Clinton Township Newsletter

1 3 a u g u s t 2 0 2 5 EVERY STUDENT INSPIRED, EVERY TEAM MEMBER SUPPORTED, AND EVERY FAMILY ENGAGED. We're looking forward to welcoming both returning and new students to Clinton Township Middle School. Our staff is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and stimulating environment where every student can thrive. We have a busy year planned with a variety of assemblies that help educate students and provide them with tools to navigate conflicts and friendships. As we approach the first day, we encourage students to: • Review summer reading assignments • Organize school supplies (Label everything with their name!) • Set personal goals for the year • Establish routines • Practice making and following to-do lists • Get back into a regular sleep schedule Remember, middle school is a time of growth, discovery, and transition. We're here to support our students every step of the way. We look forward to an amazing 2025-2026 school year with our CTMS hawks! Clinton Township Middle School Before it's time to head back to school, use these tips to help ensure your child has a safe, healthy and happy year. Make the first day of school easier for kids. • Take your child to visit the new school or classroom before the first day of school. Attend any orientations you can and take an opportunity to tour the school. Also consider taking your child to school a few days prior to class to play on the playground to help them feel comfortable. • Remind your child that teachers know that students may be nervous about the first day of school; they will make an extra effort to make sure everyone feels as comfortable as possible. If your child seems nervous, ask them what they are worried about and help them problem-solve ways to master the new situation. Point out the fun aspects of school, starting to help your child look forward to the first day of class. Talk about how they will see old friends and meet new ones, for example. • Find another child in the neighborhood your child can walk with to school or ride with on the bus. If you feel it's needed, drive your child to school and pick them up on the first day. Get there early on the first day to cut down on unnecessary stress. • Develop a healthy sleep routine. Help your child adjust to earlier bedtimes a week or two before the new school year starts, just to help them ease into new routines. Set a consistent bedtime for your child and stick with it every night. Sleep is critical for kids to stay healthy and be successful in school. Not getting enough sleep is linked with lower academic achievement, as well as higher rates of absenteeism and tardiness. • Create a bedtime routine that's consistent to help your child settle down and fall asleep. For example, a calming pre-bedtime routine may involve a bath/shower, reading with them, tucking them in and saying goodnight. Have your child turn off electronic devices well before bedtime. Try to have the home as quiet and calm as possible when younger children are trying to fall asleep. • Plan for safe travel to and from school. Review the basic rules with your student and practice any new routes or modes of transportation. • Taking the school bus: Remind your child to wait for the bus to stop before approaching it from the curb. Kids should always board and exit the bus at locations that provide safe access to the bus or to the school building. Make sure your child walks where they can see the bus driver (which means the driver will be able to see them, too). Remind your student to look both ways to see that no other traffic is coming before crossing the street, just in case somebody does not stop as required. Encourage your child to actually practice how to cross the street several times before the first day of school. • Make sure your child uses lap/shoulder seat belts at all times when in the bus. Your child should not move around on the bus. • If your child has a chronic condition that could result in an emergency on the bus, make sure you work with the school nurse or other school health personnel to have a bus emergency plan. If possible, do this before the first day of class. • Safe driving and carpooling to school: All passengers should wear a seat belt or use an age- and size-appropriate car seat or booster seat. Keep your child riding in a car seat with a harness as long as possible and then ride in a belt-positioning booster seat. • Provide healthy food options during the school day. Children who eat a nutritious breakfast function better. They flourish in school, and have improved focus and more energy. Make sure they eat a breakfast that contains some protein. If your child does not have time to eat, send them to school with a grab-and-go snack, like a granola bar. • Look into what is offered inside and outside of the cafeteria, including vending machines, a-la-carte, school stores, snack carts and fundraisers held during the school day. They should stock healthy choices such as fresh fruit, low-fat dairy products and water. Learn about your child's school wellness policy and get involved in school groups to put it into effect. Also, consider nutrition if your child will be bringing food to eat during school. • Consider backpack safety. Choose a backpack with wide, padded shoulder straps and a padded back. Organize your child's backpack to use all of its compartments. Pack heavier items closest to the center of the back. The backpack should never weigh more than 10% to 20% of your child's body weight. • Prevent unkind behavior at school, which can be physical, verbal, or social. It can happen at school, on the playground, on the school bus, in the neighborhood or through mobile devices like cell phones. • When your child is a target of unkind behavior: Alert school officials to the problems and work with them on solutions. • Teach your child to be comfortable with, when, and how to ask a trusted adult for help. Ask them to identify who they can ask for help. Recognize the serious nature of unkind behavior and acknowledge your child's feelings about being bullied. • Help your child learn how to respond by teaching your child how to: Look the person in the eye. Stand tall and stay calm in a difficult situation. Walk away.Teach your child how to say in a firm voice: "I don't like what you are doing." "Please do NOT talk to me like that." Encourage your child to make friends with other children. • Support outside activities that interest your child. Make sure there's an adult who knows about the situation, and who can watch out for your child's safety and well-being when you cannot be there. Monitor your child's social media or texting interactions so you can identify problems early. • Secure before- and after- school child care: During early and middle childhood, children need supervision. A responsible adult should be available to get them ready and off to school in the morning and supervise them after school until you return home from work. Children approaching adolescence (11- and 12-year-olds) should not come home to an empty house in the afternoon unless they show unusual maturity for their age. • Support good homework and study habits: Some children need extra help organizing their homework. Checklists, timers, and parental supervision can help overcome homework problems. Create an environment that is homework-friendly starting at a young age. Children need a consistent workspace in their bedroom or another part of the home that is quiet, without distractions, and promotes study. • Schedule ample time for homework. B u i l d t h i s t i m e i n t o c h o i c e s a b o u t participating in after school activities. Establish a household rule that the TV and other electronic distractions stay off during homework time. Supervise computer and internet use. • If your child is struggling with a particular s u b j e c t , s p e a k w i t h t h e i r t e a c h e r f o r recommendations on how to help your child at home or at school. If you have concerns about the assignments your child is receiving, talk with their teacher. If you believe your child would benefit from special education services, submit a request to your school for an Individualized Education Program evaluation. Your pediatrician can help draft a letter of this request. Back-to -S cho ol Tips for Families (www.healthychildren.org)

• Cover