Hello and welcome to my new students and their families! Are you ready for school to start? Are you excited...or a little worried? If you feel nervous about starting a new school year, you’re not alone. Everyone (including your teacher) has some anxiety about beginning a 9-month journey. You may be asking yourself questions like:
“What is my new teacher going to be like? Will she be nice?”
“What if I don’t know anyone in my class?”
“Will anyone want to be my friend?”
“Is the work going to be too hard for me?”
“What if I can’t keep track of everything in sixth grade?”
Don’t worry my friends! I am here to help you! We will work through all these questions and concerns. You will learn things a little at a time. No one will expect you to have everything figured out on the first day. For now, I’d like you to think about my five tips for a great school year.
Tip 1: Think of this year as a fresh start. One great thing about school is the opportunity to start each year with a relatively clean slate. Take advantage of that. Embrace it. If there were problems in the past, brainstorm on specific strategies to keep it from happening this year. A common problem, for instance, is procrastinating on homework: What would be a better routine this year?
Tip 2: Take care of YOU. Getting enough sleep tops this list. Did you know sixth grade students need 9 to 11 hours of sleep a night? The other top priority is good nutrition. Please come to school having had a good breakfast. Whether you eat breakfast at home or at school, make sure you get something in your system to tell your brain, “Hey! Wake up!” Other important ways to care for yourself daily include drinking lots of water, taking a shower, washing your hair, brushing and flossing your teeth, and getting some fresh air and exercise. When you feel good physically you’ll be happier at school, and learning will be easier.
Tip 3: Get organized. If this isn’t your strong point, don’t worry. We’ll have strategies and tools for you at school to help you get started, but it will be up to you to keep it going. Staying organized is all about developing good habits. Scheduling time for homework, putting things in their place, checking Gradebook regularly, and being on time to school are some examples of good organizational habits. One of my top goals as your teacher this year is to help you learn to be organized. You’ll be ready for junior high if you can adopt some great organizational habits.
Tip 4: Be kind. Treat others as you want to be treated. Say hello. Smile. Be the person in our class that everyone wants to be around simply because you are nice. Mark Twain said, “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” Think about what that means.
Tip 5: Try your best. Not everyone can get all A’s, so it is important to give it your all. As long as that’s your best, then you are giving it all you’ve got. Trying your best has a lot to do with having a good attitude. When you go into a situation with a positive outlook, doing your best is much easier.
So now you know my five tips for a great school year. What has worked for you?
Together, we will have a fantastic year!
-Mrs. Staley
“What is my new teacher going to be like? Will she be nice?”
“What if I don’t know anyone in my class?”
“Will anyone want to be my friend?”
“Is the work going to be too hard for me?”
“What if I can’t keep track of everything in sixth grade?”
Don’t worry my friends! I am here to help you! We will work through all these questions and concerns. You will learn things a little at a time. No one will expect you to have everything figured out on the first day. For now, I’d like you to think about my five tips for a great school year.
Tip 1: Think of this year as a fresh start. One great thing about school is the opportunity to start each year with a relatively clean slate. Take advantage of that. Embrace it. If there were problems in the past, brainstorm on specific strategies to keep it from happening this year. A common problem, for instance, is procrastinating on homework: What would be a better routine this year?
Tip 2: Take care of YOU. Getting enough sleep tops this list. Did you know sixth grade students need 9 to 11 hours of sleep a night? The other top priority is good nutrition. Please come to school having had a good breakfast. Whether you eat breakfast at home or at school, make sure you get something in your system to tell your brain, “Hey! Wake up!” Other important ways to care for yourself daily include drinking lots of water, taking a shower, washing your hair, brushing and flossing your teeth, and getting some fresh air and exercise. When you feel good physically you’ll be happier at school, and learning will be easier.
Tip 3: Get organized. If this isn’t your strong point, don’t worry. We’ll have strategies and tools for you at school to help you get started, but it will be up to you to keep it going. Staying organized is all about developing good habits. Scheduling time for homework, putting things in their place, checking Gradebook regularly, and being on time to school are some examples of good organizational habits. One of my top goals as your teacher this year is to help you learn to be organized. You’ll be ready for junior high if you can adopt some great organizational habits.
Tip 4: Be kind. Treat others as you want to be treated. Say hello. Smile. Be the person in our class that everyone wants to be around simply because you are nice. Mark Twain said, “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” Think about what that means.
Tip 5: Try your best. Not everyone can get all A’s, so it is important to give it your all. As long as that’s your best, then you are giving it all you’ve got. Trying your best has a lot to do with having a good attitude. When you go into a situation with a positive outlook, doing your best is much easier.
So now you know my five tips for a great school year. What has worked for you?
Together, we will have a fantastic year!
-Mrs. Staley
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