First Day of School

Planning and preparing ahead of time before the first day of school begins now. This gives you and your child a good head start for the beginning of the school year. It is so important you prepare ahead, and not wait until the last minute.

First time students need:

• Birth Certificate
• Student’s Health Record (Form 14: Immunization, Physical Exam, TB Clearance)
• School Transcript (from the last school attended)
• Affidavit (if you are not a biological parent)

Parents and students don't forget!

• Know when school starts.
• Get a supply list from your child’s school.
• Have your child meet all his/her dental and medical appointments before school starts.
• Check your child for head lice (uku) before they start school. Treat if necessary.

Parents' Love is the Greatest Treasure

You are the love of your child’s life. Remember, your child may feel scared or nervous on the first day or the first week of school. Your presence will assure them of your love.

• Have dinner at a reasonable hour.
• Walk your child to school on their first day.
• Have your child go to school groomed, and wearing clean clothes everyday.
• Give your child a healthy breakfast.
• Send your child to school everyday, and to be on time.
• Spend some time with your child to talk peacefully about school before their first day.
• Give your child a good bath every night and put them to bed early.

Help your Child Make the Most of School

A child’s school success is related to their school attendance and work performance. As parents you can help make success achievable for your child. Read your child’s School Student Handbook to familiarize yourself with the school’s expectation of you and your child.

Homework

• Provide a quiet and well lit place for your child to do homework and to study.
• Be around while your child is doing homework or studying, so they can ask for help.

Attendance

• All children, 1st graders to a seniors in high school belong in school (6 to 17 years of age).
• As a parent you are responsible for your child’s attendance. If they are truant, you can be fined or jailed.

Safety

• Be informed of the safety standards of your child’s school. These standards help prevent physical and emotional harm of the students.

Head Lice (Uku)

• Be sure to check your child for head lice and treat if necessary.

Education Begins at Home

Children’s education starts at home. Your relationship with your child is the foundation of their healthy social and emotional development – you are your child’s first teacher. Children learn what they live. What you’re teaching your kids, you will also reap from them. Children will certainly put into practice what they learn from you.

Show your child that you value their education:

• Ask about your child’s day at school.
• Ask who their friends are.
• A child will want to go to school and do better when he sees his parents show interest.
• Give your child love and encouragement as he leaves to school everyday.
• Give encouragement when your child faces struggles in school.
• Respect, love and care between parents and adults in the household reflect a healthy lifestyle to the child.

Parent Involvement Continues at School & Community

Education begins at home and goes beyond, to the school and the community. Nevertheless, parents still remain the primary people responsible to help in the education of their children. Parents know their children best.

What are some of the things I can do?

• Volunteer in the school if you have free time.
• Inquire about the Reduced or Free Lunch at school.
• Inquire about possible extra help or tutoring assistance for your child.
• Attend parent/teacher conferences, parent trainings, workshops, or meetings.
• You can request to have an interpreter if you need one.
• Understand your rights under No Child Left Behind.

Read to Your Child Everyday

A child’s reading skills are important to their success in school and work. In addition, reading can be a fun and imaginative activity for a child, opening doors to all kinds of new worlds. Good reading skills enable your child to be a good writer as well.

It is important to read to your child from birth up through school age, even when they can read on their own.

Studies show that the most important factors enabling children to become readers are:

• Exposure to books, stories, and literature from infancy.
• Awareness of print around them (cereal boxes, store signs, freeway signs, etc.).
• Time to enjoy books by themselves.
• Parents/adults who read and value reading.
• Rich and varied experiences (visits to the zoo, aquarium, museums, fairs, etc.).
• Awareness of letters, words, labels, and letter sounds in real-life contexts – as you sing, as you tell stories, as you interact daily.
• Regular visits to the public library.
• Accessible books that interest children.

Parent's Role in a Child's Life

In a traditional Marshallese family, both parents play a lead role in the child’s life. The father has a responsibility to discipline the son. In addition, the father’s primary role is to provide for the family. The mother has a responsibility to make sure the daughter knows her role in the family. Mothers are responsible for providing unity and harmony in the home as well as taking care of the home. The mother passes down the culture and traditions to her children.

Women are highly respected figures in Marshallese culture. It is the woman who has a greater influence over her children when decisions must be made.

When both parents embrace their responsibilities, the family succeeds.

• Whether they say it or not, your children look up to you for support.
• Ask about how they are doing in school, who their friends are, what their favorite subject is, etc.
• Make time for your child.
• Discuss with them about the consequences of using drugs, alcohol, skipping school, etc.
• Talk to them about your faith, culture, traditions, history and legends.
• Talk to them on how to be successful living in Hawaii.

How Do I Know How Well My Child Is Doing In School?

When a family understands how well their child is doing in school and how to read a report card, they are off to a great start. Understanding the report card is KEY in knowing how well your child is doing in school. If you do not understand your child’s report card, always ask for help from the teacher. In Hawaii the schools and teachers expect families to help their child succeed in school by talking with teachers and having a basic understanding of Standards-Based Education (SBE). Families can show love to their children by knowing the basics of a Standards-Based Education, and how to follow up with the school if they have concerns about their child’s progress.

Here are some key concepts families need to understand:

• General Learner Outcomes (GLOs)
• Standards-Based Education (SBE)
• Standards
• Rubric
• Benchmark

General Learner Outcomes:

• The GLOs are the positive behaviors and skills that lead to success at work, home and in life. Students who repeatedly demonstrate these OUTCOMES will be well on their way to becoming the graduate we envision and ready for college.

Standards-Based Education:

• SBE means a teacher judges the child’s work by comparing it to a pre-set standard.

Standards:

• Knowledge and skills expected of the teacher to teach, and the student to master, by the end of the school year.

Rubric:

• A rubric is a tool used to grade students’ work.
• Rubrics show students how their work will be graded, and what is expected of them.
• A rubric can be used to evaluate written work, hands-on projects, oral presentations and behavior.

Benchmark:

• Knowledge and skills expected of students to know, and be able to do at a specific grade level.