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hvparent.com n Hudson Valley Parent 27 Fishkill 845-765-2240 Goshen 845-360-5530 Mon.-Fri. 8am-8pm, Sat. & Sun. 9am-4pm NEED URGENT CARE? We've got you covered! • Board Certifi ed Physicians • Fast Diagnosis and Treatment of non-life threatening illness & injury • Lab tests • School, Sports and Camp Physicals Open 7 days a week for your convenience No appointment necessary Most insurances accepted E x c e l - U r g e n t C a r e . c o m We see patients 4 months and up parents before the first report card comes out. It's important to look at the student's weaknesses and strengths. You don't want a lot of surprises." One key is continuous communication, not just at the end of the 10-week session. Those communications include emails and newsletters, as well as parent conferences. "When discussing the report card with a student, parents have a delicate line to walk," Serratore says. They need to support the child's efforts and advocate for him, if necessary. But they also must understand that kids need to be invested and have ownership over what their report card looks like. Set goals, review progress Erin Nelson, at Kingston City Schools has a similar take on the parent-child-teacher communication process. She teaches seventh grade science at J. Watson Bailey Middle School, and has been a teacher for over 17 years. She's also the adminis- trator for the Transition 5 Program. She says report cards and progress reports are one way to regularly track your child's progress. "It is best to approach each of these as just one method of communication with your child's teachers and school. It is important for families to regularly check folders and backpacks to stay up to date on their progress and have important conversations with your child about short-term and long-term goal- setting and encourage them to seek extra help when needed before the progress reports and report cards arrive." When report cards arrive, a positive way to review the results is to sit down with your child and discuss areas of strength and areas in need of improve- ment, Nelson says. "Ask open-ended questions such as what did you do well this quarter, how could you improve, what can you do differently?" Nelson advises having your child set a goal at the beginning of the year and every quarter. "Review progress toward that goal and reach out to teachers whenever you have questions." In addition, set up a consistent time and location for your child to do homework. In the Kingston district, teachers communicate with families during back to school night, during conferences, through progress reports and report cards, through email and by writing notes in the students' agenda planners and by phone. If parents don't feel that their students are reaching their potential, it is always a good idea to contact the teacher directly as soon as possible, Nelson says, adding that at middle and high school levels, parents can also reach out to guidance counselors. "We are all here to help ensure your child's success," Nelson says. Olivia L. Lawrence is an editor for a news organization.