Arizona online school supports parents of teenagers, Arizona virtual high school communications tips

The holidays are a wonderful time of the year, but they can also be a time where your teenagers are more stressed out than normal. At Hope High School Online, we find that our Arizona virtual high school students start worrying about how to juggle their time with the added commitments, testing, managing homework assignments during the holiday break, and of course the common stressors like family get togethers and unrealistic holiday expectations. Today’s blog provides stress reduction tips to help our Arizona online school students and families enjoy the holidays!

Holiday Stress Reduction Tips for Arizona Virtual High School Students

Teenagers process emotions differently than adults do, as their brains are not fully matured yet. Because of this, emotions are not naturally regulated by reasoning skills. Parents can help their teenagers recognize when their emotional responses are elevated, and teach them how to problem solve whatever the issue is that is creating the emotional response. Teaching coping skills will benefit students for a lifetime.

Increased anxiety can be expressed with emotional outbursts, emotional retreat, and even physical symptoms like headaches, stomach aches, nail biting, excessive hair twisting or pulling, skin picking, etc. Our staff stays in tune with our Arizona virtual high school students, and our students do express their anxiety to us so that we can help. We do, however, rely on parents to be the “eyes”, as we are not in physical contact with the student.

If you notice that your teenager is demonstrating symptons of anxiety, the first step is to help your student acknowledge and understand anxiety. Educate your teenager about the biological realities of being a teenager. Teenage emotions are typically bigger than the reality of the situation because of how their body is maturing right now. Additionally, the body has a natural “fight or flight” response, and when negative emotions are peaking, fight or flight kicks in, and with it, your student acts in response to the body’s response to perceived danger. It’s important for your student to know that feelings in and of themselves don’t necessarily make something a fact. Identifying the root cause of the emotion, and then applying truth to the situation can reduce anxiety and fear.

For example, if your teenager is stressed out by having to do something they don’t want to do at our Arizona online school like taking end of semester tests that they don’t feel they will be successful at, help your student walk through the facts. It could go something like this: “You seem stressed out, what’s on your mind?”. When the situation is identified, you can then walk through the facts. “OK, I know this test is a big deal and you need to do well on it. Let’s talk about how you have prepared for it.” Then walk through the preparation. If you identify that your student has adequately prepared, then encourage them to practice to increase their confidence and decrease their anxiety levels. If they haven’t prepared adequately, then help your student identify steps necessary to be prepared, and then encourage the practice to increase confidence.

Our Arizona Online School is Committed to Our Students and Families

Our Arizona online school staff is more than happy to help equip parents with training skills to share with their teenagers to help them succeed. The unique educational approach at Hope High School Online teaches our students life skills like time management, personal responsibility, and critical thinking skills, as we are committed to helping our students succeed in life. These life skills empower our Arizona online school students, and 8 out of 10 go on to higher education!

Hope High School Online staff is honored that you have entrusted the education of your teenager to our Arizona virtual high school. We are committed to giving our students and families the quality education and personal support they need to succeed. Read more success tips HERE. If you need additional support to help your teenager succeed, please reach out to your student’s success coach. If you don’t know who that is, please call our office and we can connect you. Together, we create educational and life success for your student!

online high school in Arizona provides teenage parent resources

Did your once cooing, cuddly, smiling baby turn into a much taller version that obviously knows much more than you do? Do you fear your teenager’s eyes will get stuck in the back of their head from the constant eyeball rolling? And, is the homework battle now a 10.0 on the Richter scale? If you answered at least two of the three above questions with “yes”, you just might have a… teenager! Being a teenager is a tough job, but parenting a teenager can be even harder. At our online high school in Arizona, we understand the challenges of being a teenager and of being the parent of a teenager. It’s why we prioritize providing parents with educational resources to support them as they support their Arizona online high school student.

How Does Teenage Brain Maturity Impact Arizona Online School Success?

Some parents believe that their teenagers have truly lost their minds. Brain maturity is a process, as you help train your Arizona online high school student to make good decisions about priorities, emotion management, and self discipline for time structuring. Remember to be patient, as there is a lot going on in that teenager’s brain! An elevated level of hormones, plus ongoing brain development all takes place at the same time. Does it comfort you to know that the human brain does not reach full maturity until the mid-20’s? And that the area of the brain that adults use to manage their emotions, make decisions, reason, and control themselves is getting “remapped” during the teen years?

During this time, teenagers rely on a different part of the brain for the above functions, and this part of the brain is responsible for emotional reactions. Hence, there really is a biological reason for your teenager’s heightened emotional responses of anger, sadness, joy, etc. If teenagers rely on just how they feel to make decisions, it is less likely that they will apply sound judgment to their decision making processes.

Practical Ways You Can Help Your Arizona Online High School Student

First, remember that you don’t have to respond with the same level of emotion that your teenager expresses. Take a deep breath, listen to understand what is behind the emotion, and then give your student feedback to make sure they know you are listening and want to understand. It could go something like this: “It sounds like you are pretty upset about ________. What happened to make you feel this way?” It’s important to start training your student to focus on facts to help control their feelings. This is why the “What” question is important – “What happened?” instead of “Why are you acting this way?” This will help your teenager feel listened to, which in turn can help he/she calm down and start to reason through the situation with your help.

Teaching Reasoning Instead of Responding Immediately Will Improve Arizona Online School Study Skills

Tackling emotions with truth is also a key to helping your student learn sound reasoning skills and emotional management. For example, your student might say, “This whole thing sucks! I hate _______, and I am NOT doing it anymore!” Take a deep breath, DON’T respond with “You will or else!” DO respond with something like this, “Wow, this sounds really tough. WHAT made you come to this decision?” Then, let your student talk, all the way through, nodding, and listening, only responding to let them know that you are listening. That could sound like, “OK, I hear what you are saying” or if they are focusing just on feelings, ask “WHAT happened to make you feel this way?”. After listening, patiently go back and repeat what you

heard to make sure you understand. Try, “OK, so I think I get what you are saying. Is it like this _____?” If your teenager says yes, then try, “I’m glad you took the time to help me understand what’s going on.” Then, go back to the details and bring facts back into the equation. It could sound like this, “So, when you said everything sucks, what you really were saying is that _______. It sounds like a tough situation but that it’s not everything, it is this particular situation. Do you think there are any solutions?” And then listen and provide factual feedback again.

At Our Online High School in Arizona, We Are Available to Listen

Every time you listen with the intention of understanding, you gain your teenager’s trust. You are also expressing unconditional love, which is the universal language of every teenager, no matter how they act or what they say. Be patient as you train them to think and respond from reason instead of emotion. This exercise will translate into better choices, more self-discipline, and maturity that in turn produces better results for their online high school education. At our online high school in Arizona, our staff and faculty are also available to listen, and help coach your teenager, equipping them to succeed academically and in life.

Our Online High School in Arizona Creates Success for Students!

At Hope High School Online, we are so proud of our students, and the progress towards maturity they make during their time at our Arizona online school. Our counselors and staff make it an absolute priority to support the parents of our students, as they help our Arizona online high school students to gain the life skills needed to become successful adults! As a matter of fact, we believe that the support we provide to parents of our students is one of the reasons why 8 out of 10 Hope High School Online students go on to higher education.

Hope High School Online is a Great Choice for Online High School in Arizona

At Hope High School Online, we are 100% committed to our Arizona online high school students’ success.  It is the reason why we provide a supportive academic environment – because we know our students’ success is more than just passing a test.  If you are still researching your options for an accredited, free Arizona online high school, download the Hope High School Online info kit HERE, use live chat on our website, e-mail us, or give us a call at 602-663-8496. We offer award winning curriculum, a safe environment, we support students and families, and our students succeed! Find out more HERE!

Arizona online school voting lesson

Arizona Online School Teaches Practical Applications in Social Studies Class

A few weeks ago, upon completing his US/AZ Government class, a student at Hope High School Online, the Arizona online school where I teach social studies, mentioned to me, “This is great, I learned a lot, but how do I actually cast my ballot?”  This was an interesting comment, as I realized that the process of voting is often glossed over in high-school classes. How can I remedy this? By creating a user-friendly, quick-and-easy guide to voting.

Eligibility to Vote

We want students to become good citizens.  Our Arizona online school promotes social responsibility as a U.S. citizen. To begin with, you must establish your citizenship. You must be able to prove that you are a US citizen and a citizen of the county that you’re voting in. Citizenship can be established either with one form of photo I.D. or two forms of non-photo I.D. (Explained below.) Also, you cannot vote if you’ve been found guilty of a felony and your full rights have not yet been restored.

Registration

You can register in AZ at the Motor Vehicles Department when you get your driver’s license. It requires the completion of a very short form that asks for your name and town/county of legal residence.. You can also registered at www.servicearizona.com as well. (Remember that if you move, you must re-register as soon as possible.)

Where Do You Vote?

Finding out your designated polling place is easy. Go to www.azsos.gov. On this site, there is a place for you to place your street address and it will immediately give you the voting precinct you belong to in addition to your polling place.

What Do I Need to Bring to the Polls

You can bring one form of official photo I.D. such as the following:

  • Valid AZ driver’s license
  • Valid AZ non-operating identification license (state I.D.)
  • Tribal enrollment card or other form of tribal identification
  • Valid U.S. federal, state, or local government issued identification.
  • (Note that something such as a school I.D. is not sufficient)

If you don’t have a photo I.D. with your name and address, you have another option. You can bring two of the following non-photo I.D. documents:

  • Utility bill, such as for electric, gas, water, garbage, sewer, telephone, cell phone or cable
  • Bank statement
  • Valid AZ vehicle registration
  • Indian census card
  • Tribal enrollment card
  • AZ vehicle insurance card
  • Recorder’s certificate
  • Voter registration card
  • Any mailing to the elector marked “Official Election Material.”

Voting at the Polling Location

First, be prepared to stand in line and wait awhile. Many of the election volunteers are elderly, and therefore might not be the quickest in getting voters checked in. Once you’re called up, you will need to show your I.D.(s) to the election workers and your name will be checked off on their list of registered voters. You will then receive your ballot and be directed to an open voting booth. Once there, you will use the provided marker (usually a Sharpie) and “fill in” the arrow head and tail next to the candidate of your choice. By completing the arrow, you will have made your choice.

In addition to candidates, the end of the ballot will have bills and measures that are up for vote. Carefully read these, as quite often the verbiage will be somewhat vague and long-winded in what is ultimately a “yes/no” question. Be sure that if you want to vote “yes,” you are not voting against the measure being proposed.

About Hope High School Online – It’s About Success for the Future!

Did you know that 4 out of 5 of our students go on to higher education? And that many of them came to us really struggling? Some had serious behavior issues, others were failing academically, some students have health issues, and others don’t want the stress of being in a negative or unsafe environment. Whatever your student’s challenges are, at Hope High School Online we find ways to help our students succeed. Find out more about how we help students succeed academically and position them to succeed in the future.  Go HERE to download our free information kit and find out  about why students succeed at Hope High School Online.

Hope High School Online Free Arizona online high school, free online high school AZ student struggling with illness

Your heart starts racing, palms start sweating, and worry floods your mind like a crashing wave. It could be something small that sends a student’s mind into an avalanche of of anxiety. So many students experience these sorts of emotions and struggle through them. The anxiety plagues so many parts of their lives to a point of debilitation. At Hope High School Online we work closely with students to provide coping skills for students who experience anxiety, especially when it comes to school.

What Causes Anxiety?

Anxiousness can be a normal feeling that many students experience. Dealing with deadlines, preparing for tests, along with any other social pressures can be a lot for students to navigate. When the stress and worry overshadow normal everyday activities, it is important that students have strategies to bring their stress levels down.

  • Stay active. You can take your mind off your problems with activities like helping a neighbor, volunteering in the community, and taking the dog on a long walk. These can be positive ways to cope with stressful feelings.
  • Exercise regularly. Swimming, running, biking, going for a brisk 10-minute walk, doing yoga, or dancing to music are all ways to get great exercise.
  • Learn / try something new. Take a class, go to the library, learn to knit or sew, write a poem, check out a new restaurant, try a new activity, or get a change of scenery and take a short drive to somewhere you have never been.
  • Find support. Seek help from a partner, family member, friend, counselor, doctor, or clergy person. Having someone with a sympathetic, listening ear and sharing about your problems and stress really can lighten the burden.
  • Connect socially. After a stressful event, it is easy isolate yourself. Make sure that you are spending time with loved ones.
  • Consider planning fun activities with your partner, children, or friends.
  • Avoid drugs and alcohol. They may seem to be a temporary fix to feel better, but in the long run drugs and alcohol can create more problems and add to your stress—instead of taking it away.
  • Rest. Maintain a normal routine; make sure you go to bed on time and get plenty of sleep. Give yourself a break if you feel stressed out – for example, treat yourself to a therapeutic massage.
  • Eat healthy. Make good food choices for a well-balanced diet. There are many apps to help you track what you eat.

As you may see, this spells out SELF CARE. Making sure to take care of oneself is an important part of reducing stress and anxiety. Managing stress and anxiety is definitely possible. As students practice these tips, they become better at managing the anxiety that might come into their lives!

About Hope High School Online

At Hope High School Online, we are 100% committed to our Arizona online high school students’ success.  It is the reason why we provide a supportive academic environment – because we know our students’ success is more than just passing a test.  If you are still researching your options for an accredited, free Arizona online high school, download the Hope High School Online info kit HERE, use live chat on our website, e-mail us HERE, or give us a call at 602-663-8496. We offer award winning curriculum, a safe environment, we support students and families, and our students succeed! Find out more HERE!

 

 

 

online high school in Arizona, online high schools in Arizona online high school schooling, home school online freeCongratulations! You have taken a leap of faith and chosen to taken advantage of the high quality education at Hope High School Online. We realize you have many choices for online high schools in Arizona, and we are grateful you have trusted your student to the staff at Hope High School Online. Many families are taking advantage of this unique opportunity to home school online free. Hope High School Online offers all of the benefits of the safe, supportive environment of homeschooling with the accredited education that Arizona accredited online high school schooling offers. The benefits at Hope High School Online also include no cost, award winning curriculum, caring, supportive teachers and staff, and built in opportunities for socializing with other high school students.

Our Online High School in Arizona Supports Parents

Of all online high schools in Arizona, we are proud to say that what makes us unique is our very focused efforts to help you and your student succeed. We stay in close contact with parents, including a weekly progress report. Many parents engaged in online high school schooling ask us about ways to help with their student succeed in their home high school environment. We’d like to share some tips for parents as they support their Arizona online high school student.

Arizona Online High School Schooling Empowers Students – You Should Too

One of the primary goals of our online high school in Arizona is to empower students to own their education. This helps them to become self-motivated and increases personal responsibility levels. There are several ways to do that.

School Day Start Time – Many Parents Are Frustrated by Sleepy Teenagers

The thought is that just because it is home school online free, it doesn’t mean your teenager should sleep until noon. It’s ironic, according to the National Sleep Foundation, teenagers’ experience biological changes in their sleep rhythm. This causes them to be more alert later at night, and sleepier in the early morning. Because of this shift, it makes it difficult for teens to fall asleep before 11:00pm. Teens need an average of 9 1/4 hours, but at least 8 hours of sleep and if they can’t fall asleep until later, it can cause sleep deprivation, which impacts their learning. Believe it or not, it really is OK to start their online high school schooling later, even at noon if it works best for your teenager’s sleep rhythm. Let your student determine their school hours, but do ask them to be consistent in the hours they choose.

Built in Accountability at Our Online High School in Arizona Creates Student Ownership of Time Management

The teachers include parents in the online high school schooling process. A weekly progress report is sent to parents. We recommend that parents then schedule weekly meeting to review progress with your student. This eliminates the nagging and frustration that can so easily creep in between parents and children on homework assignments. If your student’s progress is not satisfactory, have pre-defined consequences that your student needs to own. They should be consistent and meaningful. For example, if your student has not turned in all of their assignments, there is no weekend free time until they are caught up. This causes your student to own their progress and their outcomes, and prevents your student from falling behind.

Home High School Online Free Benefits Opportunity for Students to Exploring Personal Interests

Online high school in Arizona at Hope High School Online is anything but boring! While many online high schools in Arizona simply stick to online education, at Hope High School we believe that students learning experiences are enriched and that students grow through other experiences, including groups, clubs, sports, and serving in community. We go on field trips, like the Arizona Science Center, Arizona Challenger Space Center, Biosphere 2, and more. It is all built in as part of the many home high school online free benefits offered at Hope High School because we believe that these unique learning experiences help our students discover their passions, which in turn empowers them to explore their future.  For more success tips on successful Arizona high school at home, go HERE.

You can read more about the differences between Arizona online high schools HERE.

Arizona high school at home, Arizona homeschool for high school

If you are involved in Arizona high school at home, or Arizona homeschool for high school, you may just be on the most rewarding, successful academic journey of your life! While some people believe that students engaging in Arizona high school at home are just “on their own”, it’s simply not true at Hope High School Online. With low student/teacher ratios and a firm commitment to helping our students succeed, 4 out of 5 students at Hope High School Online go on to higher education. There are a few pitfalls, however, that can be avoided. Read on to gain some great study tips for your high school success.

Procrastination Can Impede Success for Arizona Homeschool for High School

Procrastination can bite all of us in the behind from time to time, but it is a pitfall that does exist for students involved in Arizona high school at home. Procrastination basically just means that you put off or avoid doing something that is required. Where it negatively impacts education is that students find themselves trying to cram in completing their work at the last minute, and don’t give themselves enough time to do quality work.

How to Prevent Procrastination From Stealing Your Success

One thing you can to that you will certainly enjoy is to work on a reward system. When you do quality work and complete your task on time, reward yourself! What do you love? Gaming? Ice cream? Whatever motivates you, reward yourself for your success.

Prioritize Tasks and Assignments

Prioritize the tasks you have to do. While attending Arizona high school at home, you will have several tasks and assignments due at the same time. By prioritizing your assignments based on how much time each assignment will take to complete can help you. Procrastination can set in when you don’t know where to start. Prioritizing by time needed will help you know which assignment to start on, and when/how to work on it

Arizona Homeschool for High School Means You Have Flexibility

One of the big benefits of attending Arizona high school at home is the ability to be flexible with your schedule. Are you a morning person? Night person? Work on the harder tasks when you are at your best. Don’t wait to tackle the tough stuff until you are worn out. And remember that you are not striving for perfection, but do set a standard of good academic quality for your work, and give yourself the right amount of time to get your work done well. You don’t have to finish the entire assignment at once. Break the assignment into smaller, more manageable parts and put the tasks on your daily school planner, and then stick to it so you don’t get overwhelmed.

A To Do List for Success

Create a planner for your Arizona high school at home. Plot out the week by the previous Friday. Make it reasonable – don’t be unrealistic in your daily tasks. And, be sure to cross off everything you complete, and remember to reward yourself for work well done and on time!

Arizona High School at Home Truly Can Be the Best Academic Experience of Your Life!

Knowing how to succeed with Arizona high school at home can make all the different in a very satisfying and successful online high school experience. If you are still researching your options for Arizona homeschool for high school, download the Hope High School Online info kit HERE, use live chat on our website, e-mail us HERE, or give us a call at 602-663-8496. We are accredited, offer award winning curriculum, it’s free, we support students and families, and our students succeed! Find out more HERE!

Hope High School Online Offers Tips for Students
Attending Free Arizona Online Charter High School

You might have read this title and aren’t sure of what this truly means. Well, that’s why I’m here! As principal at a free Arizona online charter high school, the staff at Hope High School Online strives to provide tips and tricks to our students so that they get the most out of their education.

Everyone’s brain is wired differently and our experiences can shape the way we think and approach life. John Medina, author of Brain Rules, recounts some things we know about how the brain works. He recounts each of them and the science behind them in his book. I want to provide a brief overview of some of them in hopes of helping our Arizona online charter high schooI students understand how their brain works and what they can do to improve its function!

  • Wiring: Every brain is wired differently-Every person has a uniquely individual brain. No two people have the same brain! Realize that your brain is different from everyone else’s and that is a good thing! Learn how you learn best. Communicate that to your teachers at our school so that they can work with you in a style that works best for you.
  • Exercise: Exercise boosts brain power-According to research, John Medina states that cognitive scores increase the more active people are. The reason is that exercise provides increases oxygen to the brain increasing mental sharpness. So, even though HHSO is an Arizona online charter high school, it is important to make sure that you are getting enough exercise and provide your brain with what it needs!

Success Rates at Our Free Arizona Online Charter High School Reflect Our Students Success

Four out of five Hope High School Online students go on to higher education.  Our mission is to empower our students to succeed.  We recognize that students learn differently, which is why many of them turn to a free Arizona online charter high school as a viable option for quality education.  Below are additional tips for learning:

  • Music: Study or listen to boost cognition-There is just something about music that can truly change the way we feel. Music has the potential to uplift us or provide a “boost” of energy. Some students have found that listening to music while completing their courses is helpful and others listen to music during breaks to invigorate them. Whichever type of student you are, I encourage you to use music as a way to boost your academic performance!
  • Exploration: We are powerful and natural explorers-Babies are a perfect example of how we learn-we explore. As students, we explore various content areas, thoughts, and ideas in our courses! Use your digital learning device to explore the information presented in your courses! Never stop wondering about the world around you and seek to understand it! The information in your courses could serve as a window for further exploration. Keep learning from exploring!
  • Memory: Repeat to remember-Our brain works like a muscle, the more you “exercise” it, the stronger it becomes. If you want to remember information in your course, associate it with something. Scientists have proven that this is an effective tool for increasing one’s memory along with repetition. If you are learning something new, it’s important to repeat it so that you are able to commit it to memory.
  • Sensory Integration: Stimulate the Senses-All of your senses work together, but smell has been linked to effectively evoke your memory. Since HHSO students can work on their courses in multiple locations, it might be a great idea to find somewhere that stimulates your senses. Even a coffee shop could have a positive effect of your memory and learning!
  • Stress: Stressed brains don’t learn the same way.  Stress has been proven to damage every kind of cognition in the brain from your memory and executive functions to your motor skills. As many of us know, stress even affects our immune system. It affects our emotions too. It is important that students recognize the role stress plays in our lives so that they can develop strategies to deal and overcome stress. Developing a growth mindset can help reframe stress so that it is seen as an opportunity for growth, not something to bring us down.
  • Sleep: Sleep well, think well-Did you know that we spend ⅓ of our lives sleeping? If we spend that much time doing it, it must be important! Loss of sleep can have a negative effect on our brain function from our mood, attention span, logical reasoning, and dexterity. Make sure that you get enough sleep so that your brain can work at its maximum capacity! Sometimes a short 20 minute nap can be just what we need to re-invigorate us to continue on.

Our Free Arizona Online Charter High School is Ready to Help Your Student Learn!

Our brains are so powerful. When we understand how our brain works, we can start to do things and make choices that will strengthen our brains and improve our learning!  We are committed to supporting you as you support your student. Go HERE for contact information that we hope is helpful. If it is not the right contact, just call and we can connect you with the right person. Go HERE to download our free information kit to find out more about why students succeed at Hope High School Online.

 

Medina, John. Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School. Pear Press, 2008.