Edgewood's Tiger Talk
January 5, 2024
We are committed to our journey of developing EACH child to be an inspired learner and a caring, contributing citizen.
Principal's Update
People prepare you for a lot of the hardships of parenting--the lack of sleep, the "terrible twos", "the teen years". People didn't prepare me for one hardship I encountered when my children started school. It's hard to parent from a distance.
When my daughter was in 4K, she would come home each day telling me about how mean Zoey was at recess. I tried to teach Piper strategies for responding to someone who was rude and exclusive. I developed a full picture of this girl--the youngest in a family of girls who had learned to be tough and rude from her older sisters. And I also made assumptions about the teachers--I assumed that they just let "kids be kids" old school style, and didn't help them with little conflicts.
At the parent-teacher conference, I learned I had it all wrong. Zoey was mean; my dear-daughter was a possessive friend.
You see, it's hard to parent from a distance.
No matter how many questions we ask, at best, we understand snippets of our children's days at school. When there are problems, we hear one perspective. As humans, our brains are pre-wired to perceive threats. Assuming the worst helps us to say safe--to protect ourselves and those we love. But it can also create unnecessary headaches and conflict.
In hindsight, I wish that I'd emailed Piper's teacher months earlier and just said, "She complains about Zoey almost every day. What's going on, and how can I help her?"
Home-school partnership has significant impact on students' school outcomes. And partnership starts with trust. If your child shares something that surprises you, or something that sounds off, here are some suggestions:
- Try to have a caring, yet neutral response. Say, "That sounds concerning. Tell me more about it."
- Try to gather more facts. Say something like, "I'm glad to hear your perspective. What might ____'s perspective have been?" (This promotes critical thinking, too.)
- Ask, "What steps did you take to address it?"
- Calmly reach out to your child's teacher. "___ said ____ happened. Can you tell me more about it?"
Parenting from a distance will never be easy, because we don't have all of the facts. But when we work together, we can make it a bit easier.
EHSA Update
Thank you all for your support so far this school year!
Here are the events we're sponsoring coming up yet this year:
- February- Cherrydale Fundraiser (Cookie Dough!)
- March - Spring Dance
- April - Stay tuned - new event is underway…
- May - Teacher Appreciation week
Our next meeting is this coming Tuesday, January 9th, from 6:30-7:30pm. Don't be shy to join us. We'd love to have your perspective and ideas!
EHSA BOARD:
Jackie Steffes - President
Emily Brossette - Vice President
Abigail Peterson - Treasure
Melanie Carroll - Secretary
Amanda Tan - Member at large
Upcoming Dates
1/9: EHSA Meeting, 6:30-7:30pm
1/12: No School, Records Day
1/15: No School, MLK Day
1/19: Picture Retake Day
1/25: Report Cards Sent Home
2/16: No School, Professional Learning
2/19: No School, President's Day
2/21: 5K-2nd Grade + Choir Concert Dress Rehearsal, 9:30-11am (permission slip will be sent home the week before)
2/22: 5K-2nd Grade = Choir Concert, 6:00pm @ GHS
3/6: Early Release (1:26) for Spring Conferences (invitational conferences)
3/25-4/1: Spring Break
4/26: No School
5/14: 3-5 Concert Dress Rehearsal 9:30-11:00am
5/15: 3-5 Concert @ 6:00 PM, GHS PAC: Doors open @ 5:30 PM
5/24: No School, Professional Learning
5/27: No School, Memorial Day
6/6: Last Day of School, early release (1:26pm)