Ready, Set, Go - Back to School

It's that time of the year again, when millions of students return to school and many are entering school for the very first time. For some parents this is both a great time, they finally may be getting part of their own life back as their youngsters go back to school even though it brings with it mixed emotions and unique stresses. One of the very first stress is preparation for this seeming "right of passage".

To prepare you might:

1. Visit the school with your child. If you can walk around the school and perhaps even meet their teacher and see their classroom this can go a long way to relieving a parent and student apprehension. It can even create added excitement about this opportunity. Many schools have an "open house" meeting before the actual start of school which is a great opportunity. It is important that your child learns where the rest rooms are located and the amount of time they will have to get from one class to the next class. Most schools will send out important information in advance of the first day and this material will help answer many common questions, but will also often include important forms that must be signed by parents or guardians. It is very important that you get your student the information needed if they will be riding a school bus to and from school or if they walk you will want to check the route carefully for potential dangers.

2. Be certain that you child has the proper immunizations before the start of school. Many clinics will have free or reduced costs for required immunizations. Your child may have some time to get some immunizations even after starting school, but others may be needed prior to the start of school. You may also need some documentation like a birth certificate, transfer form, proof of your address, recent pay stub for both parents etc. The amount of income is often part of the requirements for free and reduced lunch programs. With many school increasing the cost of lunch, this could be very important. Typically students will be given lunch the first few days, even if they do not have these forms completed, but this will not last long.

3. Be certain that your child has good clean appropriate clothes right from the start. Be certain that you can change these clothes on a daily basis for an entire week. You want to be certain they have the required clothes for physical education or other classes that may require special clothing. A student could loose points on their grade far to quickly by not being prepared. Many times the clothes required for physical education are very specific. Blue shorts with a red stripe are not a substitute for white shorts if white shorts are required. Unfortunately we can create immediate problems for children in school when we don't help them follow the rules. Many schools have a "dress code" that must be followed from the start and recently many schools have many new regulations about the use of cell phones and electronics.

4. If your school has a list of suggestions for a first day at school, try to get these items, but remember that teachers may say some of these items are not required and may say other items are required. If you save the receipts, you may be able to exchange items later. You can count on needing some items: a 3 ring spiral notebook in which paper can be easily added or removed without "tearing" the pages out is likely to be helpful.; a pencil/pen holder that can go into the binder is also helpful.; a number of pencils and pens, and a ruler, an eraser, and a small pencil sharpener that captures the shavings is also good to have.

5. Although many teachers will want to get students to work right away, they will often have some materials available for that first day. You will want to be prepared to go to the store right after that first day of class. Students will be excited, but also worried about being properly ready the very next day, so they may put a great deal of pressure on their parents to go out right after that first day. You may want to check with the Parent Teacher's Association, or the guidance department of the school if you need assistance getting the things your child needs, even if this is eyeglasses. If your child has vision problems, hearing problems, conduct problems etc. you may want to seek out this help as quickly as possible. You should never feel ashamed to ask for help. Your child is important to you and your school. Both want success.

6. You want to be certain that the school has a way to contact you anytime throughout the day if at all possible. If your child becomes ill or is hurt, you must be contacted before some types of aid can be provided. Usually this is an "emergency contact" form, but many times these are not accurately or completely filled out and this is only discovered later when needed. If your child is going to be late or miss school, it is vital that you write and sign an appropriate note. It is best if this note is provided immediately, but if not you should do this within one-three days counting the day of absence. Many schools have a time limit on receipt of this notice and it is always counted against the student initially. This can greatly affect a student because it can be listed an an unexcused absence. Schools will often have a dedicated phone line where a parent can call in an absence, but you should keep a record of the date and time you called and notes about what you said.

7. Your child may "forget" to tell you of requirements, so check their books and backpacks immediately after the first day. You may need to cover textbooks that first night. You may need to get phone numbers from a number of people at the school. Get both complete names, positions, phone numbers and extensions when possible for the: "Attendance Line"; "Homework Line"; "Assistant Principal"; "Principal"; "Guidance Department"; "Lunchroom"; "Fax Number"; You may also want to get the address of the school and district website.

It would be interesting to create a "virtual" tour of every school, so students could practice learning about their school, before they ever get there. This would be similar to virtual street maps used on the internet already and would be a great tool for schools. This is an exciting time for teachers also so everyone should try to have this be the start of great experiences.