Webster County High School

On Wednesday, April 13th WCHS 7th, 8th, and 11th grade students will be completing their State Assessments. All 9th, 10th, and 12th grade students are to stay home on Wednesday the 13th. They will have work from their teachers on their iPads that will need to be completed when they return on Thursday the 14th.

Discuss the pitfalls of plagiarism with your teen Plagiarism is copying information or original ideas directly from another source without giving credit. Explain to your student that copying word for word is cheating. So is passing off someone else's ideas off as your own. Both can result in a failing grade. Students should read the information in their sources and restate it their own words. If your teen wants to discuss someone else's idea or quote a sentence word for word, it is necessary to give credit to the author. https://tpitip.com/?32dK18889

Encourage your teen to put opinions into writing Does your teen hold strong opinions on local, national or world issues? Encourage your student to see an opinion as an opportunity to take action on something that matters. Start by asking questions to help clarify your teen's thinking: Why is this important to you? What would you like to see happen? What could you do to change the situation? Then encourage your student to put these ideas into a persuasive letter to a school or public official. https://tpitip.com/?32dJ18889

Make the transition from helper to coach In the middle and high school years, parent involvement changes. But your engagement with your teen's education is still vital! In these years, be a coach for your teen: Talk together about classes and schoolwork. Help your student build time management and study skills. Help your teen plan for the future and select classes to prepare for it. Then regularly verify that your teen is on track to graduate. https://tpitip.com/?32dI18889

Volunteering empowers teens and strengthens communities Volunteering in the community can teach your teen responsibility, and build awareness of the needs of others. Student volunteers develop self-confidence and the knowledge that they can make a difference. Beyond that, volunteering can add depth to college or job applications. Help your teen discover what is lacking in your community and plan a way to contribute. With an idea in mind, your teen can search for organizations doing that work. Or perhaps enlist the aid of a local official or business to support the cause. https://tpitip.com/?32dH18889

For the best writing, your teen should plan for improvement Professional writers know that writing can almost always be improved in some way. If your teen has a paper to write, encourage getting an early start. This will give your student time to make several drafts. You can offer to read your student's work, but avoid general criticism. Instead, give specific, constructive comments, like "Perhaps you can add a sentence to clarify your point in the third paragraph." https://tpitip.com/?32dG18889

Campus visits give teens a feel for college Visiting college campuses can help students decide which schools are a good fit. Your teen should contact the admissions office as far ahead as possible to schedule a tour (space may be limited) or arrange a meeting with a faculty member in a department of interest. Encourage your teen to ask questions about freshman classes. Who teaches them? Where are they held? If a visit isn't possible, look for a virtual tour on the college website. https://tpitip.com/?32dF18889

Digital apps let teens learn on the go Is your teen glued to a phone or other digital device? Why not turn it into a learning tool? There are many free apps that can help your teen master English vocabulary and even study a foreign language. Your student may be able to use an app to replace a graphing calculator for math class. There are apps that help with time management skills, and students can even download and read the complete works of Shakespeare! https://tpitip.com/?32dD18889

Help your teen get a head start on math test success When students are preparing for a math exam, reviewing past quizzes and assignments is a helpful strategy. Several days before the exam, encourage your teen to look over corrected homework and tests. What kinds of questions does your teen tend to miss? Have your student rework the problems in those areas. If they are still a struggle, your teen will have time to ask the teacher for help before the test. https://tpitip.com/?32dB18889

Help give schoolwork real world meaning Students are more interested in schoolwork when they can see a link between it and the real world. Point out these connections. If your teen is studying government, for example, you could look at your tax return together and discuss ways taxes affect your family. If the subject is a novel or play, ask what your teen would do if faced with a problem or decision similar to the main character's. https://tpitip.com/?32dA18889

There will be a 2 hour early dismissal for students tomorrow, April 1, 2022 due to planned Faculty Senate meetings in the schools. There is be no school for students on Monday, April 4, 2022 due to a planned Professional Learning Day for all staff.

Teenage binge drinking is common and dangerous Research shows that about 14 percent of kids aged 12-20 engage in binge drinking: having five or more alcoholic drinks in a row. Binge drinking is the most common form of drinking among high school students. Talk to your teen about its very real dangers: Teens who binge drink are three times more likely to develop alcohol-related disorders than those who don't. https://tpitip.com/?32ce18889

Reinforce personal responsibility one task at a time Students must honor their commitments to teachers, classmates and themselves in order to succeed in school. To help establish this habit, have your teen choose one task that's been on a personal to-do list for at least a week and do it today. Encourage your teen to do this every day. To reinforce the idea, set a great example and do the same thing yourself. https://tpitip.com/?32cd18889

Bring out your teen's inner desire to learn Some students are motivated to learn for external reasons, like earning a grade or other reward. But those who are motivated by an internal love of learning will keep learning and growing all their lives. To foster internal motivation, praise your teen for progress and knowledge of the material, rather than grades. Help your student set realistically high goals. Then say you believe your teen can overcome challenges to achieve them. https://tpitip.com/?32cc18889

To encourage responsibility, make it routine Routines are terrific tools for building responsibility. They provide a framework for trying out new skills, and help students feel capable. Show your teen the steps needed for a task, like doing laundry or cooking a meal. Do it together a few times, then assign it to your teen as a regular responsibility. Don't insist that a task be done exactly as you do it, though. Instead, let your teen make choices and learn from the results. https://tpitip.com/?32cb18889

Address behavior that puts your teen's education at risk Students who misbehave often in school risk being suspended. If you think misbehavior puts your teen at risk of disciplinary action, help prevent it. Talk together about situations that cause your teen to act out, and brainstorm ways to cope with them more positively. Make it clear that you expect your student to follow school rules. You may also want to meet with the school counselor or the teachers to ask for help and share relevant information about your teen. https://tpitip.com/?32ca18889

Jumpstart your teen's effort with a confidence boost Sometimes teens don't do their assignments because they lack confidence in their ability to do them. You can help your teen by staying positive. Instead of accusing your student of procrastination, say something like, "Writing can be hard, but I know you can do it. Why don't you tell me what you'd like to say?" Point out the hard things your teen has accomplished before, and be sure to notice and praise progress. https://tpitip.com/?32cZ18889

Setting goals helps turn dreams into reality Middle and high school students are too young to have their paths set in stone. But they are at a great age to begin thinking about their futures. Encourage your teen to write down some goals. What would your student like to be doing in one year, in three years and in 10 years? Then, have your teen choose the top three goals and make some plans for how to achieve them. https://tpitip.com/?32cY18889

Point to the science in your teen's favorite things Does your teen think science is boring? Spark some interest in it by pointing out favorite things that your teen owes to science, like microwave popcorn, streaming videos and that quick-dry soccer shirt. You might also take a family trip to a science museum, or ask your vet if your teen can observe when your pet gets a checkup. You can also look for TV shows or online videos about intriguing science, and watch one together this week. https://tpitip.com/?32cX18889

Connecting with teens takes time Sometimes daily life gets so busy that parents can forget their adolescents are struggling with many complex issues. To reconnect with your teen, look for ways to spend more time interacting: Prepare a meal or watch and discuss a movie together. Offer to help your teen with a school project. (Don't assume your help isn't welcome because your student doesn't ask.) When possible, be your teen's biggest fan at school games, performances and events. https://tpitip.com/?32cW18889