Good afternoon, and Happy 22-23 to each of you! We hope you all had a great summer, and hope your children had a great first day back to school! The Parent Resource Center (PRC) team looks forward to collaborating with, learning from, and supporting you during the upcoming school year. For those new to APS and/or the PRC, we are a program designed to support family engagement in education, and although all families are warmly welcomed to access our supports and services, we work primarily with families of students with disabilities. We will share more information about PRC resources during the upcoming weeks, but we offer:
- a lending library with books, videos and new online digital e-books and audiobooks
- confidential, individual consultations to families
- online resources such as digital learning modules and links to related sites and organizations at aps2016.apsva.us/prc
- collaboration with and connections to Arlington SEPTA and the Arlington Special Education Advisory Committee along with community organizations supporting the community; and
- learning events and opportunities throughout the school year
Our team includes Special Education Coordinators Kathleen Donovan and Gina (Piccolini) DeSalvo, and Emma Parral, our bilingual Administrative Assistant. (Note: Gina will be on family medical leave through November, 2022.)
Please visit our website at aps2016.apsva.us/prc to explore our resources, and please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at 703.228.7239 or prc@apsva.us if we can be of support. We always welcome parent input and suggestions related to programming and events, book recommendations, and other ways we can support your partnership with your teammates in our schools, so please share your thoughts and ideas with us.
Get It Done! Executive Function Hacks for Boosting Your Student’s Productivity
Thursday, September 1, 2022: 7pm
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BLtpRC6ZQiu1BGSI0AljWg
View event flyer
We know the first few weeks of school are usually busy for families with setting up new routines and schedules for your children and attending Back to School events at your school, so most of our learning sessions will begin in October, but, we are thrilled that Ann Dolin of Educational Connections will join us for a lively, brief and engaging session to help families set their children up for a great 22-23 school year this Thursday, September 1 from 7-8pm.
Whether your child is in elementary school or preparing to graduate from high school, you want them to be ready and on top of their priorities. Your child likely wants to be organized as well. So why do they keep missing deadlines, losing assignments, and starting things the night before they’re due? It’s because executive functioning skills, like time management or prioritization, take time to learn. But once a child develops systems that work for them, these strategies can help them be successful throughout K-12 school and beyond. If you’re tired of hearing your child respond, “I don’t know,” every time you ask about homework or tests coming up, this webinar is for you! Join Ann Dolin, M.Ed. to learn how you can help your child develop those critical executive functioning skills this school year. Other topics covered include:
- How to ensure kids stay on top of their schoolwork without feeling like a nag
- Site maps, Google calendars, and other tools for staying organized
- Smart strategies for tracking assignments (especially if your child’s teachers have different expectations and systems!)
- When to leave things up to your child, step in to support, or recruit outside help
- Keeping kids engaged by encouraging them to ask questions and advocate for themselves
- Opening the lines of communication to improve the parent/child relationship and avoid conflict around academics
Below please find some of our favorite Back to School Resources:
Understood.org
- 5 Great Back-to-School Books for Kids in Grades 1–4
- Printable Back to School Downloads:
Edutopia offers information on easing transition jitters, managing kids’ tech use, getting involved in the school, and more.
- 9 Back to School Tips for Parents
- Month-by-month guide to enhance your kids’ school experience throughout the year.
- 5-Minute Film Festival: Building a Parent Toolkit: Watch curated videos on topics like stress reduction, healthy eating, homework, and more. (Edutopia, 2015)
- 15 Questions to Replace ‘How Was School Today?’
- Back-to-School Health and Safety Tips
- Best Back-to-School Tips: Listen to this podcast about preparing students to head back to school and developing morning routines.
- Getting Back in the School Year Routine
- Back to School: Find information about back-to-school shopping on a budget, getting organized, and supporting children academically in this collection of articles
- Transition Resources for Parents, Teachers, and Administrators
- Guiding Our Children Through School Transitions into elementary, middle, high school and post-secondary education
- Helping Students With Autism Transition Into a New School Year
- How to Cope With Back-to-School Anxiety
- Back to School Books
- Back-to-School Tech Tips Guide
- Four Tools to Improve Communication Between Home and School
- How Much Screen Time? That’s the Wrong Question
- Creating a Family Media Agreement: How to Have the Conversation
- 5 App and Mobile Use Guides for Parents
- Technology at Home: Developing the Social Self
- Media and Digital Literacy: Resources for Parents
Upcoming Dates to Note
- September 8: Elementary Back to School Night
- September 13: Middle School Back to School Night
- September 15: Arlington SEPTA Meeting
- September 20: Arlington Special Education Advisory Committee (ASEAC) Meeting
- September 21: High School Back to School Night
- September 22: HB-Woodlawn and Arlington Community High School Back to School Night
- September 23rd: Arlington SEPTA Meeting at 7pm
- September 29: Career Center/Arlington Tech Back to School Night
