HOME CONNECTION GOAL SETTING  GRADE 7 

Dear Families/Caregivers, 

Goal setting is about determining a desired outcome and the steps necessary to achieve it.  When students are encouraged to set their own goals, it empowers them to take ownership and responsibility for their goals, which supports motivation and agency.  

We have been learning about steps we can take to set academic goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound. The steps include: 

• Set a Goal 

• Make a Plan 

• Work the Plan 

• Reach Your Goal 

Here are some ways you can help your teen set academic goals for themselves: 

• Help your teen identify academic goals they want to achieve. 

• Discuss the differences between S.M.A.R.T. goals and non-S.M.A.R.T. goals with your teen. 

• Support your teen in recognizing academic areas of growth so they can set S.M.A.R.T. goals to improve in those areas. 

• Once your teen identifies a goal, help them make a plan to reach the goal. 

• If your teen does not reach their goal, support them in identifying ways to readjust their plans. 

HOME CONNECTION FRIENDSHIP  GRADE 7  

Dear Families/Caregivers, 

According to psychologist, Abraham Maslow, belonging is a basic human need that contributes to a student’s moral, mental, and social development.  

All teens have a strong desire to fit in. Sometimes the desire to fit in causes pressure to make choices or be in situations that make them feel uncomfortable. We discussed some strategies for being themselves with friends:  

• Know Yourself 

Spend some time figuring out what you do and don’t like, how you want 

to relate to others, and what is important to you in a friendship. 

• Be Honest 

Being honest is one of the best ways to find friends who have similar 

 interests and like you just the way you are. 

• Respect Yourself 

If you feel uncomfortable, tell your friends that the activity or expectation 

                              is not for you. If it’s not right for you, don’t do it. 

Strive to keep a line of communication open with your teen. One of the best ways to  do that is to listen without judgement when your teen shares. Ask your teen questions  about how he or she feels when he or she is with friends. Provide your insight by talking with your teen about how you are able to be yourself with your friends, and  share your experiences with learning to be yourself around others. 

HOME CONNECTION SELF-COMPASSION  GRADE 7 

Dear Families/Caregivers,  

A key component of safe and ethical behavior is understanding bullying and learning strategies to protect yourself and others against bullying. Bullying is a pattern of harmful or intimidating behavior towards a person. By practicing safe and ethical behavior, students can develop skills to be an upstander against bullying and build a culture of safety at school, within their communities, and the world at large. 

We have been learning about cyberbullying, or bullying that occurs on a digital device, and how to respond to it. The strategies include: 

• Recognize the power of words and actions. 

Think before your post, save, or forward anything online. 

• Consider boundaries. 

Ask for permission to post anything online. 

• Be an upstander. 

Avoid digital drama and call out cyberbullying.  

• Report cyberbullying and hate speech. 

Seek support by reporting the harmful content.  

Here are some ways you can support your teen with responding to cyberbullying: 

• Help your teen understand the permanence of their digital footprint on the internet. 

• Encourage your teen to only post content that is true, helpful, inspiring, necessary, and kind.  

• Ask your teen to consider their boundaries around online posts and to respect the boundaries of others. 

• Encourage your teen to respond to cyberbullying by countering it with positive comments or report any harmful content.

HOME CONNECTION SELF-EFFICACY GRADE 7 

  Dear Families/Caregivers,  

 Self-efficacy, or the belief in one’s ability to reach a goal, supports our self-care and overall  wellness. When students practice strategies for building belief in themselves and challenge  their limiting beliefs, they unlock motivation, improve their ability to manage setbacks, and  are empowered to take action towards their goals. 

We have been learning how self-efficacy can help us learn new skills. The strategies include:  

• Understand the Power of Yet 

• Consider Your Strengths 

• Transfer the Relevant Skills 

• Seek Support 

Here are some ways you can help your teen build their self-efficacy to learn new skills:  

• Encourage your teen to identify their strengths and skills. Invite them to consider how their strengths and skills could help them learn a new skill. 

• Model self-efficacy by believing in your abilities and share how self-efficacy has helped you learn a new skill. 

• Invite your teen to choose a new skill and learn the skill together or support them in learning the skill. 

• Support your teen in accessing available resources and people who can help them learn new skills.

HOME CONNECTION HEALTHY BOUNDARIES  GRADE 7 

Dear Families/Caregivers,  

Healthy boundaries are essential for self-care. Boundaries are the limits we set to keep ourselves and others safe and happy. Setting healthy boundaries can support caring for physical and mental wellness, developing healthy relationships, and building self-esteem. We have been learning about strategies for setting and responding to physical boundaries in relationships. The strategies include: 

 • Consider the context. 

          • Pay attention to your emotions and your body.  

• State the boundary. 

• Talk to a trusted adult. 

• Respect the boundaries of others. 

Here are some ways you can help your teen set and respond to physical boundaries:  

• Invite your teen to consider how the type of relationship and emotions they feel throughout the day may affect their comfort level with physical touch. Model healthy boundaries by respecting your teen’s physical boundaries. 

• Encourage your teen to pay attention to their emotions and body. If they have an uneasy, uncomfortable feeling, it may be their body’s way of sending them a message to set a physical boundary or leave the situation. 

• Talk to your teen about how physical boundaries can shift and change over time.  

• Create an open and honest dialogue for your teen to talk to you about physical  boundaries. Invite your teen to identify additional trusted adults. 

• Encourage your teen to ask before touching someone, so they know the  boundary of the other person.

HOME CONNECTION SELF-COMPASSION  GRADE 7 

Dear Families/Caregivers,  

Making mistakes, facing challenges, and confronting personal growth areas are all part of the shared human experience. Self-compassion, or showing kindness, appreciation, and understanding to yourself, is an essential element of self-care. Practicing self-compassion can support students in building self-worth, increasing motivation, and nourishing healthy relationships. 

We have been learning how to challenge the inner critic, or judgmental self-talk.  Students can treat themselves with compassion by ICE-ing their negative thoughts: 

• Identify the Thought 

If it’s not something you would say to a friend or loved one, it’s  

probably a negative thought. 

• Challenge the Thought 

Find evidence to disprove the thought. 

• Exchange the Thought 

Replace the thought with something more positive. 

Here are some ways you can support your teen in challenging negative thinking and developing self-compassion: 

• If you notice your teen expressing negative thoughts, invite them to identify, challenge, and exchange the thought. 

• Model self-compassion by showing kindness and appreciation to yourself. Share positive affirmations with your teen to build their confidence and love for themselves. 

• Encourage your teen to recognize how self-compassion may feel different from day to day and to notice how negative thoughts will pass.

HOME CONNECTION FOCUS GRADE 7  

Dear Families/Caregivers, 

Focus is the ability to direct one’s attention to something for a period of time.  Focus is an essential skill for learning and achieving goals. With so many  

distractions competing for a teen’s attention, it is important for them to learn strategies to help them focus. 

We have been learning about active listening as a technique for focusing and learning new information. The following are strategies for active listening:  

• Be fully present. 

Address any distractions and focus on the task. 

• Listen to understand. 

Try not to make assumptions about what you’ll hear next. 

• Ask questions. 

Show you are interested and processing the information. 

• Reflect on what you hear. 

Summarize what you heard in your own words. 

Invite your teen to think about things they would like to learn about both in and outside of school. Encourage them to seek resources they can listen to and apply active listening to learn the new information. Consider providing relevant age-appropriate podcasts or video platforms. Model active listening by being fully present and listening to understand.