North Allegheny's
Beyond the Stripes
Newsletter
A resource designed to help students and families succeed beyond the classroom
Spring 2020
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What You'll Find In This Email:
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Welcome to
Beyond the Stripes
, an e-newsletter produced by the North Allegheny School District.
Beyond the Stripes
features useful information to help NA Tiger families succeed beyond the classroom.
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- Middle School Day
- Tips for Online Safety
- Hand Washing to Stay Healthy
- Mental Health Tips
- Sleep Hygiene
- 2020 Census
- Parents' Ultimate Guide to TikTok
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At the February 26, 2020, School Board meeting, the Board approved an adjustment to the middle school day schedule to take effect for the 2020-2021 school year. A team of District stakeholders, including teachers and administrators, are now finalizing the details for implementation.
The conversation for adjustments to the middle school day began in 2017. At that time, teams were developed to research best practices, consider possible schedules, and to move through multiple iterations of a potential schedule.
The reasoning behind the middle school day schedule adjustments is not only to enhance the learning environment but to better meet the needs of all students. The new middle school day schedule will allow for equitable time for English Language Arts and mathematics, teaming in grades 6-8, and common team planning time. With a teaming model, teachers will be in a better position to coordinate homework for students.
The adjustments to the middle school day will also continue North Allegheny's efforts to modernize learning, along with improving student perception, feelings of belonging, and attitude about school by implementing practices that will promote the academic, social, and emotional needs for students at the middle level. The District also anticipates that the enhanced learning environment created from these adjustments will also result in increased student achievement.
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Worried about how to keep your kids safe on the internet? In less than one minute, learn six things you can do to help your children protect themselves online by watching the video below from Common Sense Media.
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Beyond those quick six tips you may also want to remind your children of these additional four behaviors that will also help keep them safe online:
#1 - Don’t become phish food
Always be on the lookout for suspicious emails, texts, and messages. Remind your kids that they should not accept files or open email attachments from unknown people. Make sure they know to never post or share phone numbers, home addresses, financial details, or any other personal details. If in doubt, remind them that they should check any strange messages or emails with a parent, guardian, or teacher.
#2 - Be a good digital citizen
It is hard for children to envision how the posts they share now could impact their future, but it’s crucial that young people are taught to consider how a seemingly harmless post today could have a lasting effect on how others view them.
#3 - Use social media responsibly
We should all be kind and respectful online as we are offline - if you wouldn’t say it out loud, then it shouldn’t be said online. Encourage your children to be a force for good by setting an example for their friends by not liking or responding to potentially hurtful comments or posts, and by speaking up to an adult against online bullying.
#4 - Follow family rules
It’s important to set ground rules and a good example of the healthy use of technology. Parents should talk to their children about what kind of sites they visit and assess how safe or suitable they are. Be clear with your children and set family rules around which sites and services they can use. You can also restrict their access to certain websites on school devices through the Securly At Home app.
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Hand Washing to Stay Healthy
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Hand washing is a simple step to stay healthy, but often not done thoroughly.
Please keep these five easy steps each time you wash your hands, and teach your students the proper protocol as well:
- WET – warm or cold water is fine, as long as it is clean water.
- LATHER – liquid or bar soap both work. The soap also doesn't need to be antibacterial!
- SCRUB – for 20 seconds. Remember to get between your fingers, under your nails, and your wrists! If you need to, recite the ABC's or sing Happy Birthday to know when 20 seconds is up.
- RINSE – send those suds down the drain by using clean running water.
- DRY – with a clean, dry towel or paper towel.
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Additionally, there are simple everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of viruses. These include:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Stay home when you are sick and/or have a fever greater than 100°F.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
For additional information, please visit the NASD "Too Sick for School?" webpage below.
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Talking to Your Children About COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
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Teaching children positive preventative measures can give them a sense of control over their risk of infection and can aid in reducing anxiety. When speaking to children about COVID-19, provide factual, age-appropriate information without panicking. Acknowledging an apt level of concern while remaining calm can lead to children and even adults taking actions that reduce the risk of the illness. Remind them that you and other adults at school are there to keep them healthy and safe. We encourage you to follow the link to the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) to read additional tips and guidelines when discussing COVID-19 with children.
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Sleep hygiene is a variety of practices and habits necessary to have a good night's sleep, resulting in full daytime alertness. Obtaining healthy sleep is necessary for physical and mental health, and can improve productivity and overall quality of life.
Both children and adults can benefit from practicing good sleep habits, so here are a few things you may want to consider to improve your sleep hygiene from the National Sleep Foundation:
- Limit your daytime naps to 30 minutes.
- Avoid caffeine close to bedtime.
- Exercise to promote good quality sleep, even if it's as little as 10 minutes.
- Steer clear of food that can be disruptive right before sleep. Heavy or rich foods, fatty or fried meals, spicy dishes, citrus fruits, and carbonated drinks can trigger indigestion.
- Ensure adequate exposure to natural light. Being exposed to the sunlight during the day and darkness at night helps maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle.
- Establish a relaxing bedtime routine. Read a book or try light stretches. Set a bedtime for your cell phone and put it away at least an hour before you go to bed.
- Make the sleep environment pleasant and relaxing.
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Did you know that April 1 is Census Day? Responding to the Census is a civic duty and affects the allocation of funding for Allegheny County’s public resources, how we plan for the future, and our voice in government. Additionally, funding in schools relies on Census data.
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Parents' Ultimate Guide to TikTok
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You may have heard your child talk about TikTok, but what is it exactly? Check out this article from Common Sense Media about the popular social media app.
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