Are you experiencing communications issues with your child now that he/she is in junior high? Does your daily conversation go something like this?

• Parent: Hi sweetie, how was school today?
• JH Student: Fine
• Parent: What did you do in class today?
• JH Student: Nothing
• Parent: Do you have homework?
• JH Student: No

Fear not, for you are NOT alone! Most adolescents become more private and less communicative with their parents during this phase in their lives. It is perfectly normal, but extremely frustrating from the parent's perspective. I know, I've raised four of my own and survived to tell the tale!

Knowing that communication is an issue during those pesky adolescent years, we have a few tricks up our sleeves to keep you informed. See below and take heart - this phase will pass in another 2 or 3 years!

• Daily Morning Announcements - Posted each afternoon, just click on the Announcement tab on the front page of the FJH website.
• Teacher Web Pages - Teachers post assignments, homework, project dates, copies of handouts, and more. Just click on the staff tab on the front page of the FJH website and scroll down, click on the appropriate grade level, click on the teacher's name and you will be taken to their teacher page.
• Grade Checks - Check your child's grades at any time through Parent Connect. Just click the parents tab one the front page of the FJH website, click on the "Access to Grades" on the right hand side, scroll to the bottom and you can connect to grades. If you have not set up an account before, click on the help button and the step-by-step process will assist you. You will need to know your child's student ID number, which all the kids know by heart because it is their lunch number.
• Once you are in Parent Connect, if you click on the teacher's name, you can send an e-mail to send to the teacher. If you click on the grade average, it will list all the grades that the teacher has posted. Checking grades is particularly useful right before the weekend!
• Take time to browse the website and pay particular attention to the Club tab at the top of the front page. Listed are all the clubs we offer at the JH and their sponsors. Feel free to e-mail the sponsors to find out more information about meeting times, etc. Also, keep checking the website. Our teachers are awesome and they are always coming up with something new to offer our kids.

Take a moment to view the movie trailer created last May by Mrs McAfoos' Yearbook group. It is a wonderful picture commentary on our school and our community. Most spectacular is that the movie was filmed, written, and narrated by our students.

Also, watch the PowerPoint presentation that shows why FJH is an exemplary campus. Yes, we have TAKS scores that place us in that category, but FJH is so much more than test scores. Take a look and find out what lies beneath the surface of this exemplary campus.

As always, we are here for you,