Leprechaun Finger Puppet

Key to Middle School Success? Get Organized!

Middle school can be a tough transition for many students.  They go from having a single teacher facilitating their learning experience, to having multiple classes, lockers, binders, and even more homework! For some kids, this challenge can be overwhelming and it may negatively impact their grades and/or self-esteem.

One important skill for developing adolescents is ORGANIZATION! The ability to organize takes practice and, as a mentor or parent, you can empower your student to build his or her organizational skills.

Here are some tips!

1)      Encouragement! While this may sound silly, encouragement can help a child focus on organization, which can be the greatest barrier to overcome!

2)      Prioritize! Talk to the child about “breaking the load down.” Stress and anxiety creep up when work becomes ambiguous and too many details overwhelm the bigger picture. Learning how to categorize tasks into lists that show the level of priority and keep the work load feeling manageable is key! Start the conversation and allow them to lead the process if they can.

3)      Set up a system! Whether you organize a binder together, color code folders, or just have a checklist; create a system that you and the child can use to hold him or her accountable for being organized. It is important to let the student be actively involved in the process because he or she will be more willing to follow their own rules.

4)      Do organizational activities together!  Games and activities can be a fun way to begin the learning process. Below are some links to fun organizational games and activities. Remember to do them together if you can!

a.      http://www.ehow.com/list_6524726_games-organizational-skills.html

b.      http://www.ehow.com/list_6893544_organization-games-kids.html

c.       http://www.ehow.com/list_6464006_activities-organizational-skills.html

d.      http://www.ehow.com/info_7813109_ideas-calendar-activities-middle-grades.html

e.       http://www.ehow.com/info_7983587_organizational-skills-middle-school-students.html

5)      Lead by example. Show your child your planner or organizational system and any appropriate tools you use to keep organized to give him or her ideas. Tell the child why your way works for you and encourage him or her to discover an individual style or plan.  

6)      Remember that organization is a journey, not a destination! Perfection is unrealistic and can prevent children from wanting to build the skill. Focus on practicing, not perfecting!

7)      Have fun! Developing these monumental skills can be a great vehicle to spend quality time with your child.

Ali and Rian

Black History Month Word Search

taken from: http://library.thinkquest.org/10320/Games.htm

Friendship Quiz for Girls ages 8-12

adapted from: http://spoonful.com/sites/default/files/0604sleepovergoodfriendquiz.pdf

FRIENDSIP QUIZ

1. Some friends in your group are making fun of your best friend’s new glasses. You…

a. join in

b. say nothing

c. tell them they’re just jealous of her new look and then walk away

2. You really want to be Goldilocks, the best part in the school play- (the main characters in Goldilocks and the 3 Bears). You try out, but your best friend ends up getting the part and you have to play the baby bear. You…

a. Tell your friend she will be a great “Goldilocks” and ask her if she wants to practice with you sometime

b. Tell her that you would have been a better Goldilocks, but at least you got your second favorite part in the play

c. Decide you are not going to be in the play if you can’t get the part you wanted and decide not to talk to your friend anymore

3. You tell your best friend you’re getting a new dog and you’re going to name her Sparkles. Next thing you know, she’s got a new dog named Sparkles! You

a. yell at her for copying you and tell her to ­find a new friend

b. go ahead and name your dog Sparkles – besides, your dog is cuter!

c. choose another name for your dog and teach her to attack your former best friend’s dog (kidding!)

4. You’re home and VERY VERY sick with the fl­u. Your best friend never calls or stops by to see how you’re doing. So when she comes down with the ­flu a week later, you

a. decide to be a kinder, gentler best friend and bring her a get-well care package

b. don’t call. Two can play this game.

c. call her, then tell her in a dramatic way how horrible you felt and how gross it was the whole time you had the flu and that it will probably get worse!

5. You and Suzie made plans to go to the mall. Then Brianna calls and invites you to go to Dave and Buster’s. You love Dave and Buster’s! You…

a. tell Suzie about Brianna’s invite and ask if it’d be all right if the two of you went to the mall the next day (since you don’t get to go to Dave and Buster’s that often)

b. politely thank Brianna for the invite but tell her you already have plans

c. tell Brianna, “Yes! I’ll be ready in 10,” then call Suzie with a made-up story about not feeling well

6. You and some friends are planning on going to the skating rink. You really don’t want to invite your friend Alex because she’s so bad at skating, it’s embarrassing. After thinking about it, you

a. invite her. After all, she’s only going to embarrass herself.

b. don’t invite her. Hey, you’re saving her from embarrassment!

c. invite her, then schedule some practice time before hand to help her out

7. Your friend borrows one of your favorite shirts. When she returns it, she thanks you, but doesn’t mention the big stain on the front of it. You

a. scream at her for ruining your favorite shirt, then demand that she pay you in full for it

b. ask her calmly what happened; maybe there’s a good explanation.

c. don’t say anything, but vow to borrow one of her favorite shirts in the future and ruin it!

Now, add up your points to see what kind of friends you are!

1. a=1, b=2, c=3

2. a=3, b=2, c=1

3. a=1, b=3, c=2

4. a=3, b=2, c=1

5. a=2, b=3, c=1

6. a=2, b=1, c=3

7. a=2, b=3, c=1

18-21 Points: Great Friend.

Your friends are really lucky to have you for a pal, and you’ve probably got some good buds around you, too. You will have many friendships that will last a lifetime.

10-17 Points: Fairly good friend.

You strike a nice balance of being fair to your friends and sticking up for yourself when problems arise. This year, your circle of friends will grow even bigger.

7-10 Points: Fair weather friends.

You are a good friend as long as things are going your way, but as soon as your friends goof up- whoosh, you’re gone! Try to lighten up a bit and weather the storms with your friends- good times are ahead for you this year.