Getting Organized

The Western Hills planner contains some great information about the school and the policies and procedures you'll need to follow to have a successful year.  It is also an amazing tool to keep organized throughout the school year.  Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your planner.

1. Record homework in your planner daily
2. Organize your planner by period to make it easier to record assignments
3. Check your planner before leaving school to be sure you bring home the right materials
4. Use your planner as a quick reference guide to find information about grammar rules, math formulas, etc.
5. Pack your school bag right after you finish your homework.  You can use your planner as a checklist to make sure you have all your work for the next day

Quarter 3 Progress Reports

Here are some more tips to help you improve your Quarter 3 Grades.

Use Flash Cards. - Flashcards are not just for Elementary School. Use them for definitions, key words from your notes, formulas for Science and Math, dates for Social Studies, foreign language phrases, etc. On one side, write the question and on the other, the answers. You can review flashcards any where;  perfect for the busy teenager.

Pick The Best Study Location - Find a place with few distractions. Let your friends and family members know that it is important that you are not disturbed while in the study zone

Memorize and Understand. - Face it, you’ll probably need to memorize a certain amount of information many of your classes. The key for you will be to remember and understand what you memorize. Generate examples, create mnemonics, make summary notes, identify key words, and self-test to master the material.  Check out http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090226144506AAFGwS1 for some tips other students have mastered to memorize.

Thanks to http://www.has.vcu.edu/advising/gradetips.html for the idea for this blog post.
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Halfway Through Quarter 3

Believe it or not we are halfway through Quarter Three.  If you think you may get a bad report in any of your classes you may want to try some of these tips:

Meet with Your Teacher. - Teachers stay after school for extra help all the time.  Ask your teacher when you can stay for extra help.  During your visit, ask about good tips on mastering the material and how to prepare for tests.

Study Every Day. - Students who make A’s spend time on their studies each day. Stay on top of your courses and don’t get behind on your reading, assignments, papers, etc. Review your notes within 24 hours of taking them to head off forgetting and to clarify them so they will have more meaning when you study for tests.

Write It Down. - It’s up to you to remember due dates for assignments and test dates. Your Western Hills Middle School Planner is great for organizing your life. Record all the important dates (including exams, paper deadlines, and other assignments).  If you've lost your planner you can purchase one in the Main Office for $3.00

Study Skills Check-Up

When you go to a doctor they run a series of tests to see if you are in good health.  Try running the following test on your study skills to see if your running in top shape

If you answered Seldom or Sometimes to any of the points in the test what can you do to improve your score?

Study Skills Tips

Check out this Top Ten List of Study Skills Tips.  How many do you employ in your nightly study?

http://www.brighthubeducation.com/teaching-middle-school/3521-study-skills-for-middle-school-students/

Nightly Organization Checklist

Before you go to bed at night take a moment to do the following:

• ·         Check your assignment book.   

•       Make sure you finish assignments that are due the next day

•       Pack your schoolbag after you finish your homework

•       Get your clothes ready for the morning

Make Time for Homework

• ·         Set up a special homework time each day

• ·         Make sure you are working in a quiet space with plenty of light and the correct supplies

• ·         Do not take phone calls from friends

• ·         Ask family members not to disturb you

onTRAC Planning

We all know how useful the calendar pages are in the student planner, but have you checked out the onTRAC Planning pages in the front of the book?  Here’s a sample of some of the great tips you’ll find.