Camp Road Cougar News

Hello Camp Road Families,

I hope this message finds you all well after Spring Break. I know everybody has a different experience over long breaks, some good, some bad, and some indifferent. Whichever type of break you had with your children, we are ready to accept them back at Camp Road with open arms. We are looking forward to a fabulous 4th quarter!

Our motto at Camp Road this year has been "Better Together" because we know we can only succeed as a team. And that team includes you! So, as we enter this last push towards the end of the school year, state testing, and promotion season, I want to take a moment to remind you about a few things:

1. It's not over until it is over: If your child is in danger of failing one or more classes for the year, they still have a chance to bring up their average. Please encourage your children to put in 100% effort into all of their work until the very end of the school year. This will ensure that all of our students can be successful and get promoted to the next grade.
2. It's important to be here: Being present at school all day every day is the only way that our teachers can help your child meet their fullest potential. Please make sure that your child is at school for all classes, every day, unless they are truly sick.
3. The way we show up is important: This is the most difficult part of the year. Our students got a taste of summer freedom but had to return to school. These last two months may seem like they drag on for the students, but aren't long enough for the adults! Encourage your child to come to school daily with a positive attitude about learning. Mindset is one of the most important aspects of accomplishing anything. If they believe they can, they will! Please encourage your children to make good decisions both behaviorally and academically.

Thank you for being a member of the Camp Road Team and for supporting your children this school year!

Sincerely,

Ms. Rowehl

Studies have shown that students having access to their cell phones during class is a major distraction for them. CRMS has a policy that all phones must be put up at the beginning of the day, but this can be difficult for teachers to enforce.

A study last year from Common Sense Media found teens get bombarded with as many as 237 notifications a day. About 25% of them pop up during the school day, mostly from friends on social media. “Every time our focus is interrupted, it takes a lot of brain power and energy to get back on task,” said Emily Cherkin, a Seattle-based teacher-turned-consultant who specializes in screen-time management. When the phone vibrates in their pocket, now their focus is on their pocket. And they’re wondering, ‘How do I get it out to the table? How do I check it?’ You ask them a question and they haven’t heard a word you’ve said. Their brain is elsewhere.

Here are some tips on how you can help your child stay focused in class.

1. Encourage them to follow the rule of turning in their phone, and confiscate old phones. Some students will use the old phone as a decoy to turn in, keeping their new phone on them throughout the day. If there is an emergency where you need to get in touch with your child, you can call the front office to have them paged to the phone.

2. Stop texting your child at school. Many parents got used to being in constant contact during the COVID-19 pandemic when kids were home doing online school. They have kept that communication going as life has otherwise returned to normal. We call it the digital umbilical cord. Parents can’t let go, and they are contributing to children’s anxiety by sending messages, tracking their whereabouts, and checking grades daily, which doesn’t give kids space to be independent at school. Dr. Libby Milkovich, a developmental and behavioral pediatrician at Children’s Mercy Kansas City, says she asks parents to consider what kids miss out on by having parents at arms’ reach during school hours. “By texting back and forth with a parent, a child is unable to practice either self-calming or problem-solving skills,” Milkovich said. “It’s easy to text, but if I don’t have a phone, I have to go ask the teacher, or I have to figure it out on my own.”

3. Don’t respond if they text you during the day. “When your children are texting you stuff that can wait — like, ‘Can I go to Brett’s house five days from now?’ — don’t respond,” said Sabine Polak, one of three mothers who co-founded the Phone-Free Schools Movement. “You have to stop engaging. That’s just feeding the problem.”

4. Turn off notifications on their phone during the day. Reining in their texts will only go so far. So please work with your kids to turn off some or all of their attention-stealing notifications.

Technology is an integral part of life today, so it is more important than ever to teach our children to use it in a way that does not impede their learning and development.

Saturday, March 30 - Monday, April 8

• Spring Break

Don't forget to take your Parent State Climate survey in your Parent Portal. We need your feedback to continue to make Camp Road a better school each day and each year!

The deadline to complete your survey is April 12.

You can access the survey using PowerSchool Parent Portal. Follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Parent Portal Login page: https://ccsdschools.powerschool.com/public/

2. Enter your Username and Password to login.

3. Under “Forms,” select “2024 PARENT AND GUARDIAN SCHOOL CLIMATE SURVEY.”

4. Click on the link within the form to a Qualtrics survey page. Complete the survey and click “Submit.”

The JICHS ROTC volunteered to clean up the Camp Road campus at the beginning of Spring Break. We are excited to come back to a clean campus tomorrow!

The JICHS ROTC program is a great way to get involved, build leadership skills, and grow as an individual. It's an excellent opportunity for all students! Talk to your 8th grader about joining ROTC next year to get leadership and volunteer opportunities, a community of like-minded friends, and credits toward graduation.

If you are unfamiliar with Google Classroom or Canvas and are having trouble helping your children navigate their online assignments please check out our CRMS website for cheat sheets and tips. Go to:

https://www.ccsdschools.com/camproad

Click on the Parent tab, then click on Cheat Sheet and Tips for Student Apps and More, finally click on Google Classroom for Parents and/or CCSD Canvas Support Resources for Families.

You can also ask your children to pull up their classes on their Chromebooks to show you what assignments they have. We suggest that you make this a weekly practice along with checking Parent Portal to help make sure your children are keeping up with their schoolwork.

Cheat Sheets and Tips for Student Apps and More

PTO Monthly Newsletter

#1Island Parent/Guardian Education Opportunities

Digital Instructional Resources