Help kids stay focused

It's that time of year when Kris Swenson's son Parker, 12, comes home from school, drops his backpack and heads straight outside to play basketball with friends in his St. Paul neighborhood. While Swenson admits to enjoying the unseasonably warm spring and longer days herself, as a parent she wants to make sure that Parker and his brother Cameron, 15, realize it's not officially summer and that a school year still needs to be finished.

"It's my job to try to keep them reined in," she said. "I really think April and May are crazier in terms of activities and schedules than the holiday season. Both my boys play soccer, they have homework and sometimes they just want to be outside to blow off steam."

The final countdown has started toward summer vacation. "Many kids lose interest in school after spring break," said Juli Montgomery-Riess, a counselor at Lucie Laney, a K-8 school in Minneapolis. "This is especially true for middle-schoolers. If they aren't going to high school next year, they don't think their grades really count. However, it's so important for them to keep up their school habits."

Hang onto the schedule

While it is tempting to let kids stay up late and play outside, parents should try to maintain the family routine as much as possible for bedtime, mealtime and homework.

"We'll try to look ahead and make sure the kids get caught up with everything on the weekends," said Swenson. "My younger son just finished a big project, so hopefully my older one won't have anything major that needs to be done."

Montgomery-Riess' message to parents is the same one she always shares regarding children and academics -- keep expectations high. Remind them to turn in assignments on time and to be responsible in the classroom.

Don't let up, yet

It is not just younger students who have trouble staying on track after spring break. "Senioritis" is thriving among those preparing to graduate from high school in a few short weeks.

"There is so much happening for them after spring break, including prom," said Joan O'Connell, college counselor at Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul. "I always tell kids, 'You can slide slightly, but you definitely can't tank.'"

According to O'Connell, it is far from a myth that colleges don't circle back to a student's high school to check on their final grades.

"When you are admitted to college, you are admitted conditionally. Many students are so happy to get that letter of congratulations when they are accepted to a school and don't read that far," she said. "Admission is based on the successful completion of senior year -- every college requires a final transcript."

Every spring, O'Connell sends a letter to seniors reminding them about the importance of completing all their assignments and finishing high school on a high note, encouraging them to "take your future seriously in these next few weeks." It's a message she would like to see spread among parents, as well.

"The last thing a high school senior wants is to enter college with a red flag next to their name," she said. "Students, as well as parents, really should keep this in mind."

Julie Pfitzinger is a West St. Paul freelance writer.