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Primary Focus Newsletter

πŸ–οΈ The Parent's Guide to Elementary School

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.

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Subtle hints parents usually miss

"It'll be fine by dusk light, I'm telling you baby" Something in the Orange by Zach Bryan It's been a while Reader, This is my first newsletter of 2024, and I'm so happy you're here! There are endless things to keep us busy in this life, and it means a lot you've given a little of your time to Primary Focus. What their teacher is trying to tell you... 🚨 Midyear testing is happening and you are about to get a ton of data about your child. I urge you to listen closely to warnings. It's a lot...

4 months agoΒ β€’Β 2 min read

"And if at first you don't succeed,Then dust yourself off and try again" Try Again by Aaliyah Hello Reader! πŸ’• Wishing all my subscribers a very happy, belated Mother's Day! πŸ’• I had an interesting conversation with a parent the other day. Their first grader was doing well in school all year, no signs for concern. Two weeks ago, they took their NWEA/ MAPs test and BOMBED IT. Now the parents are stressed. Is there child actually ready for second grade? How can an average student perform so...

4 days agoΒ β€’Β 2 min read

"We clean up and now it's time to learn" We're Going to be Friends by The White Stripes (such a cute song for new students) Hey Reader! πŸ‘‹ Welcome to my 7 new subscribers! Have you told a friend about this newsletter yet? Tell them to sign up here. I've been doing a livestream on the Peanut App for a little over a month now. One question keeps popping up during my Q&A with a teacher... Do kids still nap in kindergarten? Sorry to say...no, no they don't. Kindergarten is much more rigorous than...

11 days agoΒ β€’Β 1 min read

"I'm a movement by myself, but I'm a force when we're together...I'm good by all by myself, but you make me better" Make Me Better by Fabolous ft. Ne-Yo Hi Reader! πŸ‘‹ Welcome to my 15 new subscribers! Have you told a friend about this newsletter yet? Tell them to sign up here. πŸ•΅οΈβ™‚οΈ Some children are so good at avoiding homework, they could be secret agents. There's one technique that could change their tune about this... Have you tried coworking with them? I'm serious- during your next...

24 days agoΒ β€’Β 2 min read

"Cause I don't want to argue, but I don't want to bite" We Can't be Friends by Ariana Grande What do you think about homework Reader? Homework has always been a controversial topic. Some camps want to pile on as much as possible. Other camps think it is unfair and should be banned completely. The fact is, the amount of homework your child has will vary greatly by the school, and even down to the teacher your child has. But when it comes to homework policies, it feels like parents get left out...

about 1 month agoΒ β€’Β 2 min read

"People are just people, they shouldn't make you nervous." Ghost of Corporate Future by Regina Spektor Hey Reader, Every time I feel anxious around another person, I think of the song quoted today: People are just people, they shouldn't make you nervous. Most of us are just coming and going; living our lives. Of course there are bad people, but not nearly as many as our brains try to tell us. This is exactly why multicultural education is so important. It helps us understand that people are...

2 months agoΒ β€’Β 2 min read

Hey Reader, Recently, I've had a few consultation calls with parents of rising kindergartners. I've been asked this question by them and followers so many times I had to address it. Let's talk about summer babies... Kids born in the summer and early fall end up in a funny predicament. Based on school cut off dates, they will either be the youngest or eldest in their class. This is a huge decision parents must make. The difference between a five and six year old is enormous. And when you're...

3 months agoΒ β€’Β 2 min read

"You've got me feeling emotionsdeeper than I've ever dreamed of" Emotions by Mariah Carey What's up Reader? Thanks for opening up my newsletter today! I'm glad you're here 😊 When reading fiction with your child there's one reading comprehension question you should always be asking. How is the character feeling right now? Why? Vocabulary Builder: Humans can experience over 34,000 different emotions (no wonder therapy is so popular!) which means there are endless new words they can learn....

3 months agoΒ β€’Β 1 min read

"When I'm hurting baby, I ain't happy baby" Burn by Usher Hi Reader, Have you ever had that feeling in your gut...like something is wrong? Maybe it's happened with your child. You have concerns with their learning, or a teacher's advice doesn't seem to fit what you needed. That's why I started Primary Focus. Often when parents and teachers are talking, the full story isn't shared. There isn't enough time to truly talk, or maybe one person is holding back. When I was teaching, there were a lot...

3 months agoΒ β€’Β 1 min read

"I can't always be waiting, waiting on you, I can't always be playing, playing your fool" Sitting, Waiting, Wishing by Jack Johnson Hey Reader, When I was teaching, one of the top complaints I would hear from parents was that their child would not cooperate during homework time. Raise your hand if that sounds familiar... One of the advantages a teacher has, is that they are in charge of a whole class of kids. No matter how much kids beg for it, they know their teacher has limited time to work...

3 months agoΒ β€’Β 1 min read
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