3 Tips for Keeping Your Locker Clean

In a student survey, 40% of middle school students said that they “sometimes” or “always” struggle with keeping their locker clean and organized. Here are some of the best tips from teachers and students to help students make sure they’re using their space efficiently.

Getting Organized for Midterm Exams (Checklist)

(Reminder: We have past blog posts about how to study for and take a test/exam!)

This week, the midterm exam schedule will be sent home in Friday folders. In addition, in the coming weeks, most of the content area teachers will be distributing study guides and other resources to begin preparing for January’s tests.

On one hand, there’s no one “right” answer regarding how students should organize themselves for exams. However, there are commonly-used strategies that work for most students, which are listed below.

Students: Feel free to print this checklist and go through all the steps!

How to Use the School Planner Effectively

Writing down homework in the provided planner every day is more than just a school rule - it’s an organizational tool that many students could probably use more regularly... or more efficiently.

In a student survey, 51% of seventh and eighth graders admitted that they “always or sometimes” need help with using their planners better, and we teachers are finding that not everyone fully uses this resource well. (This skill is a great organizational habit to build before high school as well!)

Below are several tips for students to try daily, as well as some weekly or situational strategies. We ask that parents encourage their students to find the combination of strategies that works best for them!

Tips for Organizing Binders, Folders, and Papers

Does your child sometimes (or always) lose papers? Does she seem to have an exploding binder, or a folder with contents in disarray? Does he hesitate about where to put a piece of paper, or need to re-organize more often?

In a survey taken during the 2015-16 school year, 58% of students said that they “sometimes or always” struggle with organization. Therefore, we teachers surveyed our students to get advice about what works best for them. Our hope is that both students and parents will gain some valuable ideas from this list.

Ultimately, every student learns differently, and we fully accept that students need to build an organizational system that works for them. Each student may also adjust his or her methods over time, which is normal. But if organization skills are a challenge for your child, encourage him or her to browse these ideas and pick a few to try!

FAQs: Understanding Friday Folders, Signatures, and Corrections

The familiar Friday folder is a tool that St. Brigid students have used for years; it’s the best way for a parent to know how his or her child is doing academically. However, sometimes questions arise in the middle school about how to best respond to the paperwork that comes home.

Top 6 Edmodo Tips for Parents

If you and your child are wondering what’s for homework, when a project is due, or where to find a document, Edmodo is the first place to check!

In this short video, Mr. Mazon explains:

• The two ways that a parent can log in to Edmodo (and which one is better)
• How to view the assignments for each class
• How to ask fellow students a question on the (public) class wall
• How to find Folders (in case your child lost his/her paper or was absent)
• How to find, view, and use the Calendar (to find due dates for homework)
• How to sign up for email notifications (as a parent or student)

Tips for Pacing (and Finishing) AR Books

Do you (or your child) have trouble meeting a point goal or finishing books in a timely manner?

Check out this 7-minute video from Mrs. Hardin and Ms. Chiavacci about using a pacing bookmark to help optimize your reading. It also contains helpful guidelines about how many fiction and non-fiction books should be read per month or per quarter...

Studying & Test-Taking Skills: Tips to Prepare for a Test (or Exam)

If you (or your child) could use assistance with study skills, preparing for a test, or even test-taking strategies, check out the two videos below.

Though these videos are primarily for students, parents are welcome to view them for ideas as well.

#1: Study Skills
Start with this 11-minute video by Mr. Mazon. It has tips that apply to ANY academic test or quiz, but are particularly timely for midterm and final exams.