Parent Resources

Web Resources

Student Handbook
Parent/Student Powerschool Portal – The Parent/Student Powerschool Portal is a good resource for parents in K-5 in order to get basic information about their child at Hawthorn and a great way for parents of middle school students to check their child’s progress. Parents can access this site by utilizing the username and password that they set up when they registered their child.
Alignment to Math Standards. The IXL website provides information on Illinois standards where parents can find practice skills, and track performance.
Early Childhood Development on Learning and Teaching
Math, English Language Arts, Science & Social Studies Skill Building
Teaching Math through use of a Calculator
Science and Engineering Skills by PBS Kids
A Guide to Simple Machines
Wildlife and Nature Activities
Astronomy for Children
White House History

Legislative & Regulatory Matters

Public education is impacted by countless federal and state mandates. The following resources offer information about current topics impacting education.

Illinois’ Physical Fitness Assessment Letter
Illinois Association of School Boards – http://www.iasb.com
Illinois Association of School Business Officials – http://IASBO.org
ED-RED – http://www.ed-red.org
Illinois State Board of Education – http://www.isbe.state.il.us

Articles / Information

A Letter To Parents of Digital Age Children, by TeachThought Staff, February 12, 2013 (http://www.teachthought.com).
Top Summer Learning Tips
Tips to Keep Tweens and Teens Learning During the Summer from the National Summer Learning Association
Keep Kids Active and Healthy During the Summer from the National Summer Learning Association
Homeroom: US Department of Education Parents & Family Blog, maintained by the US Department of Education, http://www.ed.gov.
Stop Sports Injuries: Keeping Kids in the Game for Life website, in support of a campaign initiated by the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.
One Easy Way to Gain Your Child’s Cooperation, by Adina Soclof, August 26, 2012 posting to online Parenting Simply website, http://www.parentingsimply.com.
STEAM: Experts Make Case for Adding Arts to STEM, by Erik W. Robelen, December 1, 2011 posting to online Education Week, http://www.edweek.org.
How One School Beats the Odds Every Day, by David Markus, November 30, 2011 posting to online edutopia,http://www.edutopia.org.
Decisions for Life, November 10, 2011 presentation to Hawthorn Middle North 6th grade students by School Resource Officer Andy Jones. (A similar presentation was provided to all students at Hawthorn Middle North and Hawthorn Middle South.)
Education trends: The end of the weekly spelling test, by Samieh Shalash, November 14, 2011 posting on Dailypress.com.
Out With Textbooks, in With Laptops for an Indiana School District, by Alan Schwarz, October 18, 2011 posting on The New York Times/Education (http://www.nytimes.com).
And Now A Call From the School Nurse, Um Secretary, by Michelle Gerdes, Oct. 12, 2011 posting, The Wall Street Journal (blogs.wsj.com). Please note that Hawthorn schools are staffed with school nurses.
Sending Kids the Bill for the Mess Left By Wall Street, by Robert L. Borosage, Oct. 13, 2011 posting, The Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com). Overview of a report showing the impact of the economy on education.
Academic Value of Non-Academics: The case for keeping extracurriculars, by June Kronholz, posted in the Winter 2012/Vol. 12, No. 1 issue of EducationNext (educationnext.org).
An Equal Opportunity Educator: Science and math teacher Michelle Shearer, the 2011 National Teacher of the Year, stresses the importance of making rigorous STEM instruction available – and accessible – to all students,by Liana Heitin, Oct. 12, 2011 posting, Education Week Teacher PD Sourcebook (http://www.edweek.org).
Three Brain-based Teaching Strategies to Build Executive Function in Students, by Judy Willis MD, Oct. 5, 2011 posting, Edutopia.org
Overzealous parents can ruin kids’ sports, by UPI, Sept. 30, 2011 posting, UPI.com
What teachers really want to tell parents, by Ron Clark – Sept. 6, 2011 posting, CNNLiving
Galloway Township schools may ban homework over weekends, holidays – May 24, 2011; Press of Atlantic City
Five myths about America’s schools – May 20, 2011; The Washington Post
The Overpressured Student – by Richard Weissbourd; Educational Leadership; May 2011/Volume 68/Number 8
A’s for Good Behavior – by Peg Tyre, November 27, 2010, New York Times – An article on standards based reporting

Presentations

The Role of Parents

Learning Theory & Philosophies

Learning at Hawthorn is based on several models, including the Bernstein Artful Learning Model, Understanding by Design, and Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences.

Leonard Bernstein Artful Learning Model
Understanding by Design
Howard Gardner Theory of Multiple Intelligences
Glasser Choice Theory
Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE), formerly National Middle School Association

Service Provider Information

If your family receives free school lunches, you may qualify for Comcast Internet Essentials, an Internet access package costing $9.95 a month plus tax. More information is available at http://internetessentials.com/ or by calling 1-855-846-8376.

Other companies may have similar programs. We will provide that information as we become aware of it. Please note that Hawthorn does not endorse nor are we in any way affiliated with Comcast or with any other service provider.

Other Resources

Learn Spanish at Home Through the Library
Language_Translators
A Parent’s Guide to Supporting Your Child’s Health and Wellness
Tutor List 2017-2018
Translator List 2016-2017
Student Resources (including book lists, study websites and report-a-bully form), and
Middle School Parent Portal online gradebook.

For more information, please contact Allison Stein, Director of Teaching and Learning, at 847-990-4251 or steina@hawthorn73.org.