Past, Present..What do you want for your childs future?

School has begun, so I thought I would go over some of the important things for parents, teachers and students. Bring organization, punctuality and attitude into the classroom. Show respect for your teachers, staff and peers. Read the school guidelines, dress code, zero tolerance and bus rules. Let us not forget that there are two sides to every story. Parents, do not assume your children are right. The teacher did not call or send a letter to you for no reason at all.

Do not say, "not my child." That is where all involved should get together and listen to each other's side. Remember, it is okay if you do not understand an assignment. Get help and stay after school. Do not say, "I forgot about my homework, essay, etc." There are many resources out there for you, whether it is your parents, friends, relatives, computer or library. Your teachers are there to help you to succeed in life. There will be days where you are just not having a good day. Ask to speak to your guidance counselor. Everyone has a bad day, and that includes teachers as well.

My reason for writing this is to remind parents and students that it is not appropriate to show disrespect toward teachers, nor is it appropriate for teachers to show disrespect to students. Make sure all involved get the facts first. Remember not to say "not my child." This has gone on much too long. I have written a manuscript entitled "The Not My Child Syndrome." With the help of my guardian angel, my book will be ready for publication.

This attitude of "not my child" carries over not just in class and school but also in sports, social events and home life. Make sure you get your child's progress reports. Meet with the staff. Help when you can. Get involved. Go to your child's school unannounced and to the office for a visitor's pass. Know what class your child is in that time of day. Watch what is going on. You may be surprised. I am not taking sides here. I am a mother of three grown children. I worked in the school system for several years. Structure is key. Work together to make the school year a memorable one. Help another student by tutoring those who may not be as perceptive in a subject you are, vise versa. Show that you are proud of your school and town. There are those who do this year after year. Sometimes it is because no one else will volunteer their time. Encourage your children. Do not berate them in front of their peers. This applies for staff also. Go to their games whenever possible. They do like to see their parents, siblings, friends and teachers cheering them on, win or lose. It takes the whole team, not just one child.

Staff, please do not show favoritism to students. The others catch on very quickly. This lowers their self-esteem. Let all students help you one or two at a time on a weekly basis. Pairing students with different personalities together brings unity. Students, learn to share ideas. Make new friends. When anyone sees a special needs student, do not make fun of him or her. They have feelings just like you, and when you do this, you are showing others that you are mean. You think it makes you a big shot. Actually, it shows the type of person you really are. When your student or your child does something inappropriate, give a consequence and make it stick. Every time you let them get away with something, everyone else sees it, and some will follow suit. Beginning of the school year mentioned above will help create a better middle and ending of the school year.

Diane Richardson

Chepachet, Rhode Island