Preparing for Back to School...
Here are some tips to prepare for the big day (in no particular order). I am only experienced with the younger grades (we will have a fifth grader this year) so I'm sure some things will be a little different for middle and high schoolers.
Communicate
Our school does a pretty good job of communicating with parents via email, texts, the school website and newsletter. As parents we need to do our part as well by reading the communication ( I know that sounds painfully obvious but as a room parent last year I realized that not all parents do this) and passing on what we should to the kids. Make sure your school(s) have up to date email and phone info so you get everything you need. Nothing stinks more than showing up for Back to School Night a night too late because you didn't get the phone call because you changed your phone number and didn't let the school know.
Participate
Make sure to attend your children's Back to School Nights (BTS). And get there early for a good seat (or in some cases, a seat at all). Many BTS nights are standing room only since everyone is usually really excited about the start of school and attends these events. A lot of important information is disseminated at these events, staff is introduced, school tours are conducted and it's a great time to meet the teacher. Depending on your schedule & your school's policy, this may be the only time you will see the teacher until parent/teacher conferences. Getting to know LM's teacher each year has really made a difference for us.
Get Back on Schedule
Summer means late nights and later wake up calls. Obviously, this won't work on school days. About two weeks before school starts I start sending LM to bed a bit earlier to prepare for the first day of school. She doesn't stay up too late even in the summer but on school nights I like her in bed by 8 so I start adjusting by 5 or 10 minutes each night. I also keep an eye on her wake up times these last two weeks and try to have her up no later than 8. During the school year she needs to be up by 6:45 and since it's never been a problem I don't worry about it too much. If you have a little one that likes to sleep in you may want to start getting them up at their school day time when you start the night time routine.
Organize
Once you've actually shopped for your school supplies you need to make sure that everything is organized for school supply drop off day or the first day of school. Pencils, crayons, erasers, etc. need to go in pencil boxes or bags. Notebooks should go into the back packs so everything is ready to go on day one. Make sure uniforms or school clothes are clean and pressed. We are going to uniforms this year (and not a moment too soon since this 10 year old seems to be fairly fashion conscious) so I have designated a drawer for uniform shirts (as of now they can wear the bottoms of their choice) which should make getting dressed easier on school mornings. I hope so anyway!
With this preparation, I am counting on things running really smooth on Monday morning.
What are you doing to prepare for the first day of school?
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