Parent Resource and Opportunity Center

plan to attend the College Workshop programs at Walsh Middle School on Oct 8 from 5 to 7pm. 

 

for more information....click below!

 

 

Bonne Sandars, M.S.

Your Parent Support Specialist

 

 

 

Also...if time allows, join us for the Parent Summit on Saturday at the Performing Arts Center near McNeil at 8am.  This all-day FREE conference for parents offers many resources on parenting, special education, college planning and more.  Don't miss it! Lunch is provided.  Although online registration is closed, you may still register onsite that morning.  Email bonne_sandars@roundrockisd.org if you need more information.  Students whose parents attend can earn a "homework pass" where they may turn in homework one day late with no penalty.  (Parents must get proof of attendance at the information booth at the conference before they leave so students may have the pass). 

 

Hope to see you Friday or Saturday!

 

Bonne Sandars, M.S.

Your Parent Support Specialist

 

We've had a glitch with the yahoogroup that I am trying to work out.  We do still have a Meet and Greet for the 14th at 6:45.  Hope to see you there so we can meet one another and assist in helping our students with maximizing their TAG experiences.

 

 

Please also make note of a great upcoming event. 

 

Our annual Parent Summit will be on the 26th at McNeil at the Performing Arts Center  from 8am to 4pm. This exciting FREE conference is for parents about parenting.  Over 40 workshops are offered on subjects dealing with all ages of students.  Lunch and a continental breakfast is provided for free also.  To register, go to the roundrockisd.org website and scroll down to the bottom to the Parent Summit link.  Childcare is available on a first-come, first-registered basis.  Translation and transportation is also available when you register.  AND.....parents who attend from Hopewell should get an attendance form from the Information Booth at the Parent Summit.  Your student can turn that in to get a free "HOMEWORK PASS" which allows them to turn in an assignment one day late with no penalty!!  So register today.  The deadline to register ONLINE is the 18th.  After that, you can still attend, but will need to register at McNeil on the 26th at 8am.

 

 

Why, yes, we did!  Our first dance will be held on the 25th.  WATCH HERE FOR MORE DETAILS!

 

 

Until next time...

Bonne Sandars, M.S.

Your Parent Support Specialist

 

 

It was so great to see so many of you at Orientation.  We had a record turnout at Hopewell and filled the gym to capacity.  We were so excited to see so many new Hornets.  For those of you who are returning, we can't wait to see you on Tuesday.  Please make note that the first day of school often has a lot of traffic so try to leave much earlier than you normally would.  Please be patient and watch out for all of our student walkers.  Remember their safety as you navigate the long traffic lines.  Teachers will be on hand the first day of school to help students know where to go.  Please make sure to mark your calendar with all our upcoming Athletic events.  You won't want to miss Hornet football or volleyball.  And our first Open House/Back to the Hive event is scheduled for Sept 10.   Can't wait to see you!

 

 

 

 

 

It happened just recently.....my son decided he was too grown-up for a hug.  I knew this day was coming.  I relished the days of boo-boos and kisses that made things all better, but as he came to middle school, it was only a matter of time until I had to grow up too and realize it was time for me to change because he had changed!  What a life-changing moment that was. 

 

It's a universal moment of realization when we suddenly look at our child and realize he or she is growing up.  We ask ourselves, have we done enough to help them make decisions?  Have we prepared them to handle middle school?  Can they deal with having that many classes?  What if someone bullies them?  What if they are the bully?  Will they make friends?  Our questions and concerns grow just as fast as they do, it seems.

 

Please know that all of those questions have answers.  Academically, Hopewell offers support in forms of the Homework Hive (open in the mornings and after school for students to get help with homework), extra tutoring by classroom teachers, parent/teacher conferences, three-week progress reports so you know how your student is doing, and access through Home Access to see your child's grades on a daily basis. 

 

For personal concerns, we have an excellent counseling staff to assist with difficulties.  We offer monthly character education programs to our students and we focus on appropriate choices and anti-bullying responsibilities at our school.  Talk with your child; ask more than "How was your day?"   Volunteer how your day at work was.  Establish routines or rituals in your home to give your student a sense of being grounded so that even when school is topsy-turvy on a given day, home is predictable and safe and a warm place to land.  Even if you can't still give them a hug, you can nuture them in many other ways!

 

Our journey as parents continues on....let's enjoy it together! 

 

If you are a new sixth grade parent, be sure to attend Transitions this Wednesday and next Wednesday for more exciting information on your new middle schooler.  If you have not registered and want to attend, please email me at bonneproofs@sbcglobal.net and put TRANSITIONS in the subject line.  The program is from 6:45-8pm. 

 

Until next time...

Bonne

Admit it.  It seems like yesterday when someone handed us that bundle of joy and we realized parenthood had arrived.  And now we are sending them into middle school, off to make decisions and face choices that are oh, so much more complex than which crayon to pick out of the 64 box with a built-in sharperner.  (I always wanted one of those; I only had 24 in my box.  the girl next to me in Kindergarten would let me sharpen mine in her 64 box.  I would color fast and furiously so it would get all dull and round so I could tear that paper off and sharpen it again and again.  My magenta was just a stump by the second week of school...but I digress!  )

 

Anyway....for those of you with 6th graders, I want to assure you that they will be okay in this environment. In fact, they may even surprise you at how well they adapt to all the changes, multiple teachers, and the experiences they face.  And in the event that there are challenges that you feel need a bit more help, encourage them to problem-solve on their own and as a parent, be supportive in the process.  If you need advice on resources, please feel free to contact me via email and I will help link you to the proper place.  Make plans to attend Transitions on the 10th and 17th of September to meet other parents and gain some valuable information on parenting your new sixth grader.

 

For 7th and 8th grade parents, you are probably pro's at this by now, and you are watching your child grow before your eyes.  Keep in touch with them through these years and build relationships so that as challenges come up, you can be a source of support for them.  Academic planning becomes more and more important during these years, as the classes they take now affect their choices for high school classes, which in turn affects colleges they may apply to and degree plans they may follow in high school.  Our counselors are excellent resources for both academic and personal concerns and they can assist you and your student with more information.

 

The choices before us as parents become increasingly more complex as we struggle with the right amount of independence to give our children and the expected levels of responsibility to go hand in hand with that.  It's not as easy as that box of crayons anymore, but it certainly can be just as exciting!

 

Till next week....

Bonne

Your Parent Support Specialist