
Byron Area Schools
High School and Middle School News
Happy Holidays!!
I do apologize for the problems last week trying to send out the parent perception surveys. There was a little issue on our end, and hopefully those have been worked out. I am attaching the surveys below for you to complete if you haven't done so already. Due to the issue, I did get the deadline extended until December 19th. Thank you so much for taking time to do this. We do have a day planned in March at the county level where we will look at all the responses and evaluate how we can use those answers to guide us in improving Byron Area Schools.
The Crafts and Contemplation Club
The Crafts & Contemplation Club has been busy the past couple of months. Students play games, do crafts and celebrate holidays. The club is open to both middle & high school students at this time and there is no fee to join. Here are our future dates for 2024 - Jan 8, Jan 22, Jan 29, Feb 5, Feb 26, Mar 4, Mar 11, Apr 8, Apr 22, Apr 29, May 6 and May 20. Times are from 2:35 - 3:45 pm in high school room 20.
Sleep
As I see students come in the door and interact throughout the day with different situations, lack of sleep seems to be a big cause of a lot of issues in classes. Many times we see a student come in and it looks like they are working with only a few hours of sleep. Please look over the items below, read up on the topic and try and help your student get to their best ability to be successful. Not only does lack of sleep hurt their academic performance, it also negatively impacts many parts of their life, including their overall health.
As children get older, their social skills are still developing so their friendships may change leaving them feeling like others are being mean to them. It's important to remember that our brains aren't fully developed until age 25 or 26. During the teen years, while brain neurons are busy making new connections, it's important for parents to help their child learn resilience and coping skills. Those skills will be helpful as the teen becomes an adult and faces new challenging situations through their lives. It is normal for teens to be more emotional as they learn to navigate the world and the people around them. It is also normal for parents to want to "save" their child from feeling mad/sad/frustrated/etc. Remember that learning self-regulation is very important for your teen's future mental health.
Some of the things parents can do is help your child understand their emotions and how to control them. For example, sadness teaches us to be empathetic to themselves and others. Parents can also help by being supportive and teaching their child to problem solve situations as they arise. Also keep in mind that a lot of social media is very negative and can actually worsen a teen's self-image and make them feel even more isolated. Most importantly, coping skills can be taught by the adults in the child's home.
If the child's emotions are persistently overwhelming, you may need to get support from a counselor or outside therapist. Reach out to the school counselor or local mental health agency if you need help for your teen.
Positivity Project
Byron High School and Middle School will continue to use the Positivity Project this year. This is a valuable resource for us that is used in a variety of ways. Please look at the link provided and explore the program. https://posproject.org/
We had a lot of positive referrals on student behavior from teachers in November/December. When I look at the students pictures, I like to see the positive impact on the school with their actions and am proud of all of them for being recognized by different teachers. When I look at the traits they were recognized for, I appreciate that also because these are things we all can work on more and to have an impact on the school and so much more.
Impressive information I am leaving on here from last month
Did you know that Byron High School is partnered with FOUR area colleges to offer high school students the opportunity to earn direct college credit? Byron was one of the first schools in the area to partner with the University of Michigan Flint! This semester, students are set to earn 214 college credits at Mott Community College, Lansing Community College, Baker College of Owosso as well as UM Flint. Five of these students are 5th year Early College students and are currently taking between 12 and 15 college credits. All this in just this semester! Students will be enrolled in different classes second semester earning even more credits.
HANDBOOK
As we get to this point in the year, it might be a good time to review attendance policies for absences and tardies. The numbers are increasing and this has an impact in many areas, like grades, discipline, truancy, and credit for classes.
SPORTS BOOSTERS
Please consider helping the Athletic Boosters in any way that you can. It is very good to see them active again. Their efforts make a huge difference in Byron Athletics.
- Contact-Don McLennan mclennan@byron.k12.mi.us
- 810-266-4620
The mission of Byron Area Schools is to educate all students
to become productive members of society.