MeyerPark Charter News
Curious about the latest buzz around campus? We’ll include all the most recent happenings for you here on our News page along with interesting articles and helpful information for families. Check back frequently so you don’t miss anything!
Have you ever heard the saying, “If someone told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it?” A bit extreme, yes. But that would be peer pressure. And while peer pressure is usually seen as a negative thing, it can sometimes lead to positive results. Most middle and high school students are able to identify the difference between good peer pressure and bad peer pressure.
Resisting pressure from your peers to try something with harmful effects (smoking, drugs, a dangerous stunt) doesn’t mean you aren’t cool. It means you are smart enough to make a good choice. You understand the harmful effects of the action and have made a choice that is good for you. Hopefully you know how to say “no” to peer pressure and can walk away from an uncomfortable situation.
But sometimes your peers may continue to pressure you into a situation or activity that is dangerous or harmful to yourself or others. In times like these, knowing some strategies ahead of time will help. Beyond Growth offers some advice on how to be prepared so you can make—and stick to—your decisions.
Peer pressure isn’t all bad though. Sometimes your peers can pressure you into a situation that benefits you or that you were too afraid to do on your own. Maybe a friend urges you to study for your civics exam rather than go to a movie. When isn’t studying a good thing? Or maybe a friend encourages you to enter a piece of your artwork into a contest you were nervous about competing in. Going along with the crowd or giving in to a friend isn’t always a bad thing. Just make sure the crowd isn’t trying to pressure you into something you truly don’t want to do.
Decision-making and peer pressure are part of growing up. It’s how you handle it that will make all the difference!
Nutritious eating is important for children to learn early in life. They are influenced by what they eat at home and at school. By finding fun and creative ways at home and by supporting schools that provide healthier food, you can greatly influence your children to enjoy eating nutritiously.
Home is where your children gain a foundation for good nutrition. It’s true what they say, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Breakfast helps fuel your children for their day at school, which is why it is so important that you have influence over what your children eat. An NPR article presents studies showing that children who eat breakfast before going to school perform better, have more energy, and pay better attention to their teachers than those who do not. Studies have also shown that what your children eat for breakfast affects their performance throughout the day.
Sending your children to school with a nutritious lunch can be a deterrent to the vending machines. Dr. Geoffrey Greene, president of the Society of Nutrition Education, found that parental limitations on how many sugary drinks a child was allowed to drink at home made a difference for the better in how many sugary drinks they purchased at school.
As parents, you have a tremendous amount of influence over what your kids eat. The Super Kids Nutrition website has great articles and fun ideas about how to get your children involved in eating more nutritiously. By having fun and being creative with your children, they will want to eat better.
For most elementary-age kids, reading at home is a daily assignment; but it doesn’t have to be a chore. Reading a good book is a fun way for a child to unwind from a busy day and to discover far-off people and places from the comfort of home. Often the daunting part of the reading experience is not the reading itself, but rather the search for books that match both the child’s interests and his or her stage of reading independence. Fortunately, some great online resources can assist parents and children in the hunt for that just-right book.
Parents Choice: The reading section of this valuable media-review website offers a variety of articles and book lists with several geared toward reluctant readers.
Scholastic: An excellent resource for parents on all things reading related, this website is full of useful articles and tips to help you foster a love of reading in your home. On this site, you can also browse book lists in a variety of categories ranging from “Fantasy Fixes for Harry Potter Fans” to “Baseball Books for Beginning Readers.”
Guys Read: Popular children’s author Jon Scieszka started this website with the mission to “help boys become self-motivated, lifelong readers.” The site has great book suggestions for boys from elementary age up through high school.
AR (Accelerated Reader) Book Finder: With this search tool, you can look for books by topic, title, or author. They provide a short summary of each book, with information about the AR level and number of AR points assigned to each book.
Education.com: Top nonprofit and university organizations provide book lists, articles, and tips on this website to help you choose books for your children from infancy through high school and beyond into adulthood.
If you prefer a low-tech way to find book recommendations, check out Esme Raji Codell’s How to Get Your Child to Love Reading: For Ravenous and Reluctant Readers Alike. The author, also a schoolteacher and librarian, has created a huge treasury of ideas and book lists to help parents and teachers select titles for all interests. In addition, don’t forget the most reliable source of all for helpful book suggestions—your local school and county librarians.