Farragut Middle School
Hastings-on-Hudson Union Free School District
- Farragut Middle School
- Parent Resources
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Parent Resources
This page offers links to online resources that may be useful to parents and families of middle school students. We know that websites are continuously revised. If you discover that a link has gone dead or that information is not appropriate, please let us know.
Below are links with information on the following topics:
- Managing Use of Media
- Parental Involvement in the Middle School Experience
- Psychological and Physical Development of Middle School Students
- Understanding Common Core Education Standards
- Health, Sleep and Nutrition Needs
- Academic Strategies
- Character Development
- Mental Health Resources
Managing Use of Media
- Tips on how to manage media usage:
https://pediatrics.duke.edu/news/teens-and-technology-managing-cell-phone-and-social-media-usage
- Washington Post article “How to protect kids online: Apps and tactics used by experts -- and real parents”
https://pediatrics.duke.edu/news/teens-and-technology-managing-cell-phone-and-social-media-usage
- Washington Post article “5 Ways parents can help kids balance social media with the real world”
- Washington Post article “What teens wish their parents knew about social media”
- Link to a media planner from the American Academy of Pediatrics
https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/Pages/Media-and-Children.aspx
- Blog Entry about Fortnight https://www.parenttoolkit.com/grade-levels/middle-school/middle-school
- “Protecting Your Kids Online 2.0”
https://cdn.netsmartz.org/tipsheets/Protecting_Your_Kids_Online_2_0_EN.pdf
- CommonSenseMedia.org for Parents has millions of different resources for parents relating to their middle school child. Parents can also access research related to their child and media. They can ask their own questions and get feedback from experts.
- Safe Cell Phone Use Video with Tips: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/cell-phone-parenting
- Technology Addiction: tools on how to reduce screen time at home https://www.commonsensemedia.org/technology-addiction
Parent Involvement in the Middle School Experience
- “Middle School Parents Still Make a Difference” This magazine is available with a subscription. You can see a sample here.
http://www.laddccsd94.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/2017NovMiddleSchool.pdf
- A number of articles from this magazine are summarized on this district’s website: https://www.deshlerpublicschools.org/vnews/display.v/SEC/Parents%20and%20Students%7CParenting%20Skills%3E%3EParenting%20Skills%20-%20Junior%20High
Psychological and Physical Development of Middle School Students
- The Parent Toolkit is a website that provides families with articles, videos, conversation starters, and information. The three sections of the website are Academics, Social & Emotional, and Health & Wellness. The resources are provided in both English and Spanish. Some of the topics under the Social & Emotional part of the website include self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, social awareness, and relationships. The Health & Wellness section has information on nutrition and physical health. There is a wealth of information that can also be searched based on grade level.
https://www.parenttoolkit.com/grade-levels/middle-school/middle-school
- “Developmental Milestones for Typical Middle-Schoolers”: Provides brief overview of physical, cognitive, language, social and emotional milestones.
Understanding Common Core Education Standards
- Parent’s Guide to Students Success
https://www.pta.org/home/family-resources/Parents-Guides-to-Student-Success
Health, Sleep and Nutrition Needs
- Tips for helping your child sleep
https://www.webmd.com/parenting/raising-fit-kids/recharge/features/kids-sleep-tips#3
- 11 ways to encourage your child to be physically active
- A Teenager’s Nutritional Needs: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/nutrition/Pages/A-Teenagers-Nutritional-Needs.aspx
- Information about nutrition and body image: https://www.nutrition.gov/topics/nutrition-age/teens
Academic Strategies
- Scholastic.com article that includes 7 tips for parents to try in order to build their child’s recall skills for Middle School tasks including remembering locker combination and also mastering academic content. The seven suggestions for parents are to apply alliteration, color-code, get everything else organized, make flash cards, pair up, use repetition, and write reminders.
Character Development
- On building resilience in children: https://www.rootsofaction.com/resilience-adversity/
- Discussing race and cultural diversity with children https://www.verywellfamily.com/teaching-kids-about-race-and-cultural-diversity-621099
Mental Health Resources
- Links to guidelines, tips, facts, etc. from national organizations on topics from suicide prevention to common childhood disorders (high school - perhaps still good for middle school)
https://classroommentalhealth.org/working-with-families/family-members/
- Understood.org’s mission is to help parents whose children, ages 3-20, struggle with learning and attention issues. Links under umbrella topics such as “You and Your Family,” “Learning and Attention Issues,” “School and Learning,” and “Friends and Feelings.”
https://www.understood.org/en/about/our-mission
- Mental Health resources, tips, videos, and parent articles https://www.commonsensemedia.org/mental-health#csm-topics-related-articles
- Childmind.org is an independent, national nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders. The goal is to deliver the highest standards of care, advance the science of the developing brain and empower parents, professionals and policymakers to support children when and where they need it most. They provide a wealth of information on learning differences and mental health issues in children. https://childmind.org/topics-a-z/guides/
- Article: What Grieving People Do -from the Bereavement Center of Westchester offers tips for understanding and helping a child with a loss.
https://www.bcsdny.org/cms/lib/NY02216273/Centricity/Domain/458/What%20Grieving%20People%20Need.pdf
- Do’s and Don’ts of Helping a Grieving Teen from the Bereavement Center of Westchester.
Local Mental Health Resources:
- Helping Children with Loss & Grief Links: The Bereavement Center of Westchester 914-787-6158 https://www.bcwtreehouse.org/
- MHA-Mental Health Association of Westchester 914-345-0700 http://www.mhawestchester.org/
- The Therapy Center 914-242-0725 http://www.therapycenteronline.com/
- Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health Crisis Prevention and Response Team (914) 925-5959 http://mentalhealth.westchestergov.com/
