Mrs. Law's Lexington Junior High Blog

Winter at the Junior High Coughing, sneezing, fever, headaches... No, this is not a list of symptoms for an over-the-counter cold medicine. These are the constant complaints and sounds coming from the clinic. Despite the veil of sickness hanging over the junior high right now, there is a lot going on! Student council just wrapped up a food drive in each homeroom. Over 400 items were collected and donated to a local food bank. Mrs. Collins class won the contest with their contribution of over 100 cans! The prize was cold, hard, cash$$$ The generosity did not end there, the winning homeroom actually voted to donate the prize money. Congratulations to Mrs. Collins class and thank you for your kindness and generosity. This Thursday will be pajama day. So everyone should come in their best pjs, jammies, comfies, or whatever else you might call them! That should be a relaxing day! Friday is the big day, the last day before a well deserved break for our students. The High School Jazz...

How to Study   Studying for tests can be daunting - especially because sometimes you don't know *how* to study. It is important to figure out what study strategies work best for you. And there are many! One lesson I have learned (from both experience and from the other students) is that just reading your notes is NOT studying.You really need to be doing something in order to effectively study for exams. And yes, I am aware that for some of you and for some classes reading through your notes may be enough. However, as you sit there reading your notes it is common for your mind to wander. Then, as you are taking the test, you realize that all of the information you thought you knew was actually just familiar .   So, perhaps in addition to reading through your notes, you could try some other ideas. Her are some examples, but again, it is about finding a strategy that will work for you . Remember, this will be different for each student. Typically, it is also be d...

Graduation Requirements Do you know what is required to graduate from high school? In all honesty, the answer is probably “no.” The graduation requirements have been a work in process for those students who are in the Class of 2018 and beyond. Last month, the state provided information that spells out what current freshman and beyond must successfully do in order to graduate with a high school diploma. I will be honest, perhaps it is just bec ause it is a change, but it is not necessarily easy to understand at first glance. My goal is to help make sure that you know and understand what you will need to do to graduate. This is important information to become familiar with, because high school is right around the corner! So, before I jump into the new graduation requirements, I am going to start off with the Course Requirements because those have not changed at all. The course requirements are the classes that are required for ALL STUDENTS in grades 9 - 12 . These course re...

Music! Tonight is the Junior High Band and Orchestra concert. Tomorrow night is the Junior High Choir concert. The music programs at Lexington are excellent. Tonight students will be able to show off everything they have been working on and parents will have a lot to be proud of. I have always known that our music programs are phenomenal. It is obvious to anyone who attends a concert. There is a level of excellence that you do not expect to find at a junior high event.  This year I am even more aware of the high caliber musicians and singers we have at Lexington. Last year my office was located in the middle of the first floor hallway. This year, my office is attached to the main office. This puts me directly under the music room. All day I get to hear the Orchestra, the Bands, and the Choirs. I never lack in the area of music! I look forward to seeing them in action this week. If the muted sounds drifting into my office everyday are any indication – the concerts are g...

For Parents and Teachers... THIS is an interesting article on the effect of intelligence v. effort, and the kind of praise that benefits kids the most. As parents and educators we often want to encourage kids by telling them how smart and capable they are. "You can do it, you are smart. You are totally capable of this work. You are so intelligent. You just need to show us how smart you are. If you would just work to your ability, you would have much better grades. You are too smart to be earning these grades. You are smarter than this." I could go on and on. Research suggests that this type of praise and encouragement does not have the desired effect. It will work for a certain period of time, but eventually, it can lead to laziness. Students who repeatedly hear how smart they are, may not believe they have to work very hard. Instead, we should praise and encourage students based on their hard work and effort! "Wow, you really worked hard on that proje...