Middle School??


"As we go on, we remember
All the times we had together
And as our lives change, come whatever
We will still be friends forever"

Graduation by Vitamin C (sorry for putting this song ack in your head!)

Hi Reader,

Congratulations to all my subscribers with rising middle schoolers! This is a big life transition for your child, and a huge milestone for you as well. Don't worry, as far as I'm concerned, they'll always be your baby.

Whether your child is starting middle school now, or in a few years. Here are some things to consider:

๐Ÿ– Keep up routines: One huge shift from elementary to middle school is the amount of communication parents receive. Their teachers will default to sharing with your child instead of you. Unfortunately, 11 year olds are not the best messengers. One way you can combat this is to keep up your after school backpack routine. Every day ask your child to out important papers in the same place so you can review them. Maybe even practice keeping a calendar together this summer so it feels natural.

๐Ÿ–๏ธ Responsibility: This is a great time to instill more responsibility in your child. Consider more tasks your child can take on.

๐Ÿ–๏ธ Listen to them: Your child will start having more complicated feelings, particularly as they make new friendships. When they were younger, you could often find a solution to everything. Now your child needs someone who can listen to them. Focus on being a person your child can safely share with, and wait a moment before offering advice.

โ€‹

What's New?

๐Ÿ–๏ธ Idaho: I just returned from Boise, Idaho where I attended the Craft + Commerce Conference. This conference is hosted by ConvertKit (the provider I use for this email). It was amazing to meet creators and business owners from all over. I'll be back next year!

Things I Love- tv edition

๐Ÿ“บ girl power: On the plane, I watched Survival of the Thickest on Netflix. It's such a funny, empowering show. I loved all the characters and the message.

๐Ÿฟ rom com: Another movie I watched during my travels was Long Shot. This is a grown up Seth Rogan movie. In an interview I heard him say this was one of his most underrated movies and favorite to make. I have to agree, it had a great plot line and married a rom com with his humor.

๐Ÿ’• Have a wonderful week

Primary Focus Newsletter

Learn about the latest news in education and tips to help your kids thrive in elementary school. Delivered to your inbox every Tuesday. Primary Focus was founded by Natalie Parmenter, a former kindergarten teacher to guide parents through elementary school. We provide information that is often common knowledge to teachers but is not widely known among parents. Primary Focus is dedicated to enlightening parents on all things elementary school so their children can thrive.

Read more from Primary Focus Newsletter

"There's always gonna be another mountainI'm always gonna wanna make it move" The Climb by Miley Cyrus Hi Reader, I am a real sucker for Christmas books during the holiday season. Ever since I was a kid, I gobbled up every book I could find that described a family warming up by the fire. I've put together a list for readers of all ages to enjoy. A Personal Fav: "The Night Before Christmas" is a poem that's pivotal to describing American Christmas traditions and beliefs around Santa Clause. If...

A picture of Natalie's desk with a hand drawn picture of a slice of pie, overhead camera, and cat napping on the couch in the background

"There's always gonna be another mountainI'm always gonna wanna make it move" The Climb by Miley Cyrus Hi Reader, Yesterday I was tutoring one of my fourth grade students, when she started to cry. To me it came out of nowhere, but to her it came from deep frustration. You see, we'd just had a HUGE win. Each week we start tutoring with 4 minutes of free writing time. She was really excited to write, so I quietly stopped the clock and she doubled her writing time to 8 minutes! She excitedly...

Natalie and her husband Mike posing behind large cutouts of gingerbread men

"The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh through the white and drifted snow" Over the River and Through the Woods by Lydia Maria Child (Yes- this is a Thanksgiving song!) Hi Reader, This Thanksgiving I'm feeling especially thankful for YOU. Thank you for being a part of the Primary Focus community! Some of you I've met through workshops, calls, conferences, coursework, and social media. Others I haven't met (yet!) but your interest and support means so much. Something Special for Your...