CANTON

Our guidance mission at Canton Area School District is to provide each student Kindergarten through 12th grade with an equitable and accessible education in the areas of academic, social/personal and career development. Students, parents/guardians, educators, business/community, and post-secondary resources will work cooperatively to maximize student achievement.

HELPING YOUR STUDENT AT HOME

What is the Elementary Student Assistance Program (E.S.A.P)?

The basic goal of E.S.A.P. at the Canton Elementary School is to help students whose behavior or problems are creating barriers to learning.

The Team is committed to identifying students who may be at risk and getting them the help that they need to succeed.

It is never easy to tell someone that they need help, but that’s what being a friend is all about. If your friend is afraid to ask for help, you can talk to someone on the team about how to help them.

•  Home Concerns
•  Sadness and Depression
•  Problems with Friends
•  Acting Aggressively
•  Defying Authority, both at Home and School
•  Lying
•  Alcohol and Drug use
•  Academic Difficulties

E.S.A.P. is NOT:

A Counseling Program

            or

A Treatment Program

We recommend the appropriate services.

Who May Make a Referral?

• Teachers/Staff
• Parents
• Friends
• Family Members

 YOUR eSAP TEAM…………….

Mike Wells              Corrin West
Jenna Boyce            Kelsey Weed
Jason Delozier         Jaime Fitch

All referrals AND information shared are kept confidential.

HELPING WITH HOMEWORK

• Acknowledge your child and his or her efforts to complete homework—with praise or a hug
• Reward your child when he or she completes a difficult assignment. For example, make your child’s favorite meal or do something together that he or she enjoys.
• Talk about the importance of homework. Explain how homework helps students apply the material being taught in school.
• Don’t criticize your child if he or she does poorly on a homework assignment. Instead, talk about ways your child can improve next time (by reading the directions more carefully, for example).

Create a study area:

With your child, choose a space that is appropriate for homework. The space should be:

• Clean and organized
• Stocked with supplies, such as pens, paper, and a calculator
• Well lit
• Close to you or another family member, in case your child needs help
• Free from distractions, such as a TV or loud music

 Encourage good habits:

• With you child, decide the best time of day for homework. Keep in mind that children and teens may need some “down time” between school and homework time.
• Decide together where good places to do homework are
• Have your child take breaks if homework is lengthy
• Encourage homework habits that work for your child. For example, does your child like to start with easy assignments and work up to harder ones? Or does he or she like to get harder assignments out of the way?
• If your child does not have homework, have him or her read for about 30 minutes each day

Be available:

For example, you can help your child:

• Track assignments (on a calendar or in a notebook)
• Create a study schedule
• Prepare for tests (by reading flash cards, for example).

Consider doing your “homework” in the same room as your child. For example, pay bills or read a book while your child studies.

Check your child’s work:

Make sure:

• Assignments are complete
• Handwriting is neat enough to be read

Be sure you don’t “correct” your child’s homework. Otherwise, your child’s teacher won’t get a true sense of your child’s understanding of the subject.

Get help, if needed:

If your child is struggling with a subject, talk to his or her teacher. He or she may be able to recommend additional resources for assistance.

Ask your child’s teacher for more ideas on helping with homework.

Source: How to Encourage Your Child’s Attendance and Success at School, (2011) Channing Bete Company.

SKILLS FOR BECOMING A SUCCESSFUL STUDENT 

• True, you may not like every teacher, but teachers are there to help you learn.  Here are some tips
• Get to know you teachers—share your interests and ask about theirs.  You’ll find that teachers are human, too!
• Get involved—in class discussions—learning can be fun
• Keep an open mind
• Ask questions—remember, there’s no such thing as a stupid question
• Be enthusiastic—enter each class ready to learn something new
• Keep your sense of humor

It can help you make friends, settle arguments, and get the most out of life!

Speak up: When there’s something on your mind:

• Choose a good time and place to talk. For example, don’t try to have a serious talk with a friend right before class. Wait until there’s plenty of time—and privacy.
• Make eye contact. This shows that you are a listener that the conversation is important to you.
• Be polite. Even if you’re angry, being polite will help the conversation go more smoothly.
• Tell the person how you feel. Make your feelings clear by starting sentences with “I” rather than “you”.
• If you’re upset, avoid fighting. Try to settle conflicts peacefully. Remember to:
• Listen thoughtfully
• Avoid blaming, criticizing or name calling
• Work toward a solution you can both agree on, rather than trying to “win” the argument.

Be a good listener, too 

• Give the speaker your full attention
• Concentrate on what’s being said, rather than thinking about something else.
• Don’t Interrupt
• Save your thoughts until the other person is finished talking.
• Ask questions, if necessary
• For example, say, “What happened then?”
• Sum up what has been said: This will help prevent any misunderstanding about what was said.

Listening is one of the best ways to show understanding and affection!

Source:  A Scriptgraphic Booklet by Channing L. Bete Co, Inc  (1991) 48603B-6-91

What is Career Development and Why is it Important to Build a K-12 Career Development Program

• Career development is a lifelong process through which people come to understand themselves as they relate to the world of work and their role in it.  This is how people fashion their own “work identity”.
• A process of trying on various roles to determine various facets of a career that fit an individuals, interests, skills and personality.
• Learning the importance of the balance between career, family and leisure.

Stages to Build the Career Development System

• K-5- Self Awareness
• Grade 6-8- Career Exploration
• Grade 9-12- Career Planning

FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP / MENTORSHIP / CHARACTER

Leadership/Mentorship/Character

Being a leader and a mentor is one way for students to develop character as they grow to build skills that will allow them to be successful adults.  In an effort to offer such learning opportunities for our students here at Canton Elementary School we have leadership and mentoring roles for our students.

Student Council

Each 6^th grade student completes a mock job application which introduces them to the career application process.  Through the applications a group from each homeroom are selected to serve as Student Council and then their peers elect 2 representatives from each homeroom to sit on the Student Council Advisory Board.  Student Council will have input into school topics and help toward solutions to student concerns.

BIG BROTHER BIG SISTER

Big Brother Big Sisters’ school-based mentoring has been proven to have a significant, positive impact on the children in the program.  While participating in this program students receive extra attention from a high school student each week as the read together, play educational games, eat lunch together or receive extra help with academics.

If you are interested in your Canton student participating in the BBBS Program please contact Corrin West at 570-673-5196 or cwest@canton.k12.pa.us