This is my third year at West View Middle School. I have worked in the counseling field for about 19 years. I love working with pre-teens and teens. I have two children. My daughter is a student at West High and my son is a student here at West View. So I understand the struggles with homework, peer pressure and dealing with challenges of puberty. (How do we survive?!)

I believe that if we all work together: students, parents, teachers, and myself, that we can pull through the middle school years. I do like to hear from parents and the concerns they have for their children. The concerns give me direction in the areas I need to focus my time

2. Check teacher's web pages for homework assignments an test dates as well as notes from the teacher

4. Sign your child up for tutoring if needed. Tutoring is offered every morning and every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in the afternoon.

5. Ask your child about assignments and make sure he/she has the supplies to complete the projects assigned.

6. Offer support - walk them through one or two problems or if you are like me and are challenged by 7th and 8th grade math find someone who can help explain how to work out a problem. I sometimes have them explain how to do a problem, this can reinforce their learning by having them teach someone else.

7. Praise your child on any improvement whether they have kept their binder neat or they have brought their planner home. I know sometimes we have to search far and wide to find that little compliment but I have found that it is the only thing that penetrates the deafness that occurs when our children go through puberty. (My husband still has it)

8. Team with teachers- they want your children to do well in class. If we all work together we stand a better chance of succeeding.

Answer: Most students have some level of test anxiety, however, some have a harder time dealing with test anxiety than others.

7. Study in a quite . Do not try to talk on the phone, watch TV and listen to ROCK 104 while studying.

10. Develop responsibility for your successes and failures. If you blame someone or something for your failures you will be less empowered to do something about it.

Answer: We have incorporated a "NO BULLYING" policy here at West View. I hope to do education with the 6th grade class on the types of bullying and what to do if you are being bullied. I also do peer mediation with any students who are having problems getting along and set up support teams for students who are being bullied. Our Principal and our Assistant Principal do a great job of interceding any bullying behavior.

Please let me know of any Bullying situations, no child should feel unsafe at school and if we don't know about a problem then we have no way of fixing it. 1.Encourage your son / daughter to try to stay away from the bully"out of sight out of mind" may help.

2. Have you child look the bully in the eye and tell he or she to cut it out. Some times just standing up to a bully can help. I can help with some come backs if needed.

3. The most effective bully intervention is developing a strong group of friends for your child. Most bullies pick on kids who are considered loners. A network of friends is often a strong defense. Involve your child in activities he has a talent in so he can meet kids with similar interest and then invite them over. I can also set up a support team for your child. This is a group of kids that most of the students look up to and can have alot of influence with other students.

I have also worked on setting up Enpowerment Groups. I had a group of girls that I worked with in the Book Club last year, some of these girls were used in helping with the Ridin High Program- a program to help physically challenged children ride horses as physical therapy. The Ridin High program is not associated with the school system and the girls have to go through a training and a screening offered by the Ridin High staff.

Answer: I plan on doing career interest inventories with the 8th grade and introducing them to several web sites to explore the careers they are interested. I also plan on having a career fair in the spring where information on the careers our 8th graders showed interest in will be displayed.

I have several books with valuable information pertaining to parenting and school interventions. If you have a certain concern I would be glad to share some of these ideas with you.

That is it for guidance. However, I am open for suggestions. I look forward to working with you and your child this year. Please feel free to call or e-mail me if I can help you in any way.


	Gail Rines Guidance First of all let me tell you a little about myself: This is my third year at West View Middle School. I have worked in the counseling field for about 19 years. I love working with pre-teens and teens. I have two children. My daughter is a student at West High and my son is a student here at West View. So I understand the struggles with homework, peer pressure and dealing with challenges of puberty. (How do we survive?!) I believe that if we all work together: students, parents, teachers, and myself, that we can pull through the middle school years. I do like to hear from parents and the concerns they have for their children. The concerns give me direction in the areas I need to focus my time Some concerns I have heard are, 1. "How can I help my child make better grades?" 2. "What can I do If my child has "test anxiety"? 3. "What do I do if my child is having problems with peers?" 4. "My child does not have any idea about a career he/she is interested in." 1. "How can I help my child make better grades?" Answer: 1. Check your child's planner for homework assignments and test dates 2. Check teacher's web pages for homework assignments an test dates as well as notes from the teacher 3. Sign up for Parent Connect on our web page to be informed of your child's grades 4. Sign your child up for tutoring if needed. Tutoring is offered every morning and every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in the afternoon. 5. Ask your child about assignments and make sure he/she has the supplies to complete the projects assigned. 6. Offer support - walk them through one or two problems or if you are like me and are challenged by 7th and 8th grade math find someone who can help explain how to work out a problem. I sometimes have them explain how to do a problem, this can reinforce their learning by having them teach someone else. 7. Praise your child on any improvement whether they have kept their binder neat or they have brought their planner home. I know sometimes we have to search far and wide to find that little compliment but I have found that it is the only thing that penetrates the deafness that occurs when our children go through puberty. (My husband still has it) 8. Team with teachers- they want your children to do well in class. If we all work together we stand a better chance of succeeding. 2. "What can I do If my child has "test anxiety"? Answer: Most students have some level of test anxiety, however, some have a harder time dealing with test anxiety than others. Ten Ways To Reduce Test Anxiety 1. Overcome negative self-talk. 2.Ask questions. 3.Consider the subject a foreign language--- it must be PRACTICED. 4. Don't rely on memorization to study subjects. 5. READ your material. Twice! 6.Study according to your learning style. 7. Study in a quite . Do not try to talk on the phone, watch TV and listen to ROCK 104 while studying. 9. Help someone else with the subject teach them what you know. You retain it better. 10. Develop responsibility for your successes and failures. If you blame someone or something for your failures you will be less empowered to do something about it. 3. "What do I do if my child is having problems with peers?" Answer: We have incorporated a "NO BULLYING" policy here at West View. I hope to do education with the 6th grade class on the types of bullying and what to do if you are being bullied. I also do peer mediation with any students who are having problems getting along and set up support teams for students who are being bullied. Our Principal and our Assistant Principal do a great job of interceding any bullying behavior. Please let me know of any Bullying situations, no child should feel unsafe at school and if we don't know about a problem then we have no way of fixing it. 1.Encourage your son / daughter to try to stay away from the bully"out of sight out of mind" may help. 2. Have you child look the bully in the eye and tell he or she to cut it out. Some times just standing up to a bully can help. I can help with some come backs if needed. 3. The most effective bully intervention is developing a strong group of friends for your child. Most bullies pick on kids who are considered loners. A network of friends is often a strong defense. Involve your child in activities he has a talent in so he can meet kids with similar interest and then invite them over. I can also set up a support team for your child. This is a group of kids that most of the students look up to and can have alot of influence with other students. I have also worked on setting up Enpowerment Groups. I had a group of girls that I worked with in the Book Club last year, some of these girls were used in helping with the Ridin High Program- a program to help physically challenged children ride horses as physical therapy. The Ridin High program is not associated with the school system and the girls have to go through a training and a screening offered by the Ridin High staff. 4. "My child does not have any idea about a career he/she is interested in." Answer: I plan on doing career interest inventories with the 8th grade and introducing them to several web sites to explore the careers they are interested. I also plan on having a career fair in the spring where information on the careers our 8th graders showed interest in will be displayed. I have several books with valuable information pertaining to parenting and school interventions. If you have a certain concern I would be glad to share some of these ideas with you. That is it for guidance. However, I am open for suggestions. I look forward to working with you and your child this year. Please feel free to call or e-mail me if I can help you in any way. Gail Rines West View Middle School (423) 581-2407 grines@hcboe.net