Back To School Tips
August is National Back-to-School Month which means it is time to put away the beach bag and haul out the backpack. It is time to start prepping for the new school year! From purchasing school supplies to deciding on the perfect first day outfit, there’s so much to do before the first bell rings.
The below list will help you get started:
1. Go Back to School Shopping: A new year means new supplies! Scouring the local stores for fresh pencils and a new backpack is a tried-and-true back-to-school tradition. Most schools will provide a list to you that outlines everything your child will need. But if you haven't yet received one, check out this list for every age group from Oxford Learning.
2. Create a Message Center: For many families, life can be chaotic during the school year with crazy class schedules, after school activities, practices, rehearsals, and more. Keeping everything organized can seem like a daunting task. Ensure everyone stays organized by creating a centralized message center that includes a calendar and a place to display important flyers, notes, and other documents. Need some inspiration? Pinterest has us covered!
3. Start Preparing for Early Mornings: Gone are the lazy days of sleeping in—it’s time once again for those early mornings. A few weeks before school starts, start getting in the habit of making lunches the night before, going to bed a little bit earlier, and waking up to an alarm clock so everyone is ready for the first day back at school.
4. Check-in with Your Pediatrician: Before children return to school, check-in with a pediatrician to make sure they are up to date on any required vaccinations, yearly eye exams, school sports physicals, and more to avoid any unnecessary problems that may arise over the next few months.
5. Make an Appointment for a Haircut: Make sure everyone is looking sharp on their first day by scheduling an appointment for haircuts ahead of time! Next to prom season, back to school is one of the more busier times of year for salons and barber shops.
6. Map Out the School: If a child is going to be attending a new school this year, especially one where they will be responsible for locating several different classrooms on their own throughout the day, it never hurts to learn the lay of the land in advance. Use a map of the school or orientation events leading up to the first day to get familiar with key areas like their classrooms, restrooms, the cafeteria, and office. If it is a brand new school in a brand new community where your children have yet to have a group of friends to ease the transition, consider contacting the school ahead of time for a personal tour of the school long before the busses roll in.
7. Figure Out the Commute: From the school bus to carpools, however you plan to have arrive and leave school every day, ensure both of you are on the same page by having a discussion on drop off/pick up areas and times in advance. A test drive ahead of time can help map the route, but be sure to anticipate much more traffic on school days than what you experience during the summertime.
8. Have an Academic Refresher: While it may feel short, summer vacation is actually a long time—especially when it comes to children remembering everything they learned in school last year. Consider planning a mini refresher to ensure they start the school year off on the right foot. These refresher tips from eSchool News may come in handy.
Making the transition from the lazy days of summer to the busy, activity filled days of the school year is easier when the family is prepared ahead of time. It sets the stage for a successful school year ahead.
“The will to succeed is important, but’s more important is the will to prepare.”
~ Bobby Knight , Former head coach of college basketball
“Before anything else, preparation is key to success.”
~ Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone