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Now that school is underway, it wont be long before parents start to thinkand worryabout the arrival of the first report card. While report cards can be stressful for parents and students alike, Nicole Sutton, Education Director of Oxford Learning Oakville South says that parents can eliminate the stress of waiting for report cards by contacting the classroom teacher on a regular basis. Parents dont have to wait for the report card to find out how their child is doing in school, said Sutton. In an ideal world, report cards should be a formal documentation of grades, not the first time that parents find out how their child is doing. Changing report card schedules, complicated terminology, and formal language add to the stress of report cards. Its not uncommon for parents to bring in their childs report cards to ask us to help them make sense of what the report card is really telling them. It can be a very stressful expe- rience, says Sutton. Sutton also says that by communi- cating regularly with teachers, par- ents can become much more a part of the feedback cycle, reduce report card-related stress, and avoid being surprised by poor marks on the report card, which she cautions is the biggest concern of waiting for report cards for academic updates. Often, report cards arent sent home until quite late in the school year, making it more challenging to get students back on track. The best advice is to not wait until the report card comes home to learn that your child may be struggling, says Sutton. There is plenty that parents can do daily to stay on top of their childs academic progress. She offers these five tips to help parents get involved in their chil- drens education. 1. Take five minutes to communi- cate with the teacher every week, via phone, email, or in person to ask how your child is doing in math/ reading/ spelling/listening, etc. 2. Review past report cards. Issues from last year are likely to re-appear, so review previous report cards, and watch out for trouble reoccurring. 3. Follow up when a test is returned to your child. How did it go? Were the results what you were expecting? 4. Go online. The Internet is a wonderful tool to keep informed. If your childs class has a web page, log on and get involved. 5. Dont wait. If there are any issues, seek help as soon as you learn of them, rather than waiting to discuss them after report cards come home. Sutton says parents dont need a report card to know how their child is doing in school staying involved every step of the way helps avoid report card stress, and gets school problems taken care of before they get out of hand. Contact an Oxford Learning repre- sentative for more information about making the rest of this school year count. Oakville North (905) 469- 1929, Oakville North East (905) 257- 1207 or Oakville South (905) 849- 4027. Three years ago Rotherglen School began a initiative called REACH (Rotherglen Educating for Advocacy and Creating Hope.) Its a student-led movement where stu- dents are empowered to make a difference in their world, are encouraged to inspire others to take action on child poverty and unite our school to reach out in local and international communities and invest in socially responsible living. Today this has become a thriving social movement, directed by the incredible energy of our students. The student leadership program, named REAL, Rotherglen Education in Active Leadership, provides action-based opportunities for our students to connect with each other and build a positive social school environment. All activities and discussions are child-centred and used to promote awareness, deeper discussions or to encour- age action. Grade Eight leaders also are educated in the challenges facing children in the global community and invited to reach out through research, fundraising and volunteerism in our local and global community. Centre Name 519.455.5555 Centre Address centre@oxfordlearning.com Pre-K to Grade 12 Reading Writing Math Grammar Study Skills Homework French 905-469-192 OAKVILLE SOU Maple Grove Village, 511 Ma 905-849-4027 OAKVILLE NORTH 380 Dundas St. visit us at www.rotherglen.com ROTHERGLEN SCHOOL From the youngest child in our Casa (Preschool) classroom to our oldest in Grade 8, small classes and individual attention means our students love coming to school. Rotherglen o ers a positive and friendly environment where students are excited about learning. Our programs inspire and promote intellectual curiosity, creativity and individual growth through the integration of academics, arts, athletics, community service and a variety of enrichment activities. Please contact us for a personal tour or to learn more about what Rotherglen can o er your child. Oakville Primary Campus Casa (age 3) to Grade 1 2045 Sixth Line Oakville, ON 905-338-3528 jsnyder@rotherglen.com Oakville Elementary Campus Casa (age 3) to Grade 8 2050 Neyagawa Boulevard Oakville, ON 905-849-1897 tdupreez@rotherglen.com what school should be OPEN HOUSE 4 B U V S E B Z 0 D U P C F S t B N U P Q N t 5 X P - P D B U J P O T * O 0 B L W J M M F w w w . o a kv ill eb ea ve r.c o m O A KV IL LE B EA V ER W e dn es da y, O ct ob er 2 0, 2 01 0 2 0 Regular school contact eliminates report card stress Student leadership program empowers students Rotherglens REACH program reaches out to international communities.