ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, August 22, 1996 TAG: 9608220004
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Beth Macy
SOURCE: BETH MACY
Some were away at the beach, squeezing out that last bit of summer vacation fun.
Some were at their second jobs.
Still others were in the throes of home-renovation projects - and trying not to get paint on the telephone.
If you've ever doubted the claim that public-school teachers are the hardest working folks in show business, stand corrected now:
Some of these teachers were even back in their classrooms - two weeks before they were due - eagerly preparing for another round of kids.
Last week I talked to 13 area public-school teachers (and one guidance counselor) representing 13 different grades. I listened to a bit of academic theory, some heartfelt advice and a lot of good-old common sense.
I had two questions: What is the defining challenge of your particular grade? What advice do you have for parents about to send their child off to that grade?
My quest: to present a back-to-school primer for both students and parents - and anyone else who remembers The Wonder Years in all their glory, from the first day of kindergarten, to the dreaded seventh-grade locker combination, to the rush of, finally, being a senior ... just nine months shy of being too-cool-for-school.
Those of us feeling a bit creaky and out-of-the-loop might be pleased to note that the talk, the technology and the trends may have changed. But not much else has.
Kindergarten, Susan Ayers, Virginia Heights: Getting used to the routine of being in school is the biggie here - especially the super-scary issues of getting to lunch, on the bus, to the bathroom.
Advice to parents: ``Make sure your child knows what to expect the first day, that they've seen the school before, met the teacher. On the first day it's best for parents to bring the children and leave as soon as possible, so the transition will be easier.''
First grade, Ellen Robinson, Raleigh Court: ``First grade is the year it all starts to happen - learning to read, sitting still, feeling or worrying that some of the other kids are doing better than you.''
Advice to parents: Support, don't pressure. Set a goal of spending a minimum of 15 minutes each day with the child, alone, with no other siblings. ``It will open up all kinds of amazing things.''
Second grade, Debbie McClure, Back Creek: Here's where they're introduced to chapter books, cursive writing and multiplication. Team sports and best-friend relationships are also coming on strong.
Advice to parents: ``Building confidence and self-esteem is the most important thing. Let the kid set the pace, don't push too much. Share in their excitement of all the new challenges facing them.''
Third grade, Laurie Beck, Monterey: The beginning of the Big Kid grades, including tougher multiplication, science experiments, division and increased homework. Cliques can start to develop among friends.
Advice to parents: Help the student schedule long-term projects; keep a homework calendar on the refrigerator. Take turns reading to each other - books, newspapers, magazines - every night.
Fourth grade, Andrea Micklem, Oakland Intermediate: A transitional year, a prepubescent year. ``The challenge is finding a balance between being a young school-age child and being responsible.'' Disguised flirtation with the opposite sex begins, ``but they don't really know yet how to get each other's attentions.''
Advice to parents: ``Hang in there. They're searching for their identities. Encourage that exploration into their independence. Let them take risks.''
Fifth grade, Linda LeFever, Oakland: The preparatory year, planning for middle school and the literacy passport test. ``By the time they leave us they need to have excellent cooperative, group skills and they need to be independent workers.'' Relationships are very important.
Advice to parents: Make sure they're in the habit of doing homework. Parent-child communication, which can start to get dicey at this age, is very important. ``They're growing so rapidly, but they still need their parents as much as they ever did, only now it's more for emotional support.''
Sixth grade, Wendell Ball, Ruffner Middle: The transition year from elementary to middle school and all that entails - changing classes, having lots more teachers, dealing with locker combinations, finding their way around new buildings. Come February, the pressure's on for the literacy passport test. Also, ``They're in hormone heaven.''
Advice to parents: ``Help them to be organized is the main thing. And try not to let them be influenced by the kids who don't do well,'' monitoring their peer groups when possible.
Seventh grade, David Johnson, Glenvar Middle: More homework, more responsibility and - all the while - burgeoning adolescence. ``The biggest thing we work on all year is helping them get organized: writing down their assignments, listing their homework.''
Advice to parents: ``There may be days at a time when your son or daughter doesn't speak to you. Try not to be too hurt. ... Be interested in what they're doing in class. Talk to them about their subjects. Don't accept the answer `Nothing' to the question, `What did you do in school today?'''
Eighth grade, Jean Pollock, James Madison Middle: ``The biggest thing is the pressure of trying to fit in, versus being an individual. They struggle with that terribly all year, to the point of sacrificing friends. Eighth grade is where that all comes to a head. Academics almost play second fiddle.''
Advice to parents: Be open and understanding, patient, supportive. ``Try not to get frustrated. I think for a parent whose oldest child is in eighth grade, it's a real shocker. Eighth grade is a really tough year.''
Ninth grade, Tim McConchie, Patrick Henry High: The year when some kids go from being in a 300-student middle school to a 1,600-student high school. ``Students need to be ready to adapt to the freedom they have at high school - going between different buildings, being on a campus - and keeping up with their responsibilities at the same time.''
Advice to parents: ``For most students who are successful, their parents have instilled a sense of responsibility through the grades so they'll be able to handle both the new social opportunities and keep up with their studies.''
Tenth grade, Helen Meredith, William Fleming High: Students are no longer the lowest on the totem pole. The year of driver education. ``They should be seriously thinking about what classes they're taking, whether it's to prepare them for college or vocational.''
Advice to parents: ``Check and double-check to make sure the child is taking relevant classes. Always know where your child is - physically, mentally, in every way.''
Eleventh grade, Peter Lustig, Cave Spring High: The big year of planning for the future, taking SATs, visiting colleges, talking with guidance counselors. Cliques are well-formed, identities set.
Advice to parents: Help them find focus, keep them motivated, be supportive. Some kids are overextended with too many extracurricular activities, advanced courses and jobs. Others ``are harder to motivate in terms of long-term planning when all they're worried about is, `Who am I gonna go on a date with?'''
Twelfth grade, Sandi D'Alessandro, Cave Spring High: The cool year, the final year. Full of excitement for the future, bogged down with so many decisions to make. ``It's a scary time - they don't want to leave, and yet they do. The security blanket is not quite out the door yet.''
Advice to parents: ``It's hard for us parents to keep our mouths closed because we really wanna help them through the pitfalls; we wanna fix it. But what seniors really need most is for us to sit and listen to them.
``Not to criticize, but just to listen.''
LENGTH: Long : 138 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: STEPHANIE KLEIN-DAVIS/Staff. Off to a good start: Gwenby CNBWisnefske, 9, and her brother Jack, 6, are ready to face the new
school year with new clothes, backpacks loaded with fresh supplies
and their lunch. Mom Karen Swan waves goodbye from the front door of
the family's Roanoke home. color.