Settling Into the School Routine

The first weeks of school are a time to help your child adjust to the routines, get excited about learning, and become more independent from you. Here are some ways you can help.

Get to know the teacher. The faster you can establish a positive relationship with your child’s teacher, the faster your child may adjust to the new surroundings and become independent. "The safer your child feels, the more energy she can put into learning — so from a parent’s perspective, you want to support your child forming that bond with the teacher," comments Diane Levin, Ph.D.

If your child takes the school bus, encourage her to make bus friends. Get to know other parents at the bus stop to help you feel connected to school and to help your child find friends. Create your own special goodbye ritual to send your child off with a good feeling.

When you take your young child into the classroom, ask to see some work. If you sense your child feels uneasy at drop off, focus on the positive. Ask him to show you an art project or other activity he’s doing at school.

If your child misses you a lot, choose a special object together that she can bring to school. Sometimes it helps with the transition if kids can bring a memento from home — a parent’s picture, a note, a scarf, or other special object to remind them that their parents are thinking of them. Encourage your child to show the object to the teacher. You should inquire to see if there is a policy about how your child can use the object during the school day.

If your child says, “I don’t want to go,” remind him about the fun stuff. Think of something you know your child loves to do, or likes about school. See if you can get started on this activity together. Or remind your child of all the new or old friends in his class. And go over and say hello together. If you don’t take your child to school, suggest he do some of these activities when he gets there, and send a note to the teacher about your concerns.

If your child says, “I hate school,” ask her what is wrong."Usually kids will be able to tell you," recommends Diane Levin, Ph.D. "It's common for children to worry about playing on the playground with bigger kids, or about when Mommy will return for pick up." Help your child develop a solution to the problem. You might ask, "What makes the playground feel scary?" Suggest you talk to the teacher with your child about it. Ask your child if she wants to tell the teacher herself or would like you to do it.

Don’t be surprised if your child is upset at the end of the day, Kids often save up their hard feelings for the parents — because it feels safer to let these feelings out at home than at school. "It’s actually a good thing when kids save up their hard feelings for their parents," advises Lawrence Cohen, Ph.D. "You can even expect a surge in sibling rivalry or fighting with parents at home. Kids don’t usually come home and tell you ‘things got rough on the playground,’ but they may act out their feelings at home."

Ask the school for help if your child has trouble adjusting. If separation remains stressful after a few weeks, set up a meeting with your child’s teacher and the school’s guidance counselor or principal to speak about the best ways everyone can help you adjust. If possible, meet without your child, but you may want to schedule a separate meeting with your child present, so everyone can make a plan together.

Attend school events. Go to Back-to-School night and PTA meetings. These events give you the opportunity to see the world your child inhabits every day and meet the people in charge (as well as other parents).

[via: http://www.pbs.org/parents/goingtoschool/settle_in.html]

Important Back-to-School Info

As summer vacation draws to a close and we look towards the upcoming school year, the list of things to do can be daunting. Take a minute to read over the following events and reminders so you and your child can feel prepared, confident and excited going in to the first day of school!

August 23, 2012 - Meet and Greet (Open House)
All parents/guardians and students are invited to come out and join us for our Annual Meet and Greet (Open House) on Thursday, August 23 between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Parents will have the opportunity to meet school administrators, teachers, purchase uniform shirts, obtain important information on bus routes and have questions answered for the upcoming school year.

School Shirts on Sale NOW! 

Uniform school shirts are available for purchase in the school's main office. Sizes YS-AXL are $8.00/per shirt and all sizes 2XL and up are $10.00/per shirt. All students must report to school in uniform on the first day of classes. Therefore, it will be very important that you purchase your child's school uniform before August 27. As a reminder, navy blue uniform bottoms (pants, skirts, shorts, capris, etc) can be purchased from amy retailer. School logo shirts MUST be purchased through the school. Shirts are available for purchase Monday - Thursday, 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and Friday, 8:30 a.m. until 12 Noon.

Monday, August 27, 2012 - First Day of School (Full Day for students in Grades 1-8, Half Day for kindergarten students) 
Please keep in mind that school begins promptly at 8:15 a.m. To give your child a jump start on the day, it is recommended that students arrive at school at 8:00 a.m. 

We are excited to see everyone and get off to a great start!

#WordsofWisdom

Blogs By Students For Students

Progressing through the challenges of each school year can at times be a daunting task for students, who are faced with navigating the pressures of social scenes, school work and just generally growing up. Luckily, technology gives us many resources to help our children find their footing, providing a support system for those who may feel lost and alone in their struggles. Check out the following blogs, written by students for other students, which were winners of The Edublog's 2011 awards for best student blogs. Maybe it will even inspire your child to try his hand at writing!

• Abi's Blog Alexandra's Blog Amelie's Blog Angie's Blog Ava's Blog BB's Blog Bonnie's Blog Dawson's Blog Em's Blog Esha's Blog Ethan's Blog Gabby's Blog Gemma's Blog Georgie's Blog Grace's Blog Hagan's Blog Haille's Blog Jaden's Blog Jake's Blog Jarrod's Blog Jordi's Blog Katrine's Blog Lakin's Blog Lauren's Blog Meredith's Blog Millie's Blog Miriam's Blog Sara's Blog Simone's Blog Teegan's Blog Tess' Blog Zoe's Blog [via: http://edublogawards.com/2011-3/best-student-blog-2011/]

Tips for Getting Kids Excited About Going Back to School

When I was little, going back to school consisted of 4 basic factors:

Readjusting to the school bed time/get up schedule (getting back in the routine)

Eating breakfast

Getting “school ready” (academically): notebooks, pencils, crayons or in later years, calculators, backpacks and making sure summer readings and assignments were completed

and,

Getting “school ready” (physically): new haircut, a few new outfits for the back-to-school wardrobe and good tennis shoes

That was it. As I think about readying for school (as an adult), I realize my parents had it fairly easy. I loved school. I looked forward to it--to friends, to certain subjects, and to teachers who opened up doors to magical places of adventures and excitement. As a child, I loved words, stories, and learning by games, which to me was a chance to compete, be fast, and master something! My parents didn’t have to work hard to get me excited about going to school, but most parents aren't fortunate enough to have this problem ;)

As I think of what contributed to my own self-motivation and how my parents fed into my excitement, I can identify 3 things.

1. I always imagined the good. As the school start got closer, I began to imagine the friends and teachers I was looking forward to seeing and favorite subjects I would be taking.

Tip --> You can help your children “imagine the good” at the dinner table. Ask them to recall favorite memories from last year. Look at the yearbook or photos of fun moments. Talk about teachers they had. Ask about which other classmates that are looking forward to seeing the most.

Tip --> Invite one to three of your child's special friends over for a play date. Help them reconnect before the first day of school while also taking advantage of the opportunity of getting to know your child’s favorite friends. Host a back-to-school bash for the neighborhood – make it a Popsicle party to keep it inexpensive and fun.

2. I found ways to evoke excitement. For me, the new year always held a hint of promise: new things to learn, new people to meet, new things to try – clubs, sports or pursuits I was interested in.

Tip --> Take your children to the school playground to play. Create a fun moment while also building a subtle bonding to school vibe. Start playing school games together at home like hopscotch, 4 square or jump rope games. This will help them hone skills, and at the same time prepare them for the “language” of jump rope rhymes and schoolyard play so they feel confident and ready to play with friends.

For older youth, squaring away basketball skills or running sprints can serve the same idea of giving a head start. How good it feels to come into the year ready and ahead of the game instead of behind!

3. I always loved to stir my curiosity and challenge myself.

Tip:--> Ask your child: "What classes are you excited about?" "What do you want to learn more about?" "What do you want to discover?" " What are you looking forward to?" And when they say, “I don’t know,” push and keep pushing: “Think about it. You can come up with something.”

Tip --> When picking up required books to read, why not add a "fun" book, one they want to read on their own, as well (like a comic book, magazine, or graphic novel) to your shopping cart? Encourage healthy things that they are curious about and want to explore.

Tip --> Set a fun goal to go along with school goals. It’s easy to set academic goals (for every A you make, you’ll get 50¢), but what about goals of their own choosing that challenge them to master a skill or learn something new? A personal best perhaps? Or maybe it’s simply a fun goal that comes as a result of accomplishing something at school: if you do X, Y, Z at school, we’ll celebrate by doing B (something they want to do).

Brain research tells us that novelty and challenge are two of the things the brain needs to thrive. Exercise those brain muscles by playing games and being active at home.

[via: http://www.parentfurther.com/blog/back-to-school-getting-kids-pumped]