Mrs. Law's Lexington Junior High Blog

COLLEGE CREDIT PLUS You are invited to attend a special meeting to inform about the College Credit Plus program. This program enables students in grades 7-12 to earn college and high school credits at the same time by taking college courses from a public or private college or university. This program was enacted by the state of Ohio in September 2014 and began in the 2015-2016 school year. The purpose of the College Credit Plus program is to promote rigorous academic pursuits and to provide a wide variety of options to college-bound students. Colleges and universities will admit students based on their college-readiness. Students who will enter grades 7-12 and meet all the college entrance requirements are eligible to participate in the fall of 2018. The Lexington Local School District will offer students two ways to participate in the College Credit Plus program: The first is for the student to attend classes on public or private college or university campuses. The college

**Attention Parents** In our professional and personal lives we all have people we admire and trust. For me, that person is Norman Shub.  Norman Shub is an author, teacher and psychotherapist with the ability to expertly guide individuals, couples, families and communities toward solutions. His clear, compassionate, and practical style of teaching makes him a joy to listen to and you will come away with many clear and specific ideas . For more than 35 years, Norman has been clinical director of Gestalt Associates and the Gestalt Institute of Central Ohio. Throughout the year, he offers workshops on many of the topics that affect our daily lives. These workshops are offered in the evening, at a very reasonable price, and I can not express how beneficial I have found him to be.  Please consider attending a workshop. You will not regret it. Here are the current offerings! Developing Your Child's Self-Esteem - February 13, 2018 Parenting From Your Heart - April 10, 17

SNOW DAYS! Every year we have the possibility of delays or cancellations. Many of you will wear pajamas backwards, put ice in the toilet, and any other crazy superstition to help get a snow day! In reality, a delay or cancellation is decided by a few specific people. They drive the back roads, side roads, and wherever it is most likely to be dangerous. Here is what to expect: Any decision to delay or cancel school will be made no later than 6:00 AM. If we have a two-hour delay, a decision to cancel will be made no later than 8:00 AM. The quickest and easiest way to find out about any delay or cancellation is to register for an email or text alert! Use this link: http://www.ohioalerts.org/lex

Test Taking Skills! Student often tell me that tests cause them anxiety, cause them stress, or that they are poor test takers. Did you know that you can actually get better at tests? The act of taking a test is a skill that you can develop!  Here are a few tips: Don't study with friends if it raises your anxiety. Do study with friends if it lowers your anxiety. Makes sense, right? The most important tip: AVOID CRAMMING! If you are prone to test anxiety, last minute studying is almost guaranteed to make you feel anxious. Start studying for a test far enough in advance (perhaps a few days before the test!) to avoid this. Better yet, study a little bit each day. Know when to stop studying! An extra half hour is not worth it if you are tired and unfocused. Know when to stop and get some sleep instead of trying to cram a few extra test points into your brain. Rest is important too! Read for mastery rather than memory: think about and try to understand what you read a

Did you know that, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, 20% of youth between the ages 13-18 live with a mental health condition and 8% of youth have an anxiety disorder?  What is even scarier to me is that according to the same data reports, nearly 50% of youth between ages 8 – 15 didn’t receive any mental health services in the last year. If you stop to really reflect on that, it would be unheard of for people to be ill with a physical illness and not receive any health care.  So that brings us to the question of why people aren’t getting the help they need.  “Many people feel embarrassed or ashamed of symptoms because our society places illogical taboos on mental health issues over physical conditions,” said clinical psychologist Nikki Massey-Hastings, PsyD. This can be seen even in the school setting.  When someone walks back into school with a cast or brace after breaking a bone, other students will rush up to offer sympathy and support.  W

Junior High is the perfect time to try something new! We have many different sports and clubs, with something for everyone:) Winter sports coming soon:  (Students need a yearly physical and completed paperwork to participate in any athletics). Wrestling Girls Basketball Boys Basketball Swimming Clubs already in progress: Breakfast Club  Every Thursday BEFORE school, in the gym. No need to sign up, just show up whenever you can!   Clubs starting soon: CACY (A community service organization) - First meeting will be this Thursday during lunches! Academic Challenge - Try-outs start next week! Power of the Pen Spelling Bee Math Counts Listen to announcements for more information!

The first grading period is officially over! It is amazing how fast the year goes by. For many of you, it probably feels like it just started. At the elementary level grading periods were 9 weeks long. Starting in Junior High, they are only 6 weeks long! This can be both a positive and a negative, depending on how you look at it.  On the positive side, you have more grades to average together for your final. Also, you have more fresh starts! Every six weeks you get to start over! This is often a source of hope for those of you who struggle with your grades. Each six weeks brings a new opportunity to set and achieve your academic goals.  On the other hand, six weeks is not a lot of time! For this reason, it is VERY IMPORTANT to start each new grading period as best as you possibly can. It is much easier to maintain your grades, than it is to dig yourself out of a hole from the first week!  There are many things that can get in the way of good grades. Distraction, organization, f

Earlier this year, I talked to English classes and welcomed them to the 2017-2018 school year. We discussed classes, lockers, social life at the Junior High, confidentiality, and many other things. During that talk, I shared some exciting news! I am getting married!  As a result, I will be out of the office from September 21st to September 26th. If you need immediate assistance while I am away, please contact Taylor Gerhardt or John Watkins at 419-884-2112. When I return I will be Mrs. Law! So do not be surprised when you see a different name on the door, or "Law" written on passes. I will still be here! Have a great week and I will be back September 27th!

  Let's get organized! The time to get organized is NOW! Yes, I realize that we are still in the early part of the year, but trust me, it is better to start off organized and just maintain it rather than to let things get completely out of control and then work on cleaning everything up in order to find that *one* item that you needed. For some students, being organized comes easier than it does to others and the reality is that one system of staying organized doesn't always work for everyone else so you really need to think about what does or does not work for you. Sometimes the best way to figure out an organization strategy that will work for you is to stop and reflect back on what has NOT worked for you in the past. For example, if you are a person who always tries to keep things in binders, but then ends up with the little pocket areas in the front and the back of the binder stuffed to the breaking point then this system of organization really

It is the last day of school!!! While many of us are planning our summers, thinking about vacations and all of the projects that need to be done, one of our Lexington families has something much different on their minds. The Percy family experienced a house fire earlier this week. Everyone is safe, but the family is in need of our support.   Please help if you can, and share their story! https://www.gofundme.com/deeprocopio

Anxiety Workshop for Parents! Anxiety  has become a growing issue in our changing world, especially with increasing terrorism, violence and more.  Parents often struggle to manage anxiety that develops in their children. While occasional anxiety is normal, constant anxiety can look a lot more like fear. Fear is being afraid of something real. Anxiety can become irrational and an everyday part of a child’s life, prohibiting them from truly enjoying childhood.  If you are a parent and are confused about how to help your child grow beyond their anxiety, you are not alone.   In this workshop, parents will learn skills to mitigate anxiety and help their children navigate anxiety. Why Should You Attend: -Is your child feeling too much anxiety? -Do you know what parents do that inadvertently causes anxiety in children?  -Are you modeling too much anxiety?  -Do you know how to help your child feel less anxiety through the parenting process?  -Do you know how to kee

The school year is winding down and everyone is beginning to think about SUMMER! What are your plans? Riding your bike, time at the pool, soccer, baseball, earning money babysitting, time with friends, or maybe even a vacation:) Summer is a time to relax and refresh, but it is also an opportunity to learn new things, explore your interests, and have some fun! Here is one opportunity you might want to explore! Mansfield Christian Robotics Camp! Dates:  June 13 - June 15 Time:   9:00 AM to 3:00 PM                        Place:  Mansfield Christian               500 Logan Road              Mansfield, OH 44907 Who:    Students entering 4th - 12th Grades in the fall. Cost:     $100.00 1st Child             $87.50 add children Registration and payment is all online: www.mcsflames.org/robotics Check out this agenda! Tuesday, June 13, 2017 9:00  - 12:00 Sign-In and Introductions Safety, Terminology, Tools & Software Introduction to Robot Constructi

To support this year’s Pennies for Patients campaign, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is challenging each 5th period class to raise $250 online in 48 hours! April 21-23 As a reward, all classrooms at our school that raise $250 or more online by the Flash 48 deadline will receive a pizza party! The Flash 48 deadline is Sunday, April 23 2017 at 11:59pm All online donations from April 21-23 will be counted towards the $250 reward and also towards each classroom’s grand total. TO DONATE:  Go to  http://events.lls.org/pages/noh/LexingtonJuniorHighSchool-2017 In order to also earn your special, limited edition Student Series T-shirt you need to sign up for your own personal page too.  Here is what you need to do! 1. In the link above, on the right side of the page look for “Get Involved” and click on “Join Your Classroom Team” 2. Follow directions to make your page  3. Share your page on social media!

Do you have trouble focusing? Here is a fun tip that ANYONE can use, at ANY TIME! All you need is a pen and 1 minute! Step 1: Find a pen or pencil. Step 2: Hold it up to your face, about 1 foot away. Step 3: Focus on the end of the pencil for 1 minute (setting a timer will help you to avoid being distracted). For this one minute of time, do not allow yourself to think about anything else! Just focus on the end of the pencil! This would be great to try before beginning your homework, studying, at the beginning of a big game or race, anytime! I would love to know what everyone thinks of this. I will be trying it also:) I challenge you to use this trick at least once this week! (It might be good to try this before or during the Math & Science testing:) One Minute Life Hack Will Make You Do Everything Better! 

Final Grading Period! Can you believe that today kicked off the start of the 6th six weeks?  It doesn't seem possible that we would be heading into the final grading period of the year, but we are, and the reality is that for many students the 4th and 5th six weeks have been a struggle.  This means that as we head into the LAST ONE it is imperative that you finish the 2nd semester and the year off strong. One critical component that many students seem to struggle with is studying.  Recently I have been hearing lots of people saying that they are doing all of their homework, but are still not doing well on tests or quizzes.  If that sounds familiar to you, then chances are you are struggling to study effectively. Reviewing content and reading through your notes is not the same thing as studying.  It is essential that you DO something with the content and knowledge you have gained in your classes.  It is that process of actively interacting with the information which helps to s

Happy Friday! There may be snow on the ground, but SPRING BREAK is nearly here! I am sure many families are looking forward to a fun and relaxing break! For many students, after a break, the return to school is difficult due to symptoms of anxiety. We see a growing number of students dealing with anxiety. Anxiety is often unpredictable and can be a challenge for the whole family. If you have a child who struggles with anxiety, I urge you to make the return to school a priority on April 17th. Try not to schedule any appointments or have any tardies in that first week back. If an appointment is necessary, make it as late in the day as possible. This way it does not disrupt the morning routine.  If anxiety is something your family struggles through, there is an upcoming workshop just for you!  Norman Shub, Ph.D. is the Clinical Director of the Gestalt Institute of Central Ohio.  Norman Shub is an author, teacher and psychotherapist who is a leader in the guiding of individuals, coup

Next week is a key week at the Junior High. We will kick-off our AIR testing on Wednesday and Thursday, March 22nd and 23rd. This will be a normal school day, we will not have a different schedule. Testing will take place during periods 1-3, and students will return to their regular classes 4-7th. Don’t stress!  Yes, there is a lot of focus on testing, but your test results are simply one snapshot of your abilities and do not define you.  Try to remember that it is not the end of the world if your results aren’t where you would want them to be and so simply go into the testing experience with a positive outlook and do the best that you can without stressing yourself out over it. Get a good night’s sleep in the days leading up to the test!   So many of you function in an exhausted state of being and that can be particularly challenging when you are trying to focus so intently for an extended period of time. This will not be news to you, but being tired makes it difficult to conc

Procrastination is one of the more common problem areas that students battle. Every year I meet some students who are "master procrastinators." The reality is that some people don't mind putting everything off until the last possible second and then working like crazy to get everything accomplished before the deadline, but this can result in a lot of unnecessary stress. Procrastination certainly doesn’t mean that you are lazy or incapable, but it is often a sign that something is getting in your way of completing your tasks and responsibilities. If you are interested in learning strategies for gaining control over your tendencies to procrastinate, it is important to remember that there are no quick fixes. As with most things in life, what works for one person will not necessarily work for someone else so it is important to find a strategy that will work effectively for you. I doubt that any of these suggestions will be ideas that you have never heard of before, but it c

Yesterday in 8th Grade Science classes, the High School Counselors and I spent some time trying to explain to students how you earn credits in high school.  It is a valuable reminder for everyone. High school is different than elementary and junior high.  In junior high, you take classes and each year you move on to the next grade and take all the classes for that grade.  In high school, you must earn credits for specified classes and you earn credit each time you pass a class. So, for example, all students must earn 4 credits of English to graduate.  When you pass English 9 during your freshman year, you move on to English 10 during your sophomore year.  If, unfortunately, you failed English 9 then you are going to have to make that up before you can progress on to English 10.  Students who fail a class will be able to make up the course either by repeating the class over the summer or by retaking it during your sophomore year.  The bottom line is that you must REPEAT the class in

HAPPY MONDAY! Due to state testing taking place at the Junior High and High School on Wednesday, March 22, 2017,  we are going to move our March early release day to Wednesday, March 15, 2017.

Trying to decide what you want to be when you grow up can be difficult. I would not expect a junior high student to know the precise career that will make them happy and fulfilled in the future.  The data on how many careers a person will hold in their lifetime is difficult to track, but most statistics indicate that on average you will have 7 different jobs in your adult working life.  It seems pretty clear to me that most of those adults never imagined changing jobs so many times and if they couldn’t predict what job they would want in their careers as adults it isn’t necessarily realistic to think that you will know exactly what you want to do when you are still in high school. You don’t know about fields that you haven’t been exposed to yet – how could you know if you’d like anthropology or astronomy when those are areas you haven’t studied.  That is why it is important to take opportunities to be curious, to explore, to learn, to ask questions, to observe and to find out more

Music and Mood Music has a great deal of power.  Sometimes the right song can put into words just how we are feeling when we can’t find the words to express it on our own.  Other times it can transport us to another time in our life as a vivid reminder of a person, place or significant memory.  Music can even help boost learning and memory.  Think about it – when you were little you learned how to memorize information by singing songs – like the ABC song to memorize your alphabet. Music has a proven, physiological effect on your brain.  Music can bring comfort, relief, understanding, and enjoyment.  It can help relieve stress, reduce anxiety, celebrate successes, and build enthusiasm.  (There are so many examples of the impact that music has in our lives, but think about a big sporting event and the music playing before the start of the game… it definitely serves a purpose beyond just adding noise!)  Sometimes it is the tone, beat, or rhythm that impacts you and sometimes it will

Asking for prayers for one of our own.  If you are able to give financially, use the link below.  https://www.gofundme.com/donley-house-fire-recovery

Attention Students and Parents: This year, we are offering a Pre-College planning meeting for 8th and advanced 7th grade students. This meeting will take place at 6:30 in the HS auditorium, Feb 6th. This meeting will cover many of the new terms you will hear as you begin to develop a plan for high school and college courses.  We hope to see you there!