Parent Magazine St Johns March 2022 | Page 8

St . Johns County School District

By Tim Forson , Superintendent of Schools

March ushers in spring and brings with it the statewide assessment period . This can be a particularly stressful time for students and can create high anxiety levels . I encourage you to review the resources below to make sure your child is ready for testing .

• Students can find practice FSA tests at https :// fsassessments . org / families . html

• This article from Nemours talks about what test anxiety is and gives some practical suggestions to combat it https :// kidshealth . org / en / teens / test-anxiety . html

• This blog article gives practical tips for how to memorize and chunk information as well as how to manage your study space https :// blog . prepscholar . com / how-to-study-better-in-high-school

The March CHARACTER COUNTS ! Pillar is trustworthiness and in our classrooms the focus will be on teaching students the elements of trustworthiness , be honest ; don ’ t deceive , cheat , or steal ; have integrity ; do what you say you ’ ll do and keep your promises ; be loyal ; stand by your values . Parents , I encourage you to reinforce these at home so that students know that trustworthiness is an essential building block for positive relationships with others . Families need to be intentional in teaching good character and strengthen our partnership in educating the whole child .

March is also Music in our Schools Month ( MIOSM ). For 37 years , the National Association for Music Education has celebrated MIOSM . This year ’ s theme is “ Music , the Sound of my Heart .” The study of music contributes to young people ’ s development through heightened skills in listening , reading , self-expression and creativity , and music education helps students acquire skills in production and performance of music , as well as an understanding of history and culture . The SJCSD embraces music education and the multi-faceted benefits it provides for all children .

Early registration for the 2022-23 school year began March 1 . This registration is only for children new to the school district , including those entering kindergarten . It can be completed online at www . stjohns . k12 . fl . us / student / enrollment or by visiting the student ’ s assigned school website . Registering your child ( ren ) early helps us with planning , hiring teachers and ensuring that the infrastructure is in place to support our new students on the very first day .

To be eligible for public kindergarten in the SJCSD , children must be 5 years of age on or before September 1 and must reside in St . Johns County . For additional information on registration , contact the Student Services Department at 547-7598 or the assigned school .

Spring Break is just around the corner , so please take this time to refresh and recharge . Enjoy time with family and friends , stay safe and healthy and remember you are your child ’ s biggest advocate and support in helping to ensure he / she finish the school year strong .

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