Don’t forget to add your child to our “Manor Middle School Title One Super Students” list by clicking on this link: I am proud…
Reminder…in March, there will be an in-person Title I parent advisory council meeting to review Title I parent engagement requirements and documentation. A brief review of our district’s Title I programming will be given and then each Title I school will meet with parents to discuss the specifics of the programming in that building. Please join in this 1 hour session.
The End of Marking Period Two will be on January 19, 2023
On Monday, January 9th at 3 pm, we will be offering a virtualor in-person conference. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to amy.niemkiewicz@pennmanor.net.
If you would like to meet, but need a different day/time, please send an email with your request to amy.niemkiewicz@pennmanor.net.
Here is the invitation with pertinent parent information …
Additionally, in March, there will be an in-person Title I parent advisory council meeting to review Title I parent engagement requirements and documentation. A brief review of our district’s Title I programming will be given and then each Title I school will meet with parents to discuss the specifics of the programming in that building. Please join in this 1 hour session!
Welcome to Manor Middle School’s Title One Program
The first several weeks of the 2022 – 2023 school year at Manor Middle School have come and gone, and we hope that each child’s experience so far has been one of encouragement and excitement.
The Title One Program at Manor is a unique program that offers additional support to students who qualify based upon academic performance on school-wide testing such as Reading and Math Benchmarks, PSSA & CDT assessments. If you received an email with the link to this blog, your child may qualify for this school year.
The program provides your child with academic support in English, Reading, and Math in the following ways:
Additional Adult Support during Activity Period
Additional Adult Support during Lunch
Additional Adult Support in After Hours
Individualized scheduling based on specific needs
The program also allows for social and emotional support such as:
Provisions for a safe environment where students feel secure and respected
Provisions for diversified learning opportunities with effectively proven strategies needed for continual educational advancement
Positive connections with trusting adults
There is much more to share and a BIG PART of our success this year with your child will be YOU!
Each marking period we will request that you share some information either through a face-to-face meeting or a Zoom meeting. We may also ask your participation in some surveys and provide comments through links provided in this blog. We sincerely hope that you communicate any needs of your or your child with us so that we may help make this a fantastic year! We are looking forward to getting to know each and everyone of you a little better…
“‘Stop and smell the roses’ isn’t just good advice—it’s also a powerful safeguard against stress. Mindfulness, or the practice of consciously and non-judgmentally observing the present moment, has been linked to better well-being in previous research.
Luckily, mindfulness isn’t just a personality trait—it’s a skill you can learn.”
– taken from an article in Women’s Health BY AMARY WIGGIN MAR 12, 2013
One of our goals for the 2022-2023 school year is to introduce Mindfulness to the students we will be working with. You may ask why we would choose to teach this? Well, here is some interesting research.
“Not knowing the answer to a question when you’re called on in front of the entire class. Forgetting your homework. The kid behind you pulling your hair. School poses a lot of stressful moments, but how children (and teachers) react to them can make all the difference.
A new study suggests that mindfulness education — lessons on techniques to calm the mind and body — can reduce the negative effects of stress and increase students’ ability to stay engaged, helping them stay on track academically and avoid behavior problems.”
8th Grade: PSSA tests in reading, math, writing, and science
The PSSA assessments are criterion-referenced tests, as opposed to norm-referenced tests. Thus, your child will only compete against him or herself, rather than be compared against the group. Also, the PSSA scores have no influence on promotion, placement, or grades for our students.
The real preparation for the PSSA tests, or any standardized test, begins with your commitment to your children’s education throughout their school years. Devote time and effort to helping your children learn. Start by making sure your kids do their homework and read every day.
People who regularly take time to notice and note the things they’re thankful for, experience more positive emotions, sleep better, and express more compassion and kindness toward others.
In response to your BRAGGING RIGHTS survey feedback, this blog addresses the topic of Active Listening.
When you practice active listening, you make the other person feel heard and valued. In this way, active listening is the foundation for any successful conversation. Sometimes we confuse LISTENING with HEARING. However, listening requires attention, meaning it’s active. Hearing is passive — you can’t close your ears, so sounds will enter and be heard. This makes it involuntary.
As an active listener, you are there to act as a sounding board rather than ready to jump in with your own ideas and opinions about what is being said. This can be difficult for all of us to do and requires thought and practice.
The following tips will help you to become a better active listener:
Make eye contactwhile the other person speaks. In general, you should aim for eye contact about 60% to 70% of the time while you are listening. Lean toward the other person, and nod your head occasionally. Avoid folding your arms as this signals that you are not listening.
Paraphrase what has been said, rather than offering unsolicited advice or opinions. You might start this off by saying “In other words, what you are saying is…”.
Don’t interrupt while the other person is speaking. Do not prepare your reply while the other person speaks; the last thing that he or she says may change the meaning of what has already been said.
Watch nonverbal behavior to pick up on hidden meaning, in addition to listening to what is said. Facial expressions, tone of voice, and other behaviors can sometimes tell you more than words alone.
Shut down your internal dialogue while listening. Avoid daydreaming. It is impossible to attentively listen to someone else and your own internal voice at the same time.
Show interest by asking questions to clarify what is said. Ask open-ended questions to encourage the speaker. Avoid closed yes-or-no questions that tend to shut down the conversation.
Avoid abruptly changing the subject; it will appear that you were not listening to the other person.
Be open, neutral, and withhold judgment while listening.
Be patient while you listen. We are capable of listening much faster than others can speak.
Learn to recognize active listening. Watch television interviews and observe whether the interviewer is practicing active listening. Learn from the mistakes of others.
Something to think about…
Other upcoming events:
Manor Middle Spirit Week Feb. 7 – Feb.11
Monday PJ’s
Tuesday Crazy Socks
Wednesday Hair Color
Thursday Flannel
Friday Freaky Friday
February 16, 2022 Last day for Cult. Arts rotation#6
February 18, 2022 Early Dismissal
February 21, 2022 No School President’s Day
By the way, if you haven’t completed the BRAGGING RIGHTS survey, you may still do so! So far, we have received 18 responses – Thank you!
Out of those parents who responded to our BRAGGING RIGHTS survey last month, approximately 59% chose EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION as the number one social skill they would like to see developed in their child.
ACTIVE LISTENING and SOCIAL PROBLEM-SOLVING both came in a close second. These three skills are closely related to one another, so over the next month or so, we will share some insight into how we can work together to improve these important life skills.
Here are some facts that may help …
Effective communication with your teenager can help you both feel happier and more connected in your relationship, and more confident about having difficult conversations and resolving conflicts.
What Kind of Communicator is Your Child?
Consider sitting down with your child and answering the following questions together.
Passive
• Do you try to push your feelings away rather than express them to others?
• Do you worry expressing yourself will cause others to be angry or to not like you?
• Do you often go along with others’ opinions because you don’t want to be different?
Aggressive
• Are you concerned with getting your own way, regardless of how it affects others?
• Do you often yell, swear or use other aggressive means of communicating?
• Do you not care if others get what they need as long as your needs are met?
Passive-Aggressive
• Do you have a tendency to be sarcastic in conversations with others?
• Do you give people the silent treatment when you’re angry with them?
• Do you often find yourself saying one thing but really thinking another?
Assertive
• Do you believe you have the right to express your opinions and emotions?
• Do you treat others with respect and respect yourself during communication?
• Do you listen closely to what other people are saying, sending the message that you’re trying to understand their perspective?
The best way to communicate is by being assertive. Next time, we will share some things that will help your teen in developing the skills necessary to get points across effectively and improve the quality of his or her relationships.
Excerpted from “Don’t Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens” (March 2011, New Harbinger).
Something to think about…
Other upcoming events:
January 17, 2022 Martin Luther King Holiday No School Teachers & Students
January 21, 2022 Inservice for Teachers No School for Students
January 28, 2022 Early Dismissal
By the way, if you haven’t completed the BRAGGING RIGHTS survey, you may still do so!
Even as we work through marking period 2, we are discovering new and exciting things about your child. We continually want to get to know each student better, so that we can better assist with meeting each one’s unique needs in our classroom.
In order to do that, we’d like to learn more from your point of view!
In other words, we are giving you some
To do that, please click on the link below (Bragging Rights) and answer our short survey about your child. We greatly appreciate you and your time!
A survey by the American Psychological Association found that younger Americans report the highest level of stress among all age groups. In addition to peer, academic, social and family pressures, the holiday season can bring seasonal stressors.
Good self-care can help combat stress and prevent it from becoming a more serious problem.
DOING THESE THINGS COULD HELP:
Get active. Exercise is a great way to reduce stress.
How Teamwork Can Help Your Child Improve in School
DID YOU KNOW… Three decades of research provide convincing evidence that parents are an important influence in helping their children achieve high academic standards. When schools collaborate with parents to help their children learn and when parents participate in school activities and decision-making about their children’s education, children achieve at higher levels. In short, when parents are involved in education, children do better in school and schools improve. (https://www2.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/parentinvguid.doc)
Time management is among the most common concerns voiced by parents and students. Students these days are perhaps busier than ever before: between academics and a barrage of extracurricular commitments, how can your child expect to keep up the juggling act and manage to get enough rest?
A few suggestions for creating an effective schedule:
TASK-ORIENTED: Help your child develop a realistic schedule by focusing on tasks. In emphasizing what he must accomplish each night – as well as during the week – you’ll help your student to improve his concentration in pursuit of specific, concrete goals.
CONSISTENT: If possible, carve out a nightly time for the completion of homework; this will establish accountability while enabling your child to internalize a study routine.
MANAGEABLE: Break it down by subject. Especially at the beginning, create conditions that will allow your child to acclimate to a new schedule. For example, you might suggest that he begin each day with his most daunting subject and work towards those he finds less difficult. Or, he might dedicate a small window to long-term projects, such as lingering tests or presentations. By breaking down large assignments into individual tasks with deadlines over a period of a few days/weeks, such projects will feel more manageable and will be less likely to be left until the last minute.
Something to think about…
Other upcoming events:
Picture Retake on November 16, 2021
November 22,23 K-12 Early Dismissal
November 24 Act 80 No School
November 25-29 Thanksgiving Break No School: teachers/students
How Do You Know What to Work on First?