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OCPS Student Announcer: Welcome to Mondays with Maria. Here's our superintendent, Dr. Maria Vazquez,

Announcer: Presented by Addition Financial Credit Union. Here's OCPS Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez.

Dr. Vazquez: Hi everyone. Thank you for that wonderful introduction. Mariel Milano is back with me today. She is the Director of Family and Community Engagement. Mariel, welcome back. 

Mariel Milano: Thank You. 

Dr. Vazquez: Well, today we're talking about a very important topic, progress reports, right? They have just gone out.  About a week ago. Hopefully, there isn't a parent who's saying what Progress reports. I didn't see any. So we know that the progress reports are like a snapshot. Right? A time for the parents to really gauge how their child is doing, right?

Mariel Milano: Yeah. And we want them to know that it's important that they check them because we want to intervene early, right? So if it looks great, fantastic. If there's anything you're worried about, now's the time to reach out to your child's teacher. And then also set goals with your child about what you want to see at report card time.

Dr. Vazquez: So you make an important point, right? So, if your child's doing well, life is grand, but it's not always an easy conversation to have. If your child is struggling, right?

Mariel Milano: It can be tough, you know, I've been in that situation as well. But we want you to know that you're not alone, that we're here to walk with you in that journey with your child's teacher, and you should reach out to them right away. So start with your child's teacher. If you can't get in for a parent conference, then send them a direct message on ParentSquare. Ask them some questions about what you can do at home to help.

Dr. Vazquez: And there are so many resources. Yes. These are available to all of our families. And when you are with your child on their electronic device, you could go to their Launchpad, correct?

Mariel Milano: Yeah, just go on over to Launch.OCPS.net or visit your school's website, click on the Launch icon, and you can access so many applications and their textbooks.

Dr. Vazquez: So let's talk a little bit about that. So, at the elementary level, we have resources to help if you're struggling with reading. So, what are some of those that can assist them with vocabulary comprehension, or even fluency?

Mariel Milano: Two of my favorites are Lexia and Reading Plus. Reading Plus, they really love it because it's adaptive, and you can pick your own stories and your own topics to read about. If you're a newcomer, then Amira is the right platform for you.

Dr. Vazquez: Oh, great. So, for any of our families whose child is a second language learner. They need to be on the lookout for Amira. Yes. Alright, great. So that's good resources for reading. Let's talk about math. Sure. What's available at the elementary level for math? 

Mariel Milano: So, we're practicing multiplication in my house right now. And we are on reflex remember every night. And so Reflex Math is for grades one through five. And it can help you practice all your math facts, or you can head on over to Savvas and check out the practice buddies. And that'll help you practice the skills they're learning in class every day.

Dr. Vazquez: Great. So now let's move on to middle school. Right. And usually at the elementary level, the students are more forthcoming. Especially if they're struggling, they pretty much want to get some help. But you know, once we get to that secondary level, it's like pulling teeth if they're not doing well. So, what are some resources at the secondary level?

Mariel Milano: For math? So for math, which is an area that a lot of students struggle in middle school because it's all new. And sometimes we're taking high school classes, check out I XL or Math Nation, and our students love Math Nation.

Dr. Vazquez: Oh yes. Yes.

Mariel Milano: Because it's gamified, they can take tests and practice at home.

Dr. Vazquez: Yeah. And again, an easy way to review existing skills, and also if you're struggling to be able to work on those that are giving you a little bit of trouble.  All right. So elementary, middle, and we can't leave out high school. What's available at the high school level?

Mariel Milano: So again, I excelled all the way through Algebra I. And so that's a really important thing for parents to know, is that they could use the same thing at both levels, but also for science and chemistry. And physics can be challenging for some students. Gizmos is the perfect solution. Yes. Kids love it because Gizmos is so interactive, and they can practice hard chemistry and physics concepts.

Dr. Vazquez: So wonderful resources for our families at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. But before we close out, there's one resource that we have not mentioned, and that's Khan Academy. Right? It's available from kindergarten all the way through 12th grade. And although it covers a variety of subjects, we highly recommend it as a resource for SAT and ACT prep. Right?

Mariel Milano: Yeah. I'm using it with my own daughter right now. You can create a personalized SAT prep plan. And that is so important because the SAT is online now, and it's a new format. And that's tricky for some of our students. Right.

Dr. Vazquez: And many of our high school students are thinking about that now, as early as freshmen, thinking about if they're going to go to college, and their SAT and ACT scores, how can I improve them? And this is a wonderful free resource. Free, right? That's available. Well, Mariel, thank you so much. Every time you're here, you bring us great information that helps our families be partners with us along that educational journey. Thank you for being here. And thank you for watching. Don't forget to like, follow, and subscribe. We'll have more on our podcast. Just go to wherever you get your podcast and search for Mondays with Maria. Have a great week.

Announcer: For an extended conversation on today's topic. Listen to the Mondays with Maria podcast available wherever you get your podcasts. Mondays with Maria is presented by Addition Financial Credit Union. Count us in for every step of your financial journey. Learn more at AdditionFi.com. For more OCPS news and information, visit TheSlice.OCPS.net. I'm your announcer. Emily Hannon, a student at Audubon Park School. Thanks for watching, and have a great week.