Summer is winding to a close and another school year is about to start. Soon children throughout Michigan will be busy doing homework, catching up with old friends and meeting new ones.

As parents, we have important roles to play in our children’s education, starting with ensuring students get to and from school safely.

I want to remind parents and students about simple safety. For students, please follow safety procedures when crossing the street and remember that drivers may not be able to see you. For drivers, please be cautious and patient in school zones and around school buses.

A good education is critical for children to become tomorrow’s skilled workers and strong leaders — and an active parent can have a huge impact on preparing a child to learn and helping foster a student’s success throughout the year.

Research has shown that students whose parents are involved in their schoolwork are more motivated and set higher career goals than students with less-involved parents. While helping our children understand classroom material at an early age helps improve their chances for success in high school and college, parents visiting their child’s school has also been cited as a key factor in a student’s development.

I encourage all Southwest Michigan parents to try to make time to help and support your young students. For assistance, the Michigan Department of Education has many useful resources available in the “Parent Engagement” section of its website at: www.michigan.gov/mde.

Parents may also get help by calling the Berrien RESA at (269) 471-7725 or the Lewis Cass Intermediate School District at (269) 445-3891.

For additional education and school safety information, residents can check out the Family Focus newsletter under the “Publications” section of my website at www.SenatorJohnProos.com.

To parents of first-time students, this time may seem daunting. Relax. Sometimes the best thing you can do to ensure a child’s academic success is to simply be there for them. Ensure they get plenty of sleep, arrive to school on time, complete their homework and eat healthy meals.

Also, the framework to success lies in building up a child’s self-confidence with positive reinforcement and encouragement.

I hope you all have a great school year!

 

Sen. John Proos, R-St. Joseph, represents Southwest Michigan.