Archives for 2021
Celebrating American Education Week – 11/16/21
Congratulations Isabelle!
Celebrating American Education Week
Being Here Matters
By Daron VanderHeiden, Superintendent
Educators have known and research has proven that regular school attendance is critical to the academic success of students. Chronic absenteeism has also been proven to be the downfall of students leading to missing out on fundamental academic learning and the social and emotional skills kids need to be successful. Students need to feel confident about their ability to learn. Chronic absenteeism is one factor that leads to disengagement in school and ultimately results in school failure and a negative response to school and learning. Chronic absenteeism most often starts at an early age and continues to escalate as students get older. School attendance matters.
National studies comparing the reading level proficiency rate of third grade students show only 17% of students that are chronically absent are proficient; while the proficiency rate of students with good school attendance is 64%. School attendance matters.
Chronic absenteeism is the leading indicator of school dropouts by the time a student enters 6th grade. A high school student that misses ten or more days of school in a school year, is 25% less likely to enroll in post-secondary education. School attendance matters.
As I prepared to write this article, I contemplated the research and wondered if our students in Hutchinson followed these same patterns. Of the students that dropped out of school over the past five years, I could not find one case that was not associated with chronic absenteeism. In most cases (not all) it started in early elementary school and continued to get worse over time. I also reviewed academic results and found similar trends. Another disturbing pattern was our students that had excessive excused absences throughout their elementary years continued this pattern with unexcused absences as middle and high school students. School attendance matters.
There is good news! School attendance is something that we can fix by working together. As parents we can hold our children accountable and role model the importance of going to school everyday. If there is a specific issue with attending school other than being sick, it is best to work with the teacher and school staff to address the issue early on to make sure it does not lead to chronic absenteeism. There is a much greater probability that students will engage in school and their learning if they attend everyday, which will lead to greater academic success and self-confidence. Schools are great places for kids to learn and grow. School attendance matters.
Congratulations Hailey Farrell & Alyssa Stamer
Congratulations Cameron & Morgan!
10/28/21 – Bid Opening Live Stream
Park Elementary Project Bid Opening
Thursday, October 28, 2021
2:00 pm
Click Here for Live Stream
Tips for Helping Students with Anxiety
By Chanda Kropp, School Counselor, Hutchinson High School
Parenting teenagers has never been easy, and parenting teenagaers during a pandemic has added a new level of difficulty. As a counseling department, we have noticed symptoms of anxiety in students such as stomach aches, refusal to attend school, and difficulty completing homework. Students identify feeling anxious and overwhelmed which can cause a “freeze” response. This response prevents students from completing tasks and can also make them feel physically ill. Here are a few things to try if you notice your child is feeling anxious.
- Acknowledge your child’s feelings. Let your child know that the feelings they are experiencing are real. If your teenager mentions they don’t want to go to school or do their homework, ask them why. If they say they don’t know why, ask them about their feelings. In our offices, we have a feelings wheel that students can use to find the feeling they might be experiencing. Sometimes they pick out a feeling I wouldn’t have guessed and then we talk more about what might be causing that feeling. You can google search “feelings wheel” or contact one of the counselors to send you a copy.
- Help your child face their feelings. It is important for students to understand that avoidance can cause more anxiety. Helping your child prioritize what they need to do can be helpful. If your child is refusing to go to school because of a certain class, remind them that the class is only one part of their day. Ask them what they like about other classes and encourage them to focus on something positive. If they are not able to think of a class they like, have them think about someone at school that they can talk to when they start to feel anxious. Encourage your child to reach out to their school counselor, teacher or coach to talk about strategies to help them face their fears.
- Stay Calm. It can be very frustrating to deal with a teenager who does not comply. This can lead to a power struggle which can cause more frustration and more anxiety for the child and parent. Ask your child to take three deep belly breaths or use the “walk and talk” strategy of going outside for a walk to get some fresh air and movement while discussing the situation. Let your child know your feelings too. It is okay to let your child know you are frustrated or worried about them. Sometimes children forget that adults have feelings too.
If you are worried about your child’s anxiety level and it is preventing your child from doing well in school, please reach out for help. You can contact your child’s school counselor, your child’s doctor or Hutchinson Mental Health Clinic.