Mrs. Law's Lexington Junior High Blog

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 dif...

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...

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...

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...

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