Please look for your question here; answers are posted, but if you need something more
specific or don't see your question, please email me and I will respond as soon as
possible.
- My son doesn't wet his pants anymore. Why would I bother sending in a change of clothes?
- Why does my son need a regular sized backpack? He's so little!
- Why should we send a thermos...my son loves bottled water, and it's healthy!
- My son's version of healthy snack is a bag of chips. He loves them, he is willing to eat them, so what's the problem with sending chips to school for a healthy snack?
- Why can't I just read the website to get my information? The Family Folder just seems redundant.
- Why is it important to ask my son about his school day when I can find it in your daily emails?
- I always hear people say that reading to your child is the best thing you can do to help him read. But it doesn't seem like anything is happening when we read. What's the deal?
- Sometimes when I drop my son off at school in the morning I see you on campus. Why can't I just stop you and ask a few questions?
- I was talking with another parent and found out that my son is doing less difficult work than her son is. Hey, what's up with that?
- The uniform schedule is confusing; when does my son have to wear the long black pants and pale green button-down shirt?
My son doesn't wet his pants anymore. Why would I bother sending in a change of clothes?
You'd be surprised who this happens to in kindergarten. I was
that parent who thought my daughter wasn't that child, so I
didn't send in a change for her. Until October when the accident
happened. I was lucky because I was a stay-at-home mommy at the
time, so I quickly brought a change to school. Most parents now
are working and it's not convenient to leave, go home to get the
clothing, and bring it to school. However, consider that your
son is going to shut down until his body is dry and better
scented. Please send in a change, even if your son has not wet
in four years.
Why does my son need a regular sized backpack? He's so little!
True, these little critters are smallish looking in front of that
big old backpack, in a sweetly cute way. Lucky for them it's
only cosmetic; it looks much bigger than it weighs. The problem
is the size of the Family Folder and the homework folder. They
just don't fit into those cute little kid backpacks.
Why should we send a thermos...my son loves bottled water, and it's healthy!
Our school is making an effort to go green. Each classroom
recycles, but the key to green is to reduce. Sister Cheryl, our
school nurse, is well-educated on the matter and has informed us
that our key efforts need to be in reduction. That means less
plastic to recycle, rather than, Oh Cool, It's Recyclable.
Please help us. Your son would love to select a way cool thermos
and be totally motivated to use it. It's a quick wash if you
have a bottle brush, since it's only water. I ask for water
because of the research on the brain and its need and response
to water.
My son's version of healthy snack is a bag of chips. He loves them, he is willing to eat them, so what's the problem with sending chips to school for a healthy snack?
The truth is that kids this age are growing at a tremendous
rate. Their brain cannot function academically if it picks up a
hunger signal. Seriously...the brain literally shuts down to its
reptilian brain in the stem/cord, which only provides survival
instincts like breathing and heart pumping. Research again and
again shows this. Please send a cheese stick, fresh fruit cuts
or vegetable cuts, maybe a half of peanut butter sandwhich or
cheese sandwhich. Even cheese slices with crackers or a
tupperware with dry healthy cereal is better than chips. Yogurt,
cottage cheese, or even a couple of meatballs in those thermos
cups that keep foods cold or hot is better than chips. Check
with your son's pediatrician for great ideas for healthy snacks.
Why can't I just read the website to get my information? The Family Folder just seems redundant.
The website for SCA is not updated daily and/or weekly. Things
happen inbetween web updates, so the Family Folder is the answer
to keeping you completely updated and in the loop. As a school
parent myself, I hate finding something out too late to take
advantage of it, or at the last minute and find myself dropping
everything to make something happen for my children. Please read
all information and respond the same night you get the Family
Folder. It's important!
Why is it important to ask my son about his school day when I can find it in your daily emails?
This activity could take place over dinner together, where he
must learn to take turns while the family talks, and probably
listens to everyone else's day. This is a great chance for him
to see that his day and the things he does at school truly matter
and are important. This is also a great way to build working
memory. Without a strong working memory, no student will succeed
in the long run. It's an easy way to support your son's self-
esteem, motivation to work hard, and his developing working
memory.
I always hear people say that reading to your child is the best thing you can do to help him read. But it doesn't seem like anything is happening when we read. What's the deal?
Research again and again shows the importance of reading out loud
each night to your son. First, it builds vocabulary and learning
how to use context and pictures as clues to comprehension of the
story. Second, it builds word to sound correspondence, and
eventually, letter to sound correspondence. Since a large
percentage of words used in children's literature are sight
words, constant reading while dragging your fingertip under the
words helps your son to build a memory of sight words. Third, it
builds an affective, or emotional response to reading. The brain
stores and retrieves information much better when the information
has good emotions attached to it. Reading together builds a warm
fuzzy memory of reading and promotes an interest in reading.
Your emotional reactions to the events in the story help your son
learn how to respond appropriately.
Sometimes when I drop my son off at school in the morning I see you on campus. Why can't I just stop you and ask a few questions?
The truth is that all of the teachers on campus have a daily
morning meeting to attend before school, and if you see us
walking around we are usually heading out to that meeting. In
the classroom we are prepping for the morning lesson, which goes
horribly if we have to prep during school time because we gave
our attention to a parent instead of our prep. It is much better
for your son and all the students if the teachers have the few
minutes they need in the morning to prep and attend the meeting.
We are all usually available by afternoon though, so please don't
hesitate to contact us for appointment. We are all committed to
partnering with you, the parent, for the most successful academic
esxperience we can possibly provide for your son.
I was talking with another parent and found out that my son is doing less difficult work than her son is. Hey, what's up with that?
Please don't make that mistake of comparing your son to other
students. The teachers at SCMA all believe in and use
differentiation because we believe that all students are smart
and can learn. In that case, we specialize or fine tune our
program to meet each student's needs. In the span of the year,
your son will meet or exceed the grade level standards, but
possibly at a different speed than others. Please appreciate
your son's effort and product rather than compare it. You don't
need that hassle in your busy life, nor does your son.
The uniform schedule is confusing; when does my son have to wear the long black pants and pale green button-down shirt?
That uniform is called "Charlies". Students must wear charlies
each Friday to mass, and every other day of the week except for
PE days. Kindergarten does not tuck in shirts or wear a belt,
even on Fridays. They will work on that fine motor skill next
year in first grade. I will give you the PE schedule once school
begins so that you will know which days to send your son to
school in PE clothes.