As we approach Thanksgiving, I always reflect and give thanks for the many blessings over the past year. This year, I am thankful for the opportunity to lead the incredible Mashpee Public Schools. As I have mentioned earlier, I appreciate the warm welcome and the amazing people I have met and work with every day in Mashpee. I wish you a restful and enjoyable Thanksgiving.

As we move past conferences, progress reports, district assessments, and report cards fast approaching, now is a great time to discuss parents and guardians' role in supporting their children’s academic journey. This month's newsletter will share thoughts and specific tools to help you in your child’s learning.

Our primary focus should be on the growth and success of your child’s academic abilities, assessment outcomes, and individual development. The second goal is to help your child develop self-assessment, self-advocacy, and perseverance skills. It is essential that they learn how to monitor their knowledge and keep working towards improvement.

I encourage you to help your child assess their understanding and develop skills to advocate for their needs.

Regular Check-in and Collaboration

This process begins with consistent check-ins. This effort can be a weekly check-in of your child's work in PowerSchool or reviewing work samples, tests, and other assessments they bring home. Teachers regularly send home newsletters on SeeSaw or through School Status Connect, providing updates on what students are learning, new vocabulary, and other areas of emphasis for students. Take time to review this with your child, ask questions, and ask them to think about their progress.

Ensure these conversations are curious. Please encourage your child to assess their work and work habits. Celebrate their growth and address issues and any missing work. Encourage your child to speak with their teacher directly if they need help, which builds responsibility and accountability.

Through these approaches, you are fostering your child’s academic mindset and helping them develop skills to serve them in the future.

Understand State Learning Expectations

To ensure you understand the learning expectations for Massachusetts students, visit the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) website to view the state learning guides for each grade level.

Make Time for Reading and Math Practice

Educators have emphasized the importance of cultivating reading and numeracy skills from an early age. Setting aside time daily for reading, building understanding, and working with numbers (numeracy), vocabulary, reading comprehension, and overall skill practice and development. If you model this habit, your child is more likely to make it part of their routine, helping them progress.

Support When Your Child Needs Extra Help

If your child shows difficulty in an area, encourage them to keep trying. If they need extra support, contact their teacher, who can recommend additional resources. You can have your child sign into their Clever account to see these options. The Clever link is also included here.

Additional resources, such as tutors and mentors, are available for families of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. Your child's teacher can help you access these services if necessary.

Working Together for Success

Through communication and partnering with your child's teacher, you will create a solid partnership to help close learning gaps and ensure growth in areas of need. Remember, some skills develop over time, so persistence and patience are key.

Ultimately, encouragement and recognition of their development will set them up for long-term success.

1. Focus on Two Big Goals:

• Academic Growth: Support your child’s improvement in schoolwork and assessments

• Self-Assessment: Teach your child to check their understanding and keep trying, even when it’s hard.

2. How You Can Help:

• Check-in Regularly:

  • Review your child’s grades and schoolwork and check updates from the teacher on SeeSaw or School Status Connect.

  • Ask your child how they think they are doing with their work.

• Ask Questions:

  • Ask your child to look at their work and think about what they’ve learned and celebrate their growth; talk about areas where they might need help.

• Encourage Communication with the Teacher:

  • Encourage your child to take responsibility by speaking with their teacher.

3. Understand What Your Child is Learning:

• Check the Learning Guides:

  • You can visit the Massachusetts Department of Education link to see what your child is learning at each grade level.

4. Make Time for Reading and Math:

• Set Daily Time for Practice:

  • Spend time each day reading and practicing math with your child. If you model this habit, your child is more likely to make it part of their routine, which will help them make progress.

5. What to Do if Your Child Needs Extra Help:

• Stay Positive: If your child struggles in a particular area, encourage them to keep trying.

• Talk to the Teacher: If your child needs extra help, talk to the teacher. Teachers can offer resources to help your child improve.

• Use Clever for Extra Resources:

  • Have your child log in to their Clever account to access helpful tools and programs. [Clever Link]

• Extra Help from the Tribe:

  • If your family is part of the Wampanoag Tribe, tutors and mentors are available to help.

6. Work Together for Success:

• Communicate with the Teacher: Working together, we can help your child improve.

• Be Patient: Some things take time, so stay patient and encourage perseverance.

Celebrate Growth: Recognize your child's effort and praise their hard work and progress.