1st 9 Weeks Parent Newsletter

“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.” —A.A. Milne

At Blackburn Middle School, we works under the mantra that there is a champion in every scholar and that all scholars will achieve their unlimited potential with support. Our staff work diligently to create learning experiences that are responsive to the differences in our scholars’ academic levels, interests, and learning styles. We strive to provide a safe, positive, and supportive school environment where all scholars feel valued and encouraged to achieve their personal best.

Middle School is and will forever be the place where you establish new identities. Adjusting to the demands of Middle School can be difficult and require you to practice a greater degree of self-discipline. Whether you are a first year sixth grader, a veteran seventh grader, or headed to high school next year, I am certain that you have evaluated and monitored your own progress as you work to achieve your academic, social, and athletic goals. Wherever you are next year, you will be held to an even higher level of accountability for your actions and must begin to think critically and carefully about the things you do and the friends you choose.

I commend all our scholars, faculty and staff, parents, and our community partners for your hard work, pursuit of excellence, dedication, and your commitment to supporting the mission and vision of Blackburn.

It is with a humbled spirit that I extend a thank you for your support of Blackburn. The best is yet to come, and with the support and commitment of all our stakeholders, William W. Blackburn Laboratory Middle School is truly “Determined to Rise; Destined to Succeed.”

Eric Jackson, Principal

Free High-dosage Online Tutoring for Grades 3-12 in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics is available for Mississippi Students. Students can access Paper via their Clever Account.

The tutoring services will be live, online and available 24/7 with a live person. Teachers and administrators will have access to real-time data through a data dashboard to assign activities, monitor student progress and schedule one-on-one or small group tutoring sessions during the school day. Parents may also schedule tutorial services for their child(ren) after school hours and on the weekend. These services will also be available for English learners and students with special needs.

MDE sought high-dosage tutoring services, which is a strategy to close achievement gaps, to mitigate any impact COVID-19 and school closures had on learning and instruction and as a way to accelerate student learning.

“Besides giving educators more tools to manage instruction and gauge students’ needs and progress, these tutoring services allow parents and students to get help with homework from a tutor any time of the day,” said Dr. Carey Wright, state superintendent of education. “Whether it’s writing an essay or solving math problems, students can get immediate assistance to complete and better understand assignments.”

Online training and support sessions for teachers, administrators, parents and students in participating districts will start in the coming weeks. All districts will begin receiving personalized training by the end of the month. ESSER III funds cover costs of the tutoring services until Sept. 30, 2024.

According to the Pew Research Center, 54% of students say they spend too much time on their phones and other mobile devices. They feel pressured to respond immediately to social media posts, text messages and other notifications. This technology “addiction” can have a negative effect on students’ learning, academic performance and mental health.

Parents can help middle schoolers manage device time responsibly by asking them to:

• Spend one day tracking the times they pick up screen devices, the amount of time they spend, and what they do. Make better choices the next day.
• Brainstorm ways to accomplish this. Your child could check the phone only during specific times and limit online gaming time.
• Establish technology-free times. These are times when devices should be turned off or out of reach—during study time, family mealtime, bedtime, etc.

Source: J. Jiang, “How Teens and Parents Navigate Screen Time and Device Distractions,” Pew Research Center.

It’s crucial for your child to keep writing skills sharp. Journaling is a great way to do this. Share a few

of these writing prompts to get your child’s creative juices flowing:

• If you could solve any problem in the world, what would it be?
• Write about three values that are important to your family.
• Write a poem about your favorite activity or hobby.
• Write about the best vacation you ever took.
• Would you rather jump out of a plane or go scuba diving? Why?
• Write about a time when someone helped you.
• Write a poem about love and what it means to you.
• Write about a rule at school or at home that you’d like to replace.
• Write about your favorite show.
• How would your best friend describe you?
• What is your favorite way to be creative?
• Why is respectful behavior important for getting along with others?
• Write about the most important thing in your life.
• If you could live inside any video game, which would you choose?
• What is your favorite thing about yourself?
• Write about a goal you recently reached. How did you do it?
• Write about something your parents always tell you.

Source: J. Schoenberg, “31 Fun Writing Prompts for Middle School,” Journal Buddies.com.

Every student is capable of their own “personal best.” Answer yes or no to the questions below

to find out if you are encouraging your child’s best effort:

___1. Do you point out effort? “I’m impressed that you decided to stay home from the movies to work

on your paper this weekend!”

___2. Do you encourage your child to take pride in having a strong work ethic? “It must feel great to know that you worked so hard on your project.”

___3. Do you point to effort as the reason for your child’s successes? “That extra 30 minutes of studying each night has really paid off.”

___4. Do you avoid focusing too much on the results, results when you see that your child is trying hard?

___5. Do you model consistent and diligent effort? “I am working on my report for work each day this week so I can get it completed by Friday.” How well are you doing? If most of your answers are yes, you are encouraging your child to work hard to do well. For no answers, try those ideas.

Email: https://www.jackson.k12.ms.us/ContactBlackburn

Website: https://www.jackson.k12.ms.us/blackburn

Location:1311 West Pearl Street, Jackson, MS 39203

Phone: 601-960-5329
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackburnJPS/