THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 2010

6:15 – 6:45 PARENTS SOCIAL, PAWS SIGN-UPS

6:55 – 7:25 GENERAL PARENTS MEETING• PAWS – Carol Swayze• If I Had 10-15 Minutes to Highlight 5 Things – Bo Adams• Annual and Capital Giving – Henry Grady

7:30 GRADE-LEVEL MEETINGS WITH GRADE CHAIRS, DEANS, PAWS REPS, HEALTH

TEACHERS, OTHERS

WestminsterJunior High Parents Night

If I Had 10-15 Minutes To Highlight 5 Things…

How I Began the Year with the StudentsJunior High GoalsSAIS-SACS Self-Study and Visiting TeamAnComm – Talk About ItOpportunities for More Conversation

BONUS: ABCs of Supporting Your JH Student

““And Jesus And Jesus grewgrew in in wisdomwisdom and and staturestature, and in , and in favorfavor with God with God and man.” and man.” Luke 2:52Luke 2:52

What YOU can do with What YOU can do with PRACTICEPRACTICE

Daniel Pink, A Whole New Mind

“Just because some people can do

something with little or no training, …doesn’t

mean that others can’t do it (and

sometimes do it better) with training.”

– Carol Dweck, Mindset, p. 70

Differences in Fixed vs. Growth Differences in Fixed vs. Growth MindsetMindset

FIXED MINDSETFIXED MINDSET►““Born with what ya Born with what ya

got”got”►Assumes that Assumes that

“smart” or “talent” “smart” or “talent” is a givenis a given

►Labels people as Labels people as one thing or one thing or anotheranother

►Fears failure and Fears failure and avoids riskavoids risk

GROWTH GROWTH MINDSETMINDSET

►Brain is like a Brain is like a muscle that can muscle that can get strongerget stronger

►Assumes that Assumes that “smart” or “smart” or “talent” is “talent” is learnablelearnable

►Understands that Understands that people can growpeople can grow

►Accepts failure as Accepts failure as a tool for learninga tool for learning

How To Promote a Growth MindsetHow To Promote a Growth Mindset

What Parents/Teachers PRAISE are keys!What Parents/Teachers PRAISE are keys!► Praise Praise specificspecific, , good effortsgood efforts

Avoid praise that “judges [students’] Avoid praise that “judges [students’] intelligence or talent…. Praise them as much intelligence or talent…. Praise them as much as we want for the growth-oriented process – what as we want for the growth-oriented process – what they accomplished through practice, study, they accomplished through practice, study, persistence, and good strategies.” (p. 177)persistence, and good strategies.” (p. 177)

► Promote Promote concrete strategiesconcrete strategies► Provide Provide perspective about failuresperspective about failures - Carol Dweck, - Carol Dweck, MindsetMindset

““Praise should deal, not with the child’s personality Praise should deal, not with the child’s personality attributes, but with his efforts and achievements.” –attributes, but with his efforts and achievements.” –

Haim GinottHaim Ginott

Bibliography [for Mindset Bibliography [for Mindset section]section]Dweck, Carol. Dweck, Carol. Mindset: The New Psychology of SuccessMindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York: . New York:

Ballantine Books Trade Paperback Edition, 2008.Ballantine Books Trade Paperback Edition, 2008.

Howard, Jeff. Notes from Harvard School of Education, Principals Center, Howard, Jeff. Notes from Harvard School of Education, Principals Center, November 2004.November 2004.

Marshall, Martin. “Using a Discipline System to Promote Learning.” Marshall, Martin. “Using a Discipline System to Promote Learning.” Phi Delta Phi Delta KappanKappan, March 2004., March 2004.

Pink, Daniel. Pink, Daniel. A Whole New MindA Whole New Mind. New York: Penguin Group Inc., 2006.. New York: Penguin Group Inc., 2006.

Pink, Daniel. “What Kind of Genius Are You?” Pink, Daniel. “What Kind of Genius Are You?” WiredWired, July 2006. , July 2006. http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.07/genius.htmlhttp://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.07/genius.html

http://montaraventures.com/blog/wp-content/2009/07/http://montaraventures.com/blog/wp-content/2009/07/tiger_woods_swing.jpg Screen clipping taken: 8/18/2009, 3:16 PMtiger_woods_swing.jpg Screen clipping taken: 8/18/2009, 3:16 PM

http://willblogforfood.typepad.com/will_blog_for_food/images/yoyoma.jpg http://willblogforfood.typepad.com/will_blog_for_food/images/yoyoma.jpg Screen clipping taken: 8/18/2009, 3:19 PMScreen clipping taken: 8/18/2009, 3:19 PM

http://www.ibo.org/img/imagebank/IBSep07ChangingFace.jpg (Howard http://www.ibo.org/img/imagebank/IBSep07ChangingFace.jpg (Howard Gardner) Screen clipping taken: 8/18/2009, 3:20 PMGardner) Screen clipping taken: 8/18/2009, 3:20 PM

https://mtsd-ls6.wikispaces.com/file/view/mia_hamm_001.jpg Screen https://mtsd-ls6.wikispaces.com/file/view/mia_hamm_001.jpg Screen clipping taken: 8/18/2009, 3:21 PMclipping taken: 8/18/2009, 3:21 PM

http://thethingsilikeaboutme265.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/maya-http://thethingsilikeaboutme265.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/maya-angelou.jpg Screen clipping taken: 8/18/2009, 3:23 PMangelou.jpg Screen clipping taken: 8/18/2009, 3:23 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U10IWU_XDPk (Oklahoma Basketball http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U10IWU_XDPk (Oklahoma Basketball Halftime Show, February 27, 2007)Halftime Show, February 27, 2007)

Westminster is a Christian, independent day school for boys and girls, which seeks to develop the whole person for college and for life through excellent education.

What is a PLC? A Professional Learning Community

“A professional learning community is a group of educators committed to working collaboratively in ongoing processes of collective inquiry and action research in order to achieve better results for the students they serve. PLCs operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous, job-embedded learning for educators.” – Rick and Becky DuFour

LEARNING1. What do students need to

learn?2. How will we know if/when

students have learned?3. What will we do if students

already know “it”?4. What will we do if students do

not learn “it”?

COLLABORATIONRESULTS

SAIS-SACS Self-Study and Visit21st Century

Student Learning and Life

SustainabilityFaculty

DevelopmentMarketing and

Communications

October 24, 25, 26

Opportunities for More Conversation

Announcements…Now find the announcements behind the “Wildcat Web” portal (http://www.westminster.net/wildcat_web/index.asp); Mr. Adams also posts letters and parents meeting resources here.

Being Present - Volunteering PAWS, George Woodruff Library, JH Service

Conferences w/ Grade Chairs, Communication w/ teachers, Class Rotation on Tuesday, Sept. 7

Dialogue…“Parleys with the Principal” (11:30-1:00 Warren) 6th Grade (Wed., 9/29) – Learning More about Life in the Junior High All JH (Wed., 1/12) – Adjusting to Adolescence & Digital Kids All JH (Wed., 4/13) – TBA

Evening/(Parent) Education…8th Grade Freedom from Chemical Dependency (FCD) (4/20 @ 7:00 p.m.)

ABCs of Supporting Your JH Student

Activate Learning Readiness

Believe in Process/Be Positive

Communicate

Activate Learning Readiness

“FOOD IS FUEL…SLEEP IS MAINTENANCE!” These students have full and busy days, developing their brains, their bodies, and their hearts…adequate sleep (8-9+ hours) and healthy calories are a must.

BEGIN DAY CALM, RELAXED, WITH A PLAN!Avoiding feelings of being rushed, late, and unsure of what the day holds…feeling peaceful and prepared.

EMPHASIZE EFFORT!Try to refrain from emphases on grades, final outcomes, products… “Emphasizing effort gives a child a variable that they can control.” [Carol Dweck – research on learning]

SUPPORT STRONG STUDY HABITS!Office hours, at-home study routine and environment, etc.

Believe in Process/Be Positive

As much as possible, stress process over product. Both are important, but only one is truly enduring.

Small, safe doses of “FREEDOM” are a part of JH. Learning to make choices, facing problems, understanding life’s ups and downs, and dealing with consequences are INVALUABLE LESSONS…Believe in the process of developing responsibility for your children.

PRAISE AUTHENTICALLY & SPECIFICALLY for success and good lessons learned from unsuccessful attempts.

Talk positively about adolescence, school, and emerging life as an adult…we want children to look forward to and to be hopeful about adulthood.

Support teachers and coaches.

Communicate

As much as possible, eat together as a family – mealtime conversation is strongly correlated with “good kids.”

As JH students mature, listening is a critical component of communicating with them. Consider negotiation and compromise.

Help your child set realistic, “stretch-attainable” goals…ENCOURAGE

Attend conferences, call, send e-mails, and write notes – let us know and remember we are partners (please understand “delays” in getting back to you)

We can address concerns most effectively if you talk with US instead of questioning the carpool or calling other parents (sometimes things get lost in translation!)

MYTH: Voicing concerns causes retributionFACT: Feedback, positive and negative, helps us improve

BREAKOUT LOCATIONS

• 6th Grade – MPR (STAY HERE!)

• 7th Grade – KELLETT THEATRE, BROYLES

• 8th Grade – GWL