Older children often find it helpful to write about the things that are bothering them. Younger children may be helped by drawing about those things.
- Let feelings out. Invite your child to talk, laugh, cry, and express anger when he or she needs to.
- Do something fun. A hobby can help your child relax. Volunteer work or work that helps others can be a great stress reliever for older children.
- Learn ways to relax. This can include breathing exercises, muscle relaxation exercises, massage, aromatherapy, meditating, praying, yoga, or relaxing exercises like tai chi and qi gong.
- Laugh. Laughter really can be the best medicine. You can be a good role model in this area by looking for humor in life. Your child can learn this valuable skill by watching you.
As always, Ms. Letzler, Mr. Nixon and I are here to support your family if your child is experiencing anxiety about school or any other issues.
During the month of September, teachers will be digging into the standards and content. It's important that kids stay up to date on assignments and that they are practicing skills each evening. Reach out to your child's teacher if you are ever unclear about an assignment or expectation.
To help close the achievement gap caused by the pandemic, we are providing these resources and programming to meet the needs of our kiddos.
- Flextime is built into each child's schedule. This time is designated to provide the instruction needed to help close the gaps and accelerate learning. Students are grouped by level and taught in small groups.
- iReady is a resource provided to help support the acquisition of skills below, on and above level. The wonderful thing about iReady is that it is adaptive, kids work at their own pace. To learn more about iReady visit https://i-readycentral.com/familycenter/. If you want to know how your child scored on the Fall iReady diagnostic, please reach out to his/her teacher.
- We will monitor all KDG-1st grade students' sight word knowledge three times a year. Students will practice sight words regularly and apply this knowledge in context when reading text.
- We are also utilizing Orton-Gillingham as a program to support phonics instruction in our early grades. https://imse.com/about-us/what-is-orton-gillingham/
- EIP (Early Intervention Program) services are provided in reading and math to help close the learning gaps as well. This support is provided by an EIP math or reading teacher in a small group setting.
If you have questions about strategies that you could try at home, please reach out to your child's teacher or me.
Thank you,
Ms. Avery
Assistant Principal
The Main Street Academy
Assistant Principal
The Main Street Academy