Dear parents and guardians, we are 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
Returning to school after winter break can be a slow adjustment for students, parents and teachers. The idea of returning to a routine is especially difficult for students, as focusing on classwork and homework while following school and classroom rules doesn’t come easily after some time off.
Here are some tips to help your family transition back into the school routine or even into new school enrollment. Hopefully, this will be helpful as we all strive to regain focus after the fun and festivities of the winter break.
Return to the Bedtime Routine Several Days Before the End of Winter Break
Get your children back into their normal bedtime routine by having them start going to bed a little earlier several nights before they return to school. Have them go to bed 15 to 30 minutes earlier each night until they are back to their normal school-year bedtime.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that children sleep 9–12 hours a day, depending on their age. Without enough sleep, children risk experiencing learning issues as well as attention and behavior issues. Tips for better sleep habits include turning off devices and using the bed for sleeping only.
Prepare for the Return to the Classroom
In an effort to prepare your children for their return to the classroom, talk about the time off from school and enjoy the extra family time with special activities.
Prepare children for the return to school by engaging them in activities such as a countdown calendar or list. Talk about the plan the family will implement to make the return to school successful and discuss ways to get back to the normal routine.
Build Excitement for the Return to School
Talk to children about how exciting it will be to see their friends and teachers again. Ask what they look forward to, and discuss suggestions for making the return a fun experience. Maybe they have some ideas to share as well.
Prep for Mornings
No one knows better than parents how hectic mornings are on school days. Prepping helps students and parents experience less stress as they return to the morning routine.
Ask your children to pack their backpacks before they go to bed. Prepare breakfast and lunch the night before school. Consider letting older kids prepare their own breakfast or lunch.
Leave for School Early
Plan to leave early, especially the first week back from winter break. Leave 10 minutes early to help reduce stress and anxiety for you and the children.
Talk to Children About Their School Day
The first couple of weeks, it will be important to make sure that the kids know that you have a genuine interest in how their adjustment is going. Encourage kids to express their feelings and listen to them.
Which teacher is the hardest? Why do you feel that way?
What was the funniest thing that happened today?
The EBR Early Childhood Education Department is providing learning resources for at-home caregivers. If you are interested in beginning the learning experiences with your infant, toddler or preschooler, we have resources for you!
To access learning videos, read-a-louds and more for infants from birth to 4-year-olds, visit ebrschools.org, then click the “Early Childhood At-Home Learning” link.
Dear School Administrators, Parents and Caregivers,
When athletes open up about their mental health, it inspires others to do the same. This February, Ryan Clark, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and other special guests to be announced in the coming weeks will join us for Planting Seeds of Hope 2026.
This year's keynote speaker is Sgt. Rick Yarosh, a Purple Heart recipient, combat veteran and nationally renowned motivational speaker whose journey embodies resilience, perspective and unwavering hope. After surviving severe burns from an IED explosion in Iraq, Rich chose not to be defined by tragedy but transformed it into purpose — dedicating his life to helping others believe again.
This is an evening dedicated to breaking stigma, sharing stories and reminding our community that no one has to face their struggles alone.
Please consider these best practices to maximize student-athlete attendance:
Clear Feb. 24 of any evening extracurriculars:
Arrange for transportation so students, teams and clubs can travel together.
Post the save-the-date attached flyer on the school’s social media pages.
Email event information out to students and parents.
Provide an incentive to students to attend via extra credit.
New Year's resolutions are personal commitments to self-improvement, often focusing on health (lose weight, eat better, exercise), finance (save more, pay debt) or personal growth (learn a skill, get organized, spend time with family). Rooted in ancient Babylonian traditions, these goals aim to improve life in the new calendar year. Popular ideas include better sleep, reducing alcohol, managing time and fostering relationships. But these require specific, realistic plans for success.
Popular Categories & Ideas
Health & Fitness: Lose weight, eat healthier, exercise more, sleep better, drink less alcohol, schedule checkups, quit smoking.
Financial: Save money, build emergency funds, pay down debt, spend less, manage expenses.
Personal Growth: Learn a new skill (language, instrument), read more, get organized, manage time, improve focus.
Relationships & Lifestyle: Spend more time with family/friends, help others, reduce stress, declutter your space.
Environment: Reduce waste, use sustainable products, participate in cleanups.
Tips for Success
Be Specific: Instead of "get fit," try "walk 30 minutes, three times a week".
Start Small: Make manageable changes to build momentum.
Write it Down: Keep your goals visible (fridge, desk) to stay committed.
Track Progress: Use apps or journals to monitor your journey.
Find Enjoyment: Choose activities you genuinely like (e.g., a sport, a hobby).
Be Realistic: Don't set yourself up for failure with overly ambitious goals.
The History
The tradition dates back about 4,000 years to the Babylonians, who made promises to their gods during the Akitu Festival for a favorable year, making it one of the oldest traditions.
Children learn to be responsible when they are given responsibilities. Doing chores teaches that maintaining a home is a family effort and that your child is an important part of the family. Children who are at least 3 years old can do things such as:
Set and clear the table. They can start with the forks, spoons and napkins. Gradually expand the job to include plates and cups.
Feed dry food to family pets and give them fresh water.
Clean, using simple tools such as a feather duster, a small hand broom or a lightweight handheld vacuum.
Help with laundry. They can put dirty clothes in a laundry basket or put clean clothes in drawers.
Help with simple cooking jobs, such as stirring ingredients and pouring cool liquids.
Bring in mail, unless this requires going out on the street.
Pick up toys on a daily basis before bedtime.
“The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence."
~Denis Waitley
The start of a new calendar year is a great time for families and students to review the first half of the school year. How is your high school student doing? Are learning and performance where your teen — and you —would like them to be? If not, it may be time for your teen to make learning resolutions.
Here are three to suggest:
Be in every class on time every day. Students who consistently miss class or who arrive late miss out on important information. Teachers don’t have time to reteach material every time a student is absent or late.
Read for pleasure. Teens benefit from time spent reading. Pleasure reading strengthens writing skills, comprehension, vocabulary and more. According to the most recent report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, only 14% of students say they read for fun every day. So, encourage your teen to spend time each day reading something enjoyable.
Reduce recreational screen time. We all spend time on digital devices — whether it’s for school, work or socializing. However, students need plenty of screen-free activities in their schedules. Suggest your teen turn off screen devices for at least one to two hours each day, and use that time to read, be active or relax.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress, 1971-2023 Long-Term Trend (LTT) Reading and Mathematics Assessments.
Middle schoolers can be easily influenced by their peers — and that’s not always a bad thing. Get to know the types of peer pressure and learn how to respond to each.
Peer pressure can be:
Positive. Your child’s friends volunteer for a good cause. They want good grades on the next history project. They enjoy participating in fitness challenges. Your response: Encourage these activities. Compliment your child for hanging out with great people.
Neutral. Your child copies a friend’s hairstyle or way of dressing. Your response: Do nothing. Imitating friends’ styles is an innocent and harmless behavior.
Negative. Your child got caught helping a friend cheat. You find a vape hidden in a dresser drawer. Your response: Steer your child toward positive activities and keep your eyes open. Don’t allow unsupervised hangouts with friends who spell trouble. Encourage friendships with more responsible peers. When your child earns back your trust, allow more freedom.
When you run into a problem on your laptop or phone, do you ever power it off and restart it? Rebooting a device can help it correct processing issues and work well.
If your child’s school year is not going as well as you’d hoped, it may be time to for a reboot, too! Here are a few strategies to help your child get back on track:
Make change a family affair. If you’ve decided that your child needs to spend more time doing schoolwork, make study time a quiet time for the whole family. You can work on paperwork or read while your child works.
Replace bad habits. Breaking a habit is hard. It's much easier to put a different habit in its place. If your child is in the habit of playing video games right after school ends for the day, suggest pleasure reading for 30 minutes instead. Your child can still relax and strengthen reading skills at the same time!
Get organized. You should be able to find lots of great-looking calendars available on sale this month. Look for one your child will enjoy using. Then instill the habit of writing down responsibilities for home and school. That can help avoid a last-minute panic.
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.
LaMont Cole, Superintendent of Schools
lcole@ebrschools.org
Marlon Cousin, Administrative Director of Family and Community Engagement
mcousin@ebrschools.org
Andrea Simmons, Community Liaison
asimmons2@ebrschools.org
Twahna Harris, Community Liaison
tharris5@ebrschools.org
1050 South Foster Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70806, USA
