 As parents, we all want to see our students succeed to the best of their ability while in school. Not only is it a good feeling for the parents, but it’s an even better feeling for the students to succeed at something.
There’s a method out there known as SMART which is an acronym. The letter's meanings are as follows: (S) Specific (M) Measurable (A) Attainable (R) Relevant (T) Time-bound Below we will go into depth about the meaning of each letter and how implementing this method into your child's goal-setting can be very beneficial. S - Specific In order to make effective goals, it is important to define exactly what they are. Encourage your student to be as specific as possible while coming up with goals. The more specific, the better. Maybe they have a test coming up, encourage them to study hard enough that they ace it! In order to help them specify their goals clearly, ask them these questions:
M - Measurable Setting goals that are measurable is crucial for your child's goal setting. By doing this they will be able to track their progress while also seeing what else they may need to do in order to reach their targeted goal. If your goal has data that you can measure while working to complete it, that makes it measurable. You need to help your student establish solid criteria for them to meet and track their progress. Here are a few questions to have them ask themselves to make their goals more measurable:
A - Attainable Talk with your student, are the goals they are setting truly attainable in the time frame they are allowing themselves to complete them? For example, if they want to raise their grades from a C to an A, but the semester is almost over, they may have to settle for a B+ instead. That doesn’t mean the C to A goal has to be completely forgotten, however. R - Relevant Are your student's goals going to help them in the long run? No need to have them pour out tons of energy on a goal that won’t improve their academic success. You want their goals to be productive while also benefiting them in some way. A results-focused approach will help your students achieve their goals while also helping them stay productive. T - Time-bound When do your students plan on having their goals accomplished? Their goals should always have a defined deadline with clear steps in order to reach the deadline chosen. Without a clear time frame, there will be no sense of urgency which will give them very little motivation to complete their goals. In Conclusion Encouraging your students to set clear goals for themselves at home is a great way to encourage academic success. The SMART method is an even better way for them to take goal-setting step by step. Foundations Christian School is still accepting new students for the 2022-2023 school year. If you are interested in enrolling your student contact Carrie Alo at 607-271-1116 or fill out the enrollment application on our website.
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 We’ve all heard the phrase “the most important meal of the day is breakfast.” But have you ever considered how true that statement is? Instilling healthy eating habits into your child's daily routine is important, not just for breakfast but all three essential meals.
Does Food Really Impact Learning? Whether you are young or old, you know how hard it may be to focus when you are hungry. You have probably experienced from a loved one or maybe even yourself the feeling of being “hangry.” To put it simply, hungry children cannot learn properly. Often, the feeling of hunger will lead to irritability, poor attention span, and restlessness. None of these traits are ideal for the classroom. Therefore, it is important for you to make sure your child is eating a hearty meal before they leave. Also, be sure their lunch - whether it’s packed or provided by their school - will be enough to sustain them throughout the rest of the day. What Foods Encourage Learning? The best food options for growing children are those with large amounts of dietary fiber and low-fat content. Fruits and veggies, lots of whole grains, and protein-packed meats will ensure your students feel satisfied throughout their day. Eating these foods will also improve their ability to focus and think more clearly while in the classroom. There are also several other benefits that come with eating healthy. They are as follows:
In Conclusion Whether it’s in the classroom, or at home you should always encourage your students to participate in healthy eating habits. It will improve both their learning abilities and their physical health. Foundations Christian School is still accepting students for the 2022-2023 school year. If you are interested in enrolling your student, you may contact Carrie Alo at 607-271-1116 or fill out our enrollment form on our website!  As parents, you want to ensure your children get everything they can out of school. Learning may come easier for some kids and may be harder for others. Have you ever asked yourself why?
Every child learns differently. By identifying their primary learning style, you’ll be able to help your child learn subjects they may otherwise find difficult to understand or grasp. Read on below to learn how to pinpoint your child’s learning style. There are four learning styles: visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic. You may remember these styles by using the acronym “VARK.” Visual Learning Style Visual learners are often times very observant of themselves and the world around them. They are drawn to art and have a very strong sense of creativity. If your child is a visual learner, they may also have a very strong memory. Often times visual learners can go into great detail about certain memories recalling details such as names, places, and people. Signs you have a visual learner:
Auditory Learning Style These learners are drawn to sounds. They may show special interest in music and learning how to play an instrument. If given the chance, they could become quite successful in these activities. When your child was younger, did he or she perk up when conversations were buzzing around them? Or did they notice the sound of rain or maybe a neighbor mowing their lawn outside when others were oblivious? If so, you may have an auditory learner on your hands. Here are some signs to look out for:
Reading/Writing Learning Style This learning style may seem a bit self-explanatory, but it often goes unnoticed in children because reading and writing are a part of learning anyway. Are they especially good at remembering things they’ve just written or read? If so, they may be a reading/writing learner. If your child is better at remembering things by writing them down, that could be another sign of their learning style. So, pay attention if they take more notes than usual or tell detailed stories about the books they’ve read. Signs you have a reading/writing learner:
Kinesthetic Learning Style Kinesthetic learners prefer to learn things with a more hands-on approach. They learn best by touching or doing tasks themselves. Are they especially good at sports? Or maybe they really love dance classes or other various activities. If so, you may have a kinesthetic learner. These learners have amazing balance and may rely heavily on hand gestures while talking. Signs you have a kinesthetic learner:
In Conclusion Every child is different. They will display the type of learning they prefer if you just watch them closely. You guarantee a successful school year by identifying your child's preferred learning style. Foundations Christian School is still accepting new students for the 2022-2023 school year. If you would like to enroll, contact Carrie Alo at 607-271-6111 or fill out the enrollment form on our website.  Next week the students at Foundations Christian School have a couple of days off from school. We thought it would be a fun idea for this week's blog post to highlight some fun activities to do at home with your kids during these days off.
Days off from school do not have to be a stressful occurrence, read on below for some ideas to keep the kids entertained! Get Crafty Maybe this idea seems a little obvious, but by crafty, we don’t just mean a coloring book and some crayons. We encourage you to find some fun craft ideas online you think your child or children may enjoy! October is coming up and along with it comes the season of fall. There are lots of great craft ideas for some fall decorations to display around your house! Your kids will love it and they’ll love it, even more, when their artwork is displayed around your home. Puzzles or Board Games Maybe your kiddos are older and aren’t so enthused with crafts. Break out the board games and card games and host a game day! It’s a super fun way to keep the kids entertained along with encouraging spending time with family. You can make it even more fun by hosting a certain game competition or race to see who can win the most games by the end of the day. Build a Fort - Lifesize or Lego Style Break out those legos or blocks or collect all the blankets and pillows your house has to offer and build a fort! Whether it’s a fort for toys or a fort for your kids, they are bound to have a blast! If it’s a lego or block fort, host a competition to see who can build the best. If it’s a fort built out of pillows and blankets, build it and then have a movie day with popcorn and snacks! Have the kids relax in their beautifully crafted fort while you get the work you need to be done around the house. Motivate Them to Help Around the House This idea may not be very fun for your kids, but it will definitely keep them entertained and teach them important skills. Let them know by doing chores, they are helping the family get through housework as a team. You can appeal to your younger child's pride by “allowing” them to help you with the household chores like sweeping or loading the dishwasher. This may seem strange, but it definitely boosts your child's willingness to help out. Break Out Some Books Encourage your kids to read during their downtime, or if they don’t know how yet give them some activities to help them learn how. Not only will this keep them entertained but it will help them with their learning abilities at school. In Conclusion Keeping your kids entertained on their days off can be challenging, we hope the above ideas can help ease some of the challenges. Foundations Christian School is still accepting new students for the 2022-2023 school year. If you are interested in enrolling your student contact Carrie Alo at 607-271-1116 or fill out the enrollment form on our website.  When it comes to school, field trip days are often the most memorable days for your students. Whether the trip is educational or purely for fun purposes, these trips will be remembered by your kids forever.
Let’s help them prepare as best they can for these awesome memories before them. Read on as we discuss some tips on how to help your kids have an awesome field trip with no potential mistakes or errors along the way. Tip #1: Prep Students Before the Trip This may seem self-explanatory, but giving your students a good idea of what to expect once they arrive at their field trip could make the day go that much smoother. If the field trip destination has a website, maybe look through it with your child and discuss some of the possible activities they may do. Maybe you’ve been to where they are going before, discuss with them the lovely time and express to them how excited you are for them to have that same experience. Bonus points if you have pictures or videos from your trip to show them as well. Tip #2: Engaging Activities During the Field Trip This tip is geared more towards the teachers or chaperones of the upcoming field trip. It’s important to keep your students engaged the entire field trip to avoid any potential behavioral problems from boredom or restlessness. Depending on the trip, you may not have to worry about keeping them engaged if the destination is chocked full of things to do, but if it’s a more educational-based trip, be sure to mix some fun in as well. Nobody says education has to be all business all the time, make learning fun! Tip #3: Post Field Trip Activities Lastly, the fun doesn’t have to end when the kids board the bus again to head home. Keep engaging with them on the bus ride home. Maybe ask questions about the trip, like what their favorite part was or whether or not they’d want to return with their families one day. For some students, the bus ride to and from their trip may be the most memorable part since they are sitting with their friends freely instead of being in front of textbooks. Don’t take this as an insult; every student is different, so be sure to make the entire trip engaging, so it’s fun for everyone. In Conclusion Field trips are often what students look the most forward to when returning to school after summer vacation. Keep them fun and engaging so they will carry these amazing memories with them forever. Foundations Christian School is still accepting new students for the 2022-2023 school year. If you are interested in enrolling your student, please contact Carrie Alo at 607-271-1116. Or fill out our registration form here.  For most kids, staying energized at school, especially early morning, can be difficult. It’s hard to get back into the swing of early school morning after the long summer break they just enjoyed.
Below we will give you a few tips and tricks to help your kids feel energized during their school day. Keep Them Grounded in Their Faith When your students are drowsy and uninterested in participating in the school day ahead of them, teach them to lean on Jesus when they need that extra bit of strength. Philippians 4:13 states “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. Remind them of this verse as they head out the door. Take the School Year One Day at a Time Tackle one homework assignment and one daily challenge with your student at a time. Going back to school can be stressful to get back into for your student, but guide them slowly through it until they are accustomed to the challenges this school year may bring. Teach Your Students Not to Procrastinate It can be easy for your kids to push their homework off until the last minute. Guide them into thinking and believing that getting their work done sooner rather than later will benefit them greatly in the long run. This will eliminate any extra stress they may be feeling and will give you the peace of mind that their work is getting done in a timely manner. Establish a Daily Classroom Routine This tip is more directed towards teachers. A daily routine for your students will help them feel more at ease in the classroom. While every day may not be exactly the same, the general idea of what to expect in the classroom will benefit your students in the long run. Keeping Your Kids Grateful Remind your kids on the more difficult mornings that attending school is a privilege, not necessarily a given right. Maybe in the morning try discussing the things they are grateful for that day, or if they can’t think of anything maybe practice this activity at dinner time as a family. Teaching them gratitude early on will benefit your students as they progress through school. In Conclusion Navigating the school year ahead of your students can be difficult and in some circumstances a little intimidating. Utilize the above tips and tricks to help your kiddos get through the school year with a positive outlook. Foundations Christian School is still accepting students for the 2022-2023 school year. Contact Carrie Alo at 607-271-6111 or apply online today!        The students and teachers at Foundations Christian School had a fantastic first day back to school yesterday! I mean truly - look at all those happy looks on their faces!
Foundations Christian School is still accepting new students for this school year despite the first day being yesterday! Visit our website and fill out our registration form or contact Carrie Alo at 607-271-1116.  Now that it’s almost time for school to be back in session, we wanted to go over some of the supplies that aren’t on your typical back-to-school supply list, but they should be. These few supplies could be the school year game changer for the teachers' sake and your students.
Pencil Sharpener You may be thinking…Why does my student need their own sharpener when most classrooms already come equipped with them? Well, the lines to the sharpener can get long and cause chaos throughout the classroom making it that much more difficult for your student's teacher to regain control of their class. If your student has their own, it’ll eliminate the need for them to move from their desk more than they need to. Post-Its Nothing helps your student remember things better than cute little post-it notes they can post throughout their books or assignments. We guarantee they’ll be on track for the school year's assignments and their teachers will be impressed by their organization skills. It even implements a little fun into your student's daily routine of keeping their books organized for class. Highlighters For those students who find it a little harder to stay on track while reading or taking notes, highlighters could be a game changer. With these markers, they will be able to mark where they leave off reading, important notes for them to study, or make a color-coded key to reference back to when needed. Hand Sanitizer With the same idea in mind as the pencil sharpeners, equipping your student with their own hand sanitizer could relieve a lot of stress from their teachers. This will negate the need for your students to constantly move around the class to wash their hands. It will also help eliminate those back-to-school germs we parents are all too familiar with. Reusable Water Bottles Lastly, keeping your students hydrated throughout their school day is important, but getting out of their seats to go to the drinking fountain can become a hassle for their teacher. Consider supplying them with a reusable water bottle to keep at school for them refill throughout the day as needed. This will remove the need for them to constantly move around to the water fountain and help them concentrate more on learning. In Conclusion Foundations Christian School is committed to making sure your students get the best education possible, in order to do so it’s important to eliminate as many distractions in the classroom as possible. The supplies listed above will not only make your students' lives easier but their teacher's as well. Are you looking for a solid, Christian education for your kids? Foundations Christian School is still accepting new enrollments. Contact us today! 8/26/2022 1 Comment Christian Private School Vs. Homeschool: Which is the Right Choice for Your Family? When it comes to deciding what type of schooling is best for your child, it is important to weigh all of the pros and cons before deciding. There has long been a debate about whether a Christian private school is better for kids, or if homeschooling is truly the way to go in order for kids to get the most out of their education.
Below we will highlight a few of the pros and cons of each to help aid in the process of deciding which schooling option is best for your family. Christian Private School It may seem strange that as a Christian school we are willing to list some of the cons of choosing a Christian school along with the pros, but we want to be honest as we diligently choose the right schooling for our kids. After all, we know at the end of the day that they are your first priority. Pros 1. Intimate Learning Environment for Your Kids One of the many benefits of attending a private school is your kids are guaranteed a more personalized learning experience. Private schools typically have a low student-to-teacher ratio which gives the teachers an opportunity to really take their time with their students and help them learn everything they need to in order to move on to the next grade level with confidence. 2. Biblical Worldview Private schools have the open opportunity to tie biblical knowledge in with the typical worldviews we hear about today. By doing this your kids will be equipped with the correct knowledge to stand up against the typical ways of the world and stand out against the odds. They will have the ability to challenge the world and its opinions and share the real truth with everyone around them. 3. Stable Friendships and Relationships Your kids will develop close-knit relationships that will stick with them forever. God will be the foundation of all their friendships meaning they will be as strong as ever. Cons 1. Growing in a Closed “Bubble” It is important as parents that you are still exposing your kids to the real things that happen in the world despite where they go to school. Christian schools don’t tend to dive into things going on in the world currently as public schools do. Make sure you are educating your kids and conversing with them at home about the things going on around them every day. 2. Extremely Strict Environment We’ve all heard stories of kids who grew up in a Christian household moving on and rebelling once they are older. Why do they do that? Because they were often too sheltered or placed in too strict of an environment. Be sure you teach your kids right from wrong but also leave time for them to be open to discussions about things they may be curious about. 3. The Expense Christian schools are often times perceived as more expensive than the other alternatives. Some tuitions can be pricey but it is ultimately up to you to decide what is best for your kids and your family. Homeschool Homeschooling along with private Christian schools also features many pros and cons. We’ve carefully selected a few to help aid you in the decision process of where you think your kids should attend school. Pros 1. Easier to Teach and Learn Doing school at home gives your child the opportunity to learn at their own pace, and for you to teach them at that same pace. This also gives you the chance to adapt your teaching style to their learning style making their learning an even more rewarding process. 2. Discipline Issues in the Classroom are Eliminated Since your child won’t be sharing their learning atmosphere with 15-20 other kids they will be able to learn more rapidly without interruptions. 3. A Great Use of Time You will be able to move along with the easier subjects for your children when typically they would have to wait for everyone in their class to be on the same page before they could move on. This gives them the advantage to move along in grade levels much quicker than they may in public or private schools. Cons 1. Cost Keep in mind that the decision to homeschool can sometimes impact the income of your household. In most cases, one parent will stay home and teach while the other works, this is not always enough income for particular households to live by. 2. Adapting to This New Reality Can be Tough It can be difficult at first for your kids to adjust to not being on the strict schedule most schools are typically on. Be patient with them as they get used to the change between school in a normal classroom versus school at their dining room table. 3. No Social Interactions During Studying They will no longer be given the opportunity to socialize throughout their day of learning. This means they will need other activities like sports, clubs, or groups outside of their home to be sure they are getting the social interaction they need in order to grow. In ConclusionWe hope reading over these lists of pros and cons will make it easier for you to choose the best schooling for your family's needs. If you are interested in your children attending a private Christian school, Foundations Christian School is still accepting enrollment for the 2022-2023 school year. Contact us!  We were excited to see some familiar faces at our open house last night as we gear up for the 2022-2023 school year! We want to thank everyone who attended last night with their kids! We are over the moon with excitement for the upcoming school year!  Yummy treats were shared by all!  A sneak peek of Foundations Christian School computer lab, complete with laptops, tablets, and 3D printers!  A lovely representation of the positivity we will pour into your child's life!  One of the FCS classrooms!
We're still enrolling for the 2022-2023 school year, contact us for more information, or download the registration form on our homepage. |
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December 2022
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