Dear parents and guardians, I am so excited to welcome you to our Parent Power newsletter. We're thrilled that you’re interested in learning more from our dedicated team at EBR Schools and can’t wait to start sharing with you.
Inside this Issue
Digital Citizenship Parent Event: Navigating Safe and Secure Online Environments for Kids
Join us for an engaging discussion on equipping parents with the essential tools to foster safe and secure digital environments for their children. Our panel of experts will share valuable insights, practical tipsand expert guidance to help you navigate the online world alongside your kids.
Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your understanding of digital citizenship and ensure your child's online experiences are positive and secure. Join us on Oct. 17 at 5:30 p.m. for an informative and interactive session that will empower you to be a confident digital parent.
What is dyslexia?
Louisiana state law defines dyslexia as "an unexpected difficulty in reading for an individual who has the intelligence to be a much better reader, most commonly caused by a difficulty in phonological processing, which affects the ability of an individual to speak, read, and spell.” "Phonological processing" means the appreciation of the individual sounds of spoken and written language.
When will dyslexia screenings be held?
Screenings for second- and third-grade students will be held Dec. 4, 2023, to Jan. 26, 2024. Screenings for kindergarten and first-grade students will be held Feb. 1, 2024, to March 22, 2024. Parents can request a screening for students in the fourth to 12th grades with the school counselor at any time during the school year.
Which resources are available to support families of students with characteristics of dyslexia?
For more information, please contact EBRPSS 504 district coordinator Danielle Staten-Ojo at dstaten@ebrschools.org.
All locations of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library no longer collect fines for overdue items. Children’s materials and items checked out by senior citizens were already fine-free. But as of Aug. 1, EBRPL reduced barriers for teens and adults who need the library’s resources. In addition, amnesty is now available for patrons who have outstanding items. Whether the items are five days or 50 years overdue, bring them back and your current fines will be waived. Former interim library director Kristen Edson explains, “We are joining many peer libraries across the country to further our commitment to providing access for all and being a place that inspires lifelong learning and personal economic advancement. Our new fine-free policy supports the library’s mission to ‘provide access and connect people to information, resources, materials, technology and experience to make a positive difference in their lives.’” The library will continue to set return dates for materials and send reminders for items not checked back in or renewed by those dates. Patrons will still be responsible for lost, stolen or damaged items. For more information on our fine-free policy, visit ebrpl.co/finefree or call (225) 231-3740.
October is Red Ribbon Month
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I CARE Program -
October Red Ribbon Month
The I CARE program in EBRPSS is the only prevention education program of its kind and has been serving the East Baton Rouge Community for over 40 years!
The 21st-century vision of the I CARE program is to provide students and staff with social-emotional coping strategies and trauma-informed approaches in prevention education. I CARE will advocate for students, community members, parents and staff to have safe and drug-free schools. Red Ribbon Week is one of I CARE's premier prevention education programs! We look forward to your participation this month at your school sites and having you join us in our commitment to drug-free lifestyles.
What Is Red Ribbon Week? It is an ideal way for people and communities to unite and take a visible stand against drugs. Show your personal commitment to a drug-free lifestyle through the symbol of the red ribbon, Oct. 23-31. The mission of the Red Ribbon Campaign is to present a unified and visible commitment toward the creation of a drug-free America.
This year's theme is “BE KIND TO YOUR MIND!” Children of parents who talk to their teens regularly about drugs are 42% less likely to use drugs than those who don’t; yet, only a quarter of teens report having these conversations. Red Ribbon Week, the oldest and largest drug prevention campaign in the nation, is your opportunity to get the ongoing conversation started. Visit www.redribbon.org to learn more about Red Ribbon Week and get tips for talking to your kids about drugs. The life you save may be that of your own child or a dear friend.
Practical Advice for Parents of Teens Regarding Prescription Drug Abuse:
As a parent, teach your teen to:
■ Respect the power of medicine and use it properly.
■ Recognize that all medicines, including prescription medications, have risks along with benefits. The risks tend to increase dramatically when medicines are abused.
■ Take responsibility for learning how to take prescription medicines safely and appropriately, and seek help at the first sign of a problem for their own or a friend’s abuse.
Parents can make a difference!Kids who continue to learn about the risks of drugs at home are up to50% less likely to use drugsthan those who are not taught about the dangers. Only 22% of teens report discussing the risks of abusing any prescription drug without a doctor’s prescription with their parents. It’s up to YOU to talk openly with your kids!
The I CARE Program is here to help!
Icare.ebrschools.org
225-226-2273
In school, students are responsible for a lot of physical items — folders, pencils, books, notes from teachers, etc. They have to carry them back and forth between home and school.
Losing or damaging these items means messages do not get delivered, lunches are not eaten and crucial assignments go unfinished as your child advances through the grades.
But when promoting responsibility, your focus should be on more than your own child's property. They will also have to respect the property of others, including school property.
To help your preschooler learn to care for property:
Show him the proper way to use things. For example, they should use crayons on paper, not on furniture or on the walls. If they play with a scooter, he should put it away before coming indoors. They should not leave it out where it my damaged by weather or stolen.
Provide a bin for papers. Even a young child can be taught to open their backpack when they come home from preschool or daycare, pull out the papers and place them in the bin for you to sort through.
Teach them to take special care of things that belong to others. If your child borrows a toy from a friend, for example, have him return it promptly. If they borrow books for the library, show him how to treat them carefully. When the books are due, have them put the books gently in the return bin.
DETAILS: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 28. Event sponsored by the Safety Place-Safety & Injury Prevention, Louisiana Firefighters Foundation and St. George Fire Department.
LOCATION: St. George Fire Department, 4100 Airline Highway, Baton Rouge
Guests are encouraged to grab their festive superhero attire and costumes for some sweet treats, food, Italian ice, photo BOO-th, free BOO-ster seats, community vendor trunk-or-treat exhibits, carnival activity stations, performances, music and, as always, a fantastic time! This year will bring a thriller-themed workout, Super Hero Power Walk & Run and an interactive safety spook trail.
Everybody's mind wanders now and then. But if your child regularly “zones out” during class, it can impact their ability to learn and retain new information.
Studies suggest that younger students who can't focus tend to become older students who can't focus. And that can mean big trouble for your child's education.
To help your elementary schooler strengthen their attention skills:
Remove distractions. Keep the TV and other screens off while your child works. Keep noise to a minimum.
Break down large assignments. If they have a social studies report to write, show them how to divide it into smaller steps. “First, think about what you want to say. Next, make on outline of your thoughts. Then, start writing.”
Encourage breathers during study time. Don't force your child to work for long periods of time. Instead, set a timer for 20 minutes and have them take a five-minute break when it goes off. Frequent short breaks help your child clear her head.
Remind your child to do this during class, too. Even a 30-second break (maybe closing her eyes and breathing deeply) could help her buckle back down and refocus.
SOURCE: A.J. Lundervold and others, “Parents Rated Symptoms of Inattention in Childhood Predict High School Academic Achievement Across Two Culturally and Diagnostically Diverse Samples," Frontiers in Psychology, Frontiers Communications.
You know that your teen's decision-making skills will get better as they gain more experience. But did you know that they may make decisions in a different manner than you do?
Have a discussion about the five different styles of decision-making. Which type of decision-maker do each of you think you are? Are there situations when one style might work better than another? Are you:
Decisive? People in this category often act quickly. They base their decisions on the information that is immediately available to them. They rarely change their minds.
Flexible? Flexible decision-makers may act on limited information, but they are open to changing their minds. If their first solution to a problem doesn't work, they will go with another one. And they will reevaluate decisions as more information becomes available.
Hierarchal? These types of decision-makers collect as much information as they can before making a decision. They look at all the information and determine the best solution. And they stick with their decision because they worked out all the details before they made it.
Integrative? These people are like scientists. They collect and evaluate a lot of information but realize there are many solutions that could work for the problem. They test each idea by imagining the outcome.
Systemic? These people collect as much information as possible and come up with as many solutions as possible. They then rank the solutions from best to worst and try out each one.
EBR Students Accepted to the Young Entrepreneurs Academy
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We are excited to share that the following students from the East Baton Rouge Parish School System have been accepted to the Young Entrepreneurs Academy of Baton Rouge for the 2023-24 school year.
We reviewed 85-plus applications, and these students stood out to us as exceptional. We are eager to see their ideas come to life as they develop and launch their businesses this year through the academy!
Parent Power is a publication of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System
The East Baton Rouge Parish School System and all of its entities (including career and technical education programs) do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, national origin, disability or gender in its educational programs and activities (including employment and application for employment); and it is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of gender by Title IX (20 USC 168) and on the basis of disability by Section 504 (42 USC 794). The Title IX coordinator is Andrew Davis, director of Risk Management (ADavis6@ebrschools.org, 225-929-8705). The Section 504 coordinator is Danielle Staten-Ojo, (dstaten@ebrschools.org., 225-326-5668). The Title II coordinator is Dr. Sandra Bethley, administrative director of Federal Programs (SBHorton@ebrschools.org, 225-922-5538).
All students have an opportunity to participate in career and technical programs of study, including but not limited to areas of health care; construction crafts and trades; automotive technology; IT computer technology; culinary programs; criminal justice; and agriculture. Admission requirements for each course can be found in the student course guide/schedule packet of the individual campus where the course is being offered. Please contact the guidance counselor at the specific school for additional information, program requirements and/or any questions you may have.
Dr. Sito Narcisse, Superintendent of Schools
sitonarcisse@ebrschools.org
Ben Lemoine, Director of Communications & Family Engagement
