Reporter for The Canyon Weekly
It’s been a long, hot summer filled with late nights, late mornings, all day snacking, long trips, camps and not a lot of thought toward the inevitable start of the school year.
But fall is just around the corner and so is the need to gather school supplies, dust off the fall gear and get back to a stable routine.
It can be a rough transition but here are a few tips from teachers, administrators, school nurses and office staff that will help make those first few weeks of school go a bit more smoothly.
• Begin using the bedtime and morning wake up routines you will use during the school year at least two weeks prior to the first day.
• Decrease screen time.
• Start talking and reading books about the first day of school as a way of getting kids excited and working through any anxiety or questions they might have.
• Visit the school, play on the playground, talk about who their teacher will be and what friends are going to be in their class.
• Stock up on nutritious breakfast, lunch and snack items.
• Practice eating lunch and snacks on a school-based timeline. Rehearse opening containers, peeling fruit and cleaning up the space afterward.
• Print out the school’s lunch menu and put money in your student’s account.
• Review how to tie shoelaces and fasten buttons before school shopping, so that the clothes you purchase can be worn independently.
• Check with your doctor about starting any school-related medications at least one week prior to the start of school.
• Make sure your child is up to date on any necessary vaccinations and schedule any required sports physicals.
• If your child has an IEP or 504 plan, review it with both your child and their teacher. Ask any questions regarding modifications and accommodations prior to the first day.
• Don’t be afraid to inform your child’s teacher of any major life-changes.
• Share the school’s rules regarding cellphone use. Discuss ways your child can be productive and safe without using a cellphone during the school day.
• Download any necessary school apps and ensure you have the school’s phone number saved in your phone for emergencies.
• Update your contact information and emergency contacts and pay any school fees.
• Add important dates, such as school closures, to your family calendar.
• Let the school know about any health changes and ask about dropping off medications prior to the first day.
• Have a drop-off and pick-up plan in place prior to the first day, share it with both your child and the school. Try to keep it consistent.
• Send your child to school wearing clothing and shoes that are both appropriate for the weather and comfortable enough to run and play in. For parents of younger kids, pack an extra set of clothes in case of accidents.
• Label everything with your child’s name.
• Consider donating enough healthy, shelf-stable snacks for the entire class.
• Purchase brand-name school supplies on the teacher’s supply list.
• Stick to the teacher’s school supply list. Don’t send kids to school with supplies that sparkle, are scented or easily become toys.
• Familiarize your child with any new back-to-school purchases, especially jackets, water bottles and lunch bags that are easily misplaced.
• Consider gifting your child’s teacher an Amazon gift card that can be used for supplies.
• Ask teachers if they need donations of party or craft supplies around the holidays.
• Buy extra school supplies – especially Kleenex and cleaning wipes – when they are on sale in August, then gift them to your child’s teacher during the holidays, when materials begin to run low.
• Sign up to volunteer at your child’s school as your schedule allows
