WIN

Black History Month

You probably didn't know how many inventions were actually created by African Americans!

1. John Lee Love - Portable Pencil sharpener

2. Sarah Breedlove Walker (1867 – 1919) – Hot comb and pomade

3. Mary Van Brittan Brown (1922 – 1999) – Home Camera Security System

4. George Crum (1824 – 1914) – Potato chips

5. Charles Drew (1904 – 1950) – Blood bank

6. Jack Johnson (1878 – 1946) – Wrench

7. Thomas Elkins (1818 – 1900) – Refrigeration

8. Phillip B. Downing - Mailbox design

9. Benjamin Banneker - Striking Wall Clock

10. Alice Parker - Gas Heating Furnace

Check out this article for a list of 101 inventions:

Top 101 Black Inventors & African American’s Best Invention Ideas that Changed The World | Cad Crowd

Improve Your Core Skills

READING:

US middle and high school reading stats from the federal Nation's Report Card (.gov) (NAEP)

Check out reading statistics Proficiency: Over 60% of 12th graders scored below proficient in past assessments, showing flat performance over time.

Parents/Guardians...here are a few tips to help your child increase in their reading skill:

1. Help them choose a few topics they'd like to read about.

2. Set time aside each week for reading and discussion.

3. Break the reading into small sections.

4. Help them examine the main idea and summarize what they've read.

5. Write down vocabulary words and use them in sentences or conversations.

Highlights for Parents & Students Seniors

Take care of your mental and physical health. Get enough sleep, eat nutritious meals regularly, stay active, and talk to a trusting and qualified person when you are feeling stressed.
Stay on top of graduation requirements. Make sure you are checking credits, grades, and connecting with teachers when you miss school. Use a planner or phone reminder.
Continue to build real-life skill like basic cooking, cleaning, and making appointments. Practice budgeting skills, time-management, and protecting passwords,

Self-Esteem and Confidence

Here are some great articles on self-esteem.

https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/self-esteem.html

https://childmind.org/article/12-tips-raising-confident-kids/

5 Skills 8th Graders Need Going into High School

1. Purpose/Focus

Parents and guardians, before your child enters into high school, remind them how important this time is. High school is the time to:

A. Identify what they want to do after high school

B. Build skills

C. Participate in programs, internships, and educational trips, and activities

2. Self-Care

Your body has to stay as healthy as possible as MUCH as possible! This means:

A. Nutrition

B. Required amount of daily water intake

C. Exercise

D. Sleep & Rest

These are just a few self-care needs!

3. Core Skills

Ask your elementary school teacher to share your core skill levels with you as well as your parent or guardian. If this is not at the proper level, it may be difficult to manage high school level work.

Your Core skills include:

A. Reading and comprehension

B. Writing skills

C. Basic math

4. Communication Skills

High school is a platform, where you are expected to express what type of support or resources you require to be successful. It is a new level where you take on more responsibility for your needs and must advocate for yourself when you can.

Here are some reasons when you will need to communicate:

1. If you miss school and need the make-up work

2. If you are not feeling well and need to see the nurse

3. If you want extra credit work to increase your grade

5. Emotional Resilience

High school can feel overwhelming at times...both socially and academically. The ability to have confidence and cope are just as important as their academic ability.

Here are some examples:

1. Identifying what they feel and why

2. Handling setbacks without giving up

3. Managing stress

February Champion Challenge: Ehttps://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/getty/2192638331/:/cr=t:11.45%25,l:0%25,

You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.” ~ Maya Angelou