Five Tips for Grades that Rise Above the Rest!

Your family has conquered the back to school rush and has settled into a new school year. Homework is getting done and everything is going smoothly, but don’t get too comfortable! The first important milestone of the school year is the first term report card, and it’s almost here!

The first report card of the school year has a way of sneaking up on families. After all of the effort put into preparing for the return to the classroom, many families forget to look further down the road. Without preparation beyond the first days of school, the arrival of the report card—and the marks it contains—can be a big surprise for families. However, it doesn’t have to be.

With a little effort and strategic planning for the entire year—not just the back to school season—unpleasant report card surprises can be avoided! Here’s how:

1. Take five minutes to say hello to the teacher and to ask how your child is doing in math/ reading/spelling/ listening, etc.
2. Send a note to school with your child to schedule a phone chat with the teacher. Don’t wait for the teacher to call you to report bad news or slow classroom progress.
3. Follow up when a test is returned to your child. How did it go? Were the results what you were expecting?
4. Go online. The Internet is a wonderful tool that you can use to keep informed. If your child’s class has a web page, log on and get involved.
5. Get help. If there are any issues, seek help as soon as you learn of it rather than waiting to find out on the report card.