Pirate News
Pathways Middle School - November 2021
A Word from the Captain
Greetings Parents,
First-quarter is done and we are finding our stride! Students are learning to complete all their assignments and getting help during lunch, after school, and at Saturday school. Thank you all so much for your support; together we will NOT let students fail!
As we head into the holidays, many of you have asked how you can support our students and our program. There is a way: our Sources of Strength group raises money for families in need right here at Pathways. Your donations to other families help provide holiday meals, winter coats, and gifts for the kids. We help each other out around here and if you or your business would like to donate, it is a great tax deduction and has a tremendous impact! Donate through the West Ada Foundation (Put Pathways Sources of Strength in the Leave a Comment section) and all the money will go to Pathways: Education Foundation / Homepage (westada.org)
Thank you again, as we look forward to another great quarter!
Dr. Eric Eschen
Upcoming Dates
- November 1-5 i-Ready Math Growth Monitoring
- November 11 - Picture Retakes
- November 22-26 - No School, Thanksgiving Break
Picture Retakes
Holiday Support
Leader In Me: Beginning with The End In Mind when Parenting
Over a year ago our school shut down. We had no idea when we would return to our “regular scheduled program”. At the start of last year, school was tumultuous. It was difficult to begin with the end in mind because there really was no end to plan for. All we knew how to do was survive. There was no momentum other than survival, pushing us forward in life. We were exhausted as this life process is not sustainable. Have you ever had a moment like that in your life? Having a specific end goal helps us to sustain the momentum of life. The journey of parenting needs to be sustainable, the end goal of being parent should be raising self-sufficient children. When we can step back and look at our children and see that they are fully capable of taking care of themselves with integrity, confidence, and positive self-esteem, we know that the goal has been met.
According to the Center for Parenting Education, there are some traits that children are more likely to pick up from their parents even without establishing a plan. For the worse, parents who abuse drugs or alcohol have children who are more likely to do the same. On a positive note, multiple generations of some families go into the same profession, such as law enforcement, fire science, medicine, law, and teaching. However, notwithstanding taking the chance that children will be “chips off the old block” or that “the apple won’t fall too far from the tree,” parents must raise their children with a desired end in mind.
Parents are in a position to provide age-appropriate “end goal” training with their children. Parents should consistently ask the question, “What do you think will happen in the end?” The question must be posed in a way that the child can understand and respond.
At the beginning of each school year, I ask my students to raise their hands if they plan on completing the school year being IP free. Of course, most of them will raise their hands. I inform my students that each of them is starting the semester being IP free. To stay IP free, I tell my students that they must learn, turn in assignments, and come to school on a regular basis. Of course, by the end of each semester, I have students who did not follow the plan, and as a result, they were not able to maintain the IP free status. However, with support, these students eventually reach the goal of being IP free. The journey to get there may have been a bit longer for them but, they were able to meet the end-goal.
If parents consistently pose the end-goal question to their children, the children will internalize this skill and mature into adults who will practice beginning with the end in mind, a desirable habit for effective adults. Consistently discussing goals with your children helps them to see the value in beginning with the end in mind. There are several ideas out there that help a child formulate goals, track progress, and meet the goal. Allowing the child to be a part of family goals lets them learn from parents the process of beginning with the end in mind and will transfer to the child the importance of goal setting which results in motivation and a higher level of personal success. Try beginning with the end in mind by setting an easily attainable goal with your child. You will not be disappointed! Goal Setting Form
Teaching Social-Emotional Skills at Home
"Teaching Our Children Social-Emotional Skills" is a self-paced recorded parent-education class with 8 lessons based on The Zones of Regulation and The 12 Tools of Toolbox.
Counselors Karla Holmes, Quyann Kerby, and Laura Minogue present lessons and resources on how parents can teach their children valuable social-emotional skills including:
- Self-Awareness
- Emotional Regulation
- Empathy
- Listening
- Communication
- Problem-Solving
These lessons are geared toward K-6 graders, but parents can learn how to model these skills for students of any age. https://www.westada.org/Page/90188