Stephanie Reynolds
My name is Stephanie Reynolds. I am a College & Career Counselor who has the privilege of serving students at Walkerton/North Liberty Elementary & Urey Middle School. You can reach me at
MacKenzi Lowry
My name is MacKenzi Lowry. As the academic attendance coach, I provide executive function lessons to 5th and 6th grade students in the classroom and with small groups who did not pass I-STEP the prior school year, as well as check-in with students who have frequent absences. You can reach me at
Whether you want to be a firefighter, a doctor, a teacher or a builder or you don't know, it is never too early to learn about careers. The skills needed and developed at school, are the skills that you will use later in life in your job. The following skills are important for both school and at a job:
Attendance- Come every day.
Punctuality- Be on time.
Teamwork- Work well with others.
Communication- Talk and listen effectively.
Problem Solve- Be able to choose good solutions.
Leadership- Encourage others to do their best and reach their goals.
Your future is in your hands and there is no time like now, to start exploring your options! Here are some tips to prepare for your future:
Whether you want to be a firefighter, a doctor, a teacher or a builder or you don't know, it is never too early to learn about careers. The skills needed and developed at school, are the skills that you will use later in life in your job. The following kills are important for both school and on the job:
Attendance- Come every day.
Punctuality- Be on time.
Teamwork- Work well with others.
Communication- Talk and listen effectively.
Problem Solve- Be able to choose good solutions.
Leadership- Encourage others to do their best and reach their goals.
Your future is in your hands and there is no time like now, to start exploring your options!
Here are some tips to prepare for your future:
7th Grade
8th Grade
By learning your way around in advance, you’ll feel more confident about high school, and the transition will be a smooth one. Start planning now. Answer the following questions to help you get ready:
For ALL STUDENTS...
We at NLES/WES want to make sure our students are successful. For us to accomplish this, student attendance must be made a priority. Although teachers are one of the most important school- related factors in a student’s success, they cannot impact or provide learning opportunities when your child is absent. Of course, there will be times when students must miss school, but our goal is to make sure students are only absent when necessary. Just remember, if your child is going to be absent, always call the school by 8:30am so we know that your child is safe.
Did You Know? Being frequently absent early in a child's school career not only shows lower achievement in math, reading, and general knowledge, it is also a common statistic of high school dropouts.
What are Executive Functions?
“Executive functions are the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully. The brain needs these skill sets to filter distractions, prioritize tasks, set and achieve goals, and control impulses.” We most commonly refer to these skills as life skills. Executive function skills help you manage/accomplish everyday tasks such as getting dressed in the morning, arriving to school/work on time, and even how you address people/situations.
There are three core executive functions: inhibitory control (a cognitive process used to control impulses, thoughts, and behaviors to stimuli through attention and reasoning), working memory (ability to hold information in our minds for a short amount of time in order to accomplish something) , and cognitive flexibility ( the ability to adapt behaviors to changing demands, priorities or perspectives). From these core executive functions come higher order executive functions which include:
Tips to Teach Your Child Time Management
Demonstrate time management skills
Make sure to lead by example, if your student sees you putting an importance on time management, so will they.
Help your students gain an understanding of how to measure time. Time management is a learned process, so children should be taught at a young age how to distinguish time. You can do this by:
Create a Family Schedule and Calendar Try to establish a family schedule and calendar. This will help your child stay on task at home and prevent you from overscheduling. Also encourage your child to create their daily schedule so it is easier for them to stay on task and manage their time.
You can do this by establishing a regular schedule, and make sure these times are consistent everyday for:
You can also keep a family calendar that has:
Establish a morning and evening routine for the school week.
Have your child write down everything they need to do in the morning/evening, along with the time frame they have to do it in. This will help them stay on task and be more productive.
Example of a MORNING routine:
Time & Task
Example of an EVENING routine:
Make sure dinner time, homework time, free time, and bedtime are at a consistent time every evening.
Time & Task
**If your child has no homework this time should be used to study, work ahead on projects, or READ for fun.
**Make sure that electronics are put away when it is time to sleep...even better to have put away an hour before bedtime!
Working Memory is a very important executive function that allows you to hold information in your mind while completing a task. This executive function is a very important part of storing information in long term memory and retrieving prior knowledge from memory.“Difficulties with working memory are common among, but not limited to students with ADHD, learning disabilities, hearing loss, acquired brain injuries, and mental health issues.”
Working Memory Strategies
There are many strategies that can be used to help improve your working memory skills. When teaching/learning these strategies make sure to work on one strategy at a time in short focused sessions. Also make sure teach/learn how , when, where, and why we use these strategies. Not all strategies work for everyone, make sure to try them all, and find the ones that work best.
Categorized Lists
Self talk
Letter and Word Mnemonic Strategies
Music Mnemonics
Rhyming Mnemonics
Make it into a Story(Mnemonic Linking System)
Chunking/Grouping
Paraphrase
Association Mnemonic
Working Memory Supports
C&CR VISION & GOALS
We are committed to ensuring that our students are prepared to pursue a fulfilling career sparked by their P.A.T.H:
P Passion (Interests)
A Attitude (Personality)
T Talents (Skills/Strengths)
H Heart (Values/Beliefs)
We believe that no matter what our students are planning to do after high school, they should be in a position to choose the college and career pathway that will lead to a successful life. We want to help students make their life vision and mission a reality...to plan their path, set goals, and map a course for success.
K-8 Career & College Readiness Key Components
College-Ready means to qualify for and succeed in entry-level, credit bearing college courses without the need for remedial coursework.
Career-Ready means to qualify for and succeed in post secondary job training or education necessary for their chosen career and/or transition into employment with quality work skills/work ethic that will result in a promising career.
Goals
Academic/Attendance Vision & Goals
We are committed to providing instruction focused on Executive Skills that will help 5th/6th students be more successful in the classroom.
Executive Function Skills taught in the classroom and in small groups:
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