10 Things Every Middle School Parent Should Know Let’s start with the Academics… 1. Ask your child for weekly progress reports • All students are given a weekly Progress Report on Tuesday. • Make it a weekly routine every Tuesday night. 2. Ask about homework …every night! • Follow-up and ask to see graded homework/tests/projects. • Homework first after school with breaks after every 10-15 minutes until completed. 3. Mark the upcoming Parent/Teacher conference days and plan to attend. •Schedule Parent/Teacher conference any time during school hours if you have a concern. 4. Read each course syllabus-Keep a copy for reference. A Word (or more) on Friends and the Social Scene…. 5. Be intentional and meet your child's friends. 6. Know your child's friend's phone number and physical address. Randomly check in with your child. Have them check in with you. 7. Attend as many of your child's school activities as possible. 8. Be vigilant guiding/ monitoring your child through social media. A Word (or more) on Bullying: 9. Be direct and ask your child: "Is anyone… …teasing you? …giving you a hard time? …threatening you? …putting you down? Encourage your child to report instances of bullying to the school (school counselor, teacher, principal), and follow up by calling the school to verify your child made a report. Houston Middle School's policy is to address harassment of any form and extinguish it from our school grounds. Unreported harassment can be very hurtful to students. Please helps us maintain a harassment-free environment. A Word on Chrysallis…. A Word on Chrysallis… (from catipillar to butterfly) (from catipillar to butterfly) No one escapes the insecurities of physical development and we all develop at different paces. Middle School can be cruel to early and late bloomers...and everyone in between. 10. Be gentle. Listen. Hug often. Slow to give answers. Like snowflakes, each butterfly is beautiful and unique. Only by pulling together can we move mountains (or houses)!