Brad Friesen - Counselor | Kim Lynch - Nurse

Brad Friesen

Test-Taking Tips for Elementary Students
Earhart Elementary will begin state testing on March 2nd. To help children prepare adequately for tests you can do several things to provide support and create a positive test-taking experience.

Tips to give your child about taking tests:

• Relax. Just do the best you can.
• Be aware of key words such as "all," "now," "always," "never," "only," "exactly."
• In multiple-choice questions, don’t skip the longest answer.
• Watch for negative words like "not," "no," "never."
• Look for information in some of the questions. This information may help you answer other questions.

You can assist your child prepare for testing by doing the following:

• Make sure your child gets a good night's sleep before a test, and make sure your child eats properly the day of a test.
• Maintain a pleasant home environment and avoid unnecessary conflicts. Try to make the morning of the test a pleasant one. Do not add to your child’s stress.
• Make sure your child has taken any needed medication.
• Ensure that your child is present during testing (children generally perform better when taking tests in their groups rather than at a make-up time).
• Get your child to school on time the day of the test.
• Wish your child good luck each morning of the test. Tell your child that he/she is special and that you believe in him/her!
• Remind your child the test is important. Encourage him/her to do his/her best.
• If your child is too ill to attend, please call the school office.
• Remind your child to listen carefully to the instructions from the teacher and to read the directions and each question carefully.
• Tell your child to attempt to answer all of the questions and not to leave any blank.
• Encourage your child to stay focused on the test, even if other students finish early.
• If your child is disappointed after taking a test, reassure him or her that there will be plenty of opportunities to improve and succeed.

Kim Lynch

Childhood obesity has been in the news lately with Michelle Obama’s recent campaign against childhood obesity. How did we become a nation where the number of obese children has tripled in the past 25 years? This had lead to a rise in Type 2 diabetes, usually found in adults. Children who are heavy are twice as likely to die
before they reach the age of 55. One Pediatric specialist said by the time an obese child reaches adolescence there is a 95% chance he or she will remain obese for life. Slimming down earlier greatly improves these odds.

We’ve have become so busy running from one place to another that we don’t have time for our children to play outside after school or eat meals made at home. We are eating meals on the run in our cars. Our children are
texting one another instead of running next door and talking face to face, or playing X-Box Live instead of
throwing the ball around the back yard. They are playing computer games with friends they’ve never met instead of friends in the neighborhood.

What as parents can we do to help our children have healthier, longer lives? We can teach them at an early age to make healthy choices. We can provide healthier snacks at home and at school. We can buy fresh produce instead of canned or frozen. We can eat less fried foods and more grilled or broiled foods. We
can serve less sugary drinks to our children and drink less ourselves. We can drink more water, eat less sugar and eat more fish.
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We can model exercise for our children as well This doesn’t mean joining the local gym, but taking a walk as a family or going for a bike ride. You could go out and throw a ball around or jump rope. Here at school the kids attend PE every other day for 30 minutes. They have recess in the morning for 20 minutes and encore (privileged recess)
in the afternoon for 15 minutes. The kids are lucky to have such a
great playground to play at here at Earhart.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call me at 794-4080 or email me at klynch@goddardusd.com

http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2010/02/childhood_obesity_first_lady_m.html

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