10/20/23
Upcoming Dates:
10/24- Early Release
11/22-11/24- No School
11/28- Early Release
12/19- Early Release
12/22-1/7- Winter Break
Lockers
Over the past week, the Twin Groves staff have noticed that many students at Twin Groves are not locking their lockers after each use.
We can’t stress enough how important it is to lock your locker.
Here's how you can assist us in addressing this concern:
Open Communication: Talk to your child about the importance of locking their locker. Explain that it helps protect their belongings and maintain a sense of security in the school environment.
Practice at Home: If your child is new to using combination locks, practice at home with a similar lock. Teach them how to set and reset the combination.
Routine: Encourage your child to make locking their locker a part of their daily routine. It should be as automatic as putting on a seatbelt or brushing their teeth!
Reinforce Responsibility: Teach your child about personal responsibility and the importance of taking care of their belongings. Let them know that they are responsible for what's inside their locker.
Check-in: Occasionally ask your child about their school day and whether they locked their locker. This shows your interest in their safety and reminds them of the importance of this habit.
Counseling Corner
Ms. Baker and Mr. Maddox, School Social Workers
Mrs. Koulentes, School Counselor
Mrs. Leverentz, School Psychologist
We like to think of the middle school years as a time for academic growth and development, but it’s also an important period for developing emotional intelligence. Our students are inevitably going to encounter adversity throughout their lives and by supporting their emotional development we can better prepare them for those challenges. Higher emotional intelligence has been linked to improved mental health, better interpersonal relationship skills, higher academic achievement, and career success during adulthood. These skills are developed naturally through socializing with peers, but parents can help nurture that development every day. Below are some tips for raising emotionally intelligent kids:
1. Label your child’s emotions - By putting words to feelings, kids will be better able to understand exactly what they are feeling and subsequently address those feelings.
2. Model empathy - Dismissive comments about a child’s feelings can teach them that the way they are feeling is wrong. Rather, validate their feelings and help them to work through it.
3. Develop/model problem-solving skills - Act more as a coach than a problem-solver so that your student can practice solving problems on their own. These skills will help them with difficult situations later in life.
4. Recognize negative emotions as a time to connect - Kids can have a harder time controlling their negative emotions. Connect with them by responding with kindness and compassion.
5. Practice healthy coping strategies - Remind your student that all emotions are acceptable, but all behaviors are not. To avoid making bad situations worse, It’s good to practice channeling negative emotions into healthy coping strategies.
6. Don’t underestimate your child’s ability to learn and grow!
There are plenty of resources available if you want to learn more about raising an emotionally intelligent child. The most important thing, however, is simply to provide a safe environment for your student to express and process their emotions.
https://www.verywellfamily.com/tips-for-raising-an-emotionally-intelligent-child-4157946
https://www.gottman.com/blog/3-dos-donts-raising-emotionally-intelligent-kids/
Trimester 1 Spirit Assembly and Spirit Week
On Friday, October 27th, Twin Groves will have our first All School Spirit Assembly! We are looking forward to a fun end of the day!
We will be running an assembly schedule. Students will go to all of their classes, but the classes will be shortened. The assembly will begin at 1:40 PM and end at 2:30 PM. Dismissal will be as usual at 2:30 PM.
Next week is also Spirit Week and Red Ribbon Week. Twin Groves has partnered with Catalyst for our Spirit Week/Red Ribbon Week.
Please see below for the dress-up days.
All Spirit Week attire, including Halloween Costumes, should follow the D96 dress code.
No masks or full face paint will be allowed at school.
No weapons or other props.
Students should be able to sit comfortably in their costumes during the school day.
October 23rd: PJ Day- Comfy clothes or school-appropriate pajamas. No blankets or pillows are allowed in school.
October 24: Twin Day- Dress like your favorite person.
October 25th: Jersey Day- Wear your favorite jersey, team apparel, or team colors.
October 26th: Vacation Day or Adam Sandler Day- Dress up as Adam Sandler or dress as if you are going on a vacation.
October 27th: Color by Grade or Wear Red for Red Ribbon Week- See below for grade-level colors.
6th Grade- Orange
7th Grade- Black
8th Grade- Purple
October 30th: Mismatch Day- Wear a mismatched outfit.
October 31st: Halloween Costumes!
Halloween Costumes should follow the D96 Dress Code.
No masks or full face paint will be allowed at school.
No weapons or other props.
Students should be able to sit comfortably in their costumes during the school day.
LightSpeed Systems Weekly Student Online Activity Report (NEW)
Dear Parents and Guardians,
As a part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring a safe and secure online environment for our students, we are excited to announce that we will be offering the Lightspeed Systems Weekly Student Online Activity Report to all parents and guardians of our school community.
You will receive an email from District 96 that will enable you to register for the Weekly Student Online Activity Report. Once you receive the email from our school district you will have the ability to register. Simply choose to register and follow the prompts to sign up for the Weekly Student Online Activity Report.
The Lightspeed Systems Weekly Student Online Activity Report is a valuable tool that will allow you to gain insights into your child's web history while using the school's iPad. This report will provide an overview of the websites visited by your child while using the iPad. The report is designed to promote transparency and communication between parents and the school, fostering a safer digital learning experience for our students.
The weekly activity report is only accessible to parents and guardians registered for this service. It will not be shared with any external parties, and the data collected will be used solely for the purpose of improving the online safety measures at our school. Parents/guardians will not start to begin receiving weekly reports until their child has at least a week's worth of browsing data.
Lightspeed Parent/Student Enrollment Email Schedule: Families will begin to receive LightSpeed Parent report emails from Lightspeed. This email correspondence will allow you to enroll and begin receiving your child’s reports from Lightspeed for the following grades on or near the dates below.
October 23, 2023 (8th Grade)
October 30, 2023 (7th Grade)
November 6, 2023 (6th Grade)
November 13, 2023 (5th Grade)
November 20, 2023 (4th Grade)
November 27, 2023 (3rd Grade)
December 4, 2023 (2nd Grade, 1st Grade, Kindergarten)
Please note that while we encourage parents to use this tool to stay involved in their child's online journey, it is essential to have open conversations with your child about their internet use. Establishing trust and communication around digital practices will enhance the overall safety and well-being of our students.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Weekly Student Online Activity Report or need assistance with the registration process, please feel free to reach out to the IT department at [email protected].
Thank you for your continued support in creating a secure and nurturing learning environment for our students.
Middle School Health (Repeat)
Please click HERE to access the ‘23-’24 Health Education letter.
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Daily Announcements
Please see the Twin Groves website for up-to-date school announcements. The announcements let you know what exciting activities and clubs are going on at Twin Groves. Please click HERE to access the Daily Announcements.
Twin Groves Athletics
Please click HERE to access the Twin Groves Athletics site.
This site will be updated frequently.