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.
🚩 Red Flags At School
"Don't you mess around with me"Heartbreaker by Pat Benatar 😵💫 Confused how to apply to elementary schools? Come to the School Talk Workshop Hey Reader! Most of you are settled into the new school year- so you may be seeing some issues starting. Take it from me, a former teacher, you want to jump on these things now... 🚩 Low Test Scores: If test scores and school performance suddenly drop- reach out. Your child may have had summer learning loss and need support to relearn last year's content. You want to jump on any gaps early so your child won't fall behind. It's also possible the teacher is judging your child against end of year goals....annoying, but also a relief. This means they are supposed to score low at the beginning of the year. 🚩 Their Confidence has Taken a Hit: Is your baby suddenly complaining that they aren't smart, not good at reading, or they have no friends? Reach out to their teacher ASAP with concerns. Sometimes it takes a little collaboration behind the scenes. Explain your baby needs a win, and ask their teacher to give your kiddo a confidence boost. Then- follow up the next week with your observations...and if needed the week after that. 🚩 Unusual Punishments: Scratching your head as to why your child got in trouble? Reach out! Simply let the teacher know you heard the child go in trouble but you're missing part of the story OR you're unsure of discipline policies. As a former teacher I'll let you in on a secret- I was far less lenient at the beginning of the year. If I gave a warning and the child continued, I always followed through with discipline. By being strict in September, I was investing in the entire school year. Kids (and people in general!) are always looking for ways to bend rules...but September was not the time! Need Help Problem Solving?
What's New?🍎 Next Week!: Will I see you at the next Kindergarten School Talk workshop? It's application season- come learn about great options in Charlotte and how to navigate the confusing process. 👟 On the run: Im training to run 10k on my birthday (Oct 3). I ran 10k in 2017, but haven't gone that far since. I've cracked 4.5 miles, and am trying to root myself on to make the full 6.2. I exclusively run outdoors. Any tips appreciated! I enjoy running, but it's intimidating. 🎥 New Vid: I dropped my newest Banned Book Video- this one discusses a scary supreme court case that could have schools purging books from their libraries. Watch and comment with the red crayon 🖍️ so I know you were there! Things I Love🧇 Cozy for Fall: I bought this cute waffle knit hoodie. It's cozy, it's oversized, and cute (order TTS or size down). Best part? It's under $20 🚩 Clean your dirty water bottles: When's the last time your stainless steel water bottle had a good cleaning? Is it stained from drinking ice tea (*cough instead of water)?? Owala makes these great cleaning tablets that sanitize and remove stains from their drinks. Trust me, you need this. Take care of yourself! |
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.
"Your secrets are safe with meI will keep your secretsJust think of me as the pages in your diary" Diary by Alicia Keys Hi Reader! Writing is the hardest subject to teach, and very often children only write when they have to. How can they explore this art and beautiful self expression, if they are chained to the writing process and bibliographies? That why you should start journaling as family. The benefits of journaling together? 1) your child can practice writing in a pressure free...
"Will you call when you're back at school?" August by Taylor Swift ‼️ 2 tickets left- Come hang this Thursday at the 6:15 pm School Talk Workshop Hello Reader, This is the season of signing up... New clubs, sports team, after school playdates, new friend's birthday parties all at the same time while you adjust to a new schedule, restart the homework routine, and get your kiddo used to the new school year. This is a season of over commitments and saying yes...but this year, I encourage you to...
"It's late September and I should really be back at school" Maggie May by Rod Stewart 🍎 Come hang this Thursday at the 10am School Talk Workshop Hello Reader, It's back to school time, which can bring up a lot of questions. I got an email the other day asking this: "My child starts school for the first time next week. Should I send the teacher a gift? I'm not sure what other people do and I want the teacher to like us." Fill out the poll at the bottom of this email with your opinion...here's...