Setting Goals
Whether you are at home or in school, goals become the basis for your motivation. Set goals and get after them. Work hard, commit yourself to growth, and be willing to adapt when you need to.
Prioritize School Work
There will always be time for video games, social media, and hobbies. Prioritize school work during school hours and find time to complete assignments and study for assessments when you're able to.
Have High Expectations
This is a difficult time for students, parents, and teachers. Like anything in life, you're going to get out what you put in. Set high expectations for yourself from your quarterly grades to your behavior during classes and the reputation that you set for yourself with students and classmates.
Make Adjustments
Changing your goals doesn't mean that you're giving up on yourself. Reflect and be honest with yourself: what do you have to change to do better? Commit to those changes. Nothing changes if you don't do anything about it.
Studying and Schoolwork
Just as your time in school is heavily structured, you should establish routines and spaces in your home that will help you get the most out of studying and completing assignments.
Create a Study Space
Find an area in your house that can serve as your dedicated study space: a table, a desk in your room, or even a spot on the floor. Your bed or a couch is not a great study space. Don't choose spaces where you typically relax or sleep. Condition yourself to know this space is where you work.
Limit External Distractions
Control your study space and eliminate external distractions, especially ones that you can control: turn your TV off, put your phone away, and find a quiet area. Adjust to distractions you can't control: passing cars, loud neighbors, or rowdy younger siblings.
Manage Internal Distractions
It takes 15 minutes of constant application to a task in order to "drown out" distractions and get in the zone. Keep yourself focused on your work until it's all you can think about. Music without lyrics can help.
TOPIC #3
Time Management
Time is of the essence and it will be especially difficult to keep track of while balancing all of your roles, responsibilities, and relationships. Take time management into your own hands.
Create a Schedule
Think of the first week of school. Remember when you had to check your schedule or really think about which class you had next? Once you became familiar with your routine, you were able to adapt to a mindset: I will do this during this time frame. The same should apply when balancing your responsibilities outside of school.
Set Alarms and Timers
The school has a set schedule and alarms to remind you of that schedule. You should, too. Create reminders or set alarms on your phone to keep yourself on task when trying to budget your time and complete your responsibilities.
Find a Healthy Balance
For the last year-and-a-half, we spent most of our time in front of a computer screen. Be mindful of your screen time and find a healthy balance. Take a step away and go outside. Your eyes and brain will thank you.
Organization
Organization is a challenge for any teenager. Keeping your work and responsibilites in order will help you create productive habits and build skills you'll need as an adult.
Create Checklists and Planners
Be task-oriented—meaning: take your assignments one at a time and focus on finishing one before moving onto another. Create checklists of all of the assignments that you need to complete. Prioritize them by due date and how long you expect each assignment to take.
Label Your Assignments
Label all of your Docs and assignments as soon as you create them. This will make them easier to search for in your Google Drive and ensure that your work doesn't go missing.
Keep Your Study Space Clean
A cluttered work space can make everything seem overwhelming. Wherever you complete assignments or study, leep it clean and organize any notes you take to avoid feeling as if it's all too much for you to complete.
Communication
Communication is essential to any personal or working relationship. Reach out to your teachers and other school staff to get the most out of this school year while staying happy and healthy.
Reach Out
What teachers missed most last year was our face-to-face interactions with you. Please reach out to us for anything that you need. We're going to remain just as committed to doing what we can to help you this year.
Professional Language
Most of your interactions last year have been through text and online media. While back in school, remember to remain respectful and professional during classes and in your emails with teachers. Your language and how you choose to present yourself are important.
Seek Extra Help
Reach out to meet with teachers individually or in small groups for extra help, mentoring, and to get help completing assignments or making up work you might have missed.
Mental Health
This pandemic has proven traumatic for millions of families. Times are tough. If you're feeling down or not quite yourself, please reach out. We're here to help you and we care about you.
Anticipate Adversity
Life and learning during a pandemic has presented new obstacles for teachers and students. Many of you have not been in a classroom for a year-and-a-half. You may find it difficult, unusual, or unfamiliar. Anticipate this adversity and make the effort to adapt and overcome.
Be Kind to Yourself
This is still new territory for all of us and we face constant change. If you're struggling to learn, reach out to your teachers. If you're falling behind or situations are making learning difficult for you, please say something. Be kind to yourself. We're going to help you get through this together.
Use School Support Staff
The high school has trained professionals to help students in need:
School counselors in the Guidance Office
Mr. Piccone, Student Assistance Counselor
Mr. Provenzano, School Psychologist