parent's cornerget off to a good start!Research indicates that students who have a good start in 9th grade tend to be more successful during their entire high school career. Knowing the importance of this good start, we value and need parent support and assistance in helping all of our 9th grade students have a great year.
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hERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP!
- Hold reasonably high expectations for your child;
- Help your child stay organized and effective with time management. Encourage daily use of their agenda;
- Encourage your child to become involved in extra-curricular activities. The more students get involved, the more connected they will feel,
resulting in greater commitment, pride and confidence; - Establish a regular work time for your child to complete homework and study;
- See to it that your child attends school regularly and on time;
- Notify the school of changes in your contact information, or of changes in your child’s health;
- Consult the school if you have concerns about your child’s progress;
- Familiarize yourself with school expectations and the Code of Conduct in the student agenda and support staff in its implementation;
- Acquaint yourself with course expectations in course outlines;
- Cooperate with the school to enhance the academic, social and spiritual growth of the student.
BETTER GRADES: 7 Ways You Can Help!
- Create a routine
Providing structure for your child can only aid your child’s academic success. Although your 9th grader is older, establishing a routine that includes consistency regarding bed time and wake up time is extremely critical. - Limit technological time
TV, computers, cell phones and video games can be huge competitors for your child’s attention, so limit these activities, especially on school nights. - Stay involved
We sometimes assume that because your child is now in high school, they should not require the same level and amount of attention as they did when they were in elementary school. However, the opposite is true. Your child is going through a major transition, and they need you to be available to them in order to continue to develop a love for learning and an appreciation for the responsibilities that come with being a student.
Continue to ask about their homework or the lessons they learned during the day and encourage a conversation with your child. - Build relationships with teachers and counsellors
Open the lines of communication with the people who work with your child on a daily basis. Share your insight on what motivates your child as well as possible areas of difficulty. Be open to hear about stumbling blocks and maintain an open dialogue regarding your child’s progress. - Focus on effort rather than grades
Show confidence in your child’s abilities and encourage him/her to work to their full potential. If your child brings home a grade that does not meet your expectations, start the discussion by highlighting their strengths. Talk to your child about whether their grades represent good effort. Help him/her devise a plan to improve. - Help your child get organized
Kids need help developing a system for storing and retrieving items so that they feel in control of their success. Encourage your child to keep separate notebooks for each class. This will help him/her find notes, hand outs and returned homework when it is time to study. Have your child use their SMCSS agenda to write down all assignments and their due dates. - Provide a quiet place for homework
A regular time and a good workspace to complete homework are essential. If students report that they do not have homework, they can still use the time to read and review notes.
communication methods
Effective communication between school and home is a high priority for all of us. Here are some ways we communicate about specific individual needs as well as ways for families to keep up-to-date on events at St. Mary:
- St. Mary Web Site
www.smcss.ca - St. Mary Facebook Sites
MAIN SITE: www.facebook.com/smcss.ca
ATHLETICS ONLY: www.facebook.com/smssthunder - St. Mary Twitter Feeds
Main School: @SMCSSThunder
Athletics: @SMthunderstruck
Student Council: @SMSSCouncil - Remind Text Messages
Many teachers use this one-way text messaging progranm to keep their students informed. Teachers will provide subscription information if applicable. - Teacher Web sites
Many teachers have class notes and information on-line to help with missed classes or homework. Teachers will provide if applicable. - Guidance Counsellors
The Guidance staff provides students with counselling and support in educational choices, career goals, and personal concerns. - Vice-Principals
Vice Principals are assigned by alphabet. Students with surnames beginning with A to K report to Mrs. McCormack and students with surnames beginning with L to Z report to Mr. Roberts. - Grade 9 Curriculum Night
Thursday, September 24th, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
The Grade 9 Curriculum Night is an evening specially designed for the parents of students in grade 9. This is a chance to visit your child’s classes, meet their teachers, and hear about their courses and teacher expectations. - Parent-Teacher Interviews
You will have the opportunity to meet with each of your child’s teachers once each semester, to discuss your child’s progress. These meetings are by appointments scheduled that evening. See the student agenda or web site for exact dates. - St. Mary Newsletters
Newsletters are published 4 times a year and can be found on our school website at www.smcss.ca. - Staff Directory
Click here for the phone and email directory. - Student Agenda Book
Students are encouraged to use their agenda to keep on top of assignment deadlines. It also contains information on P.A. days, School Liturgies, Holidays, school bell times, reporting dates, school policies, code of behaviour, dress code and attendance procedures.
catholic school council
The purpose of your Catholic School Council is to improve student achievement and enhance the accountability of the education system to parents and/or guardians. Your school council will make recommendations to the school principal on matters of importance. All parents are invited to join and attend. For more information click here.
outside community agencies
Representatives from Rebound Youth Services, Kinark Family and Child Services, a Social Worker and an Attendance Counsellor from our Board all have office hours in the school for students and/or parents/guardians to access. Students are encouraged to visit Guidance if they wish to access outside counselling services.
Breakfast Program
Students arriving without a proper morning meal are encouraged to take advantage of our Breakfast Program. It runs every Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 8:25 a.m. in the Culinary Foods room 126.
Between 20 to 30 students a day prepare their own breakfast consisting of toasted bagels with cream cheese and apple juice. Food product donations have been made possible by the National Child Benefit Re-investment Funding for School Based Nutrition Programs which has been administered by Northumberland County. There is no charge for the program to students. For more information or to contribute, call the school at 905-372-4339. |