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Health & Fitness

Starting the School Year on a Positive Note

Students certainly celebrate milestones and successes throughout the school year, but for many students, these first few days are particularly important. Returning to school, ready to learn and with a positive outlook can really set the tone for the remainder of the year for all types of students.

One of the best ways to help children start the year on a positive note starts at home – with parents sharing their love of learning. Parents play a vital role in how students approach school and learning, as children typically take cues from their parents. If children see how seriously you regard their education and how excited you are about new learning opportunities they too are likely to have the same level of excitement.   At Michigan Connections Academy, teachers then reinforce this attitude by bringing their enthusiasm and intellectual curiosity to the virtual classroom.

I also encourage parents to remain active in their children’s education. At a full-time virtual school such as ours, students learn from home with a parent or other adult Learning Coach – so involvement is expected.  Parents connect with teachers, monitor academic progress in the home, participate in field trip planning, etc. In short, we want our parents to become partners in the learning process – with plenty of support from the Michigan Connections Academy staff and a tight-knit community of fellow parents. But even if your child goes to a traditional school, making regular contact with teachers, volunteering in the classroom, going on field trips, goes a long way towards supporting your student.

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Starting and keeping an open dialogue with your children about their school work, their teachers, their fellow students, and other school-related issues is another approach to making sure they get off on the right foot at the beginning of the year. Don’t limit conversations about school to the breakfast or dinner table. Set aside some time each day or every other day to talk about their experiences at school and really dig deep with questions that won’t allow them to respond with a simple “yes” or “no.” 

Whether you have a student who attends school with traditional in-class instruction, online instruction, or both, setting the tone for success should be a priority. Have confidence in yourself and your child. Learning new things and meeting different people – even online – is always exciting, which means more than half the battle is already won. Build off of that initial adrenaline rush and you’ll have a child who can’t wait to take advantage of the wonderful experiences awaiting him or her.     

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