Five Back to School tips to kick off the new year
It’s hard to believe, but school is back in session on August 21st! Here are five Back to School tips to help you and your child shift back into the school year routine:
1) Help your child establish good sleeping habits. A good night’s rest can make a world of difference for school-aged children; those who don’t get enough sleep risk a higher chance of having difficulty learning. It’s important to begin to gradually adjust their sleep schedule now so that they’re prepared mentally and physically for their first day of school. The National Sleep Foundation suggests an “ electronics curfew” an hour before bedtime to help fall asleep. We may not realize it, but the artificial blue light from screens can trick the body into thinking it’s daytime, suppressing the release of the sleep hormone melatonin, which makes it more difficult to fall asleep. Limiting the use of electronics before bedtime will allow your child to fall asleep more naturally and sleep more soundly, and will benefit their ability to learn.
2) Start the day with a nutritious breakfast. In a study conducted by Frontier Human Neuroscience, it was shown that children who have nutritious, regular breakfasts were more likely to improve overall school performance and memory and had less difficulty staying on task. Did you know if you qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch, you also qualify for Free and Reduced Breakfast? Read more about it on our Child Nutrition Website.
3) Keep up on homework. It’s easy for kids to get caught up with friends or hobbies and forget about homework, and it piles up fast! Setting up a homework routine means doing homework every day at a specific time. The repetitive nature of a routine can help kids stay on top of their assignments and help them feel more in control of their time. In his article “The Power of a Homework Routine,” Dr. Kenny Handelman explains that “When a [homework] routine is set up, it becomes clear to your child that homework is a daily responsibility. There's no discussion or negotiation about when he needs to do it because it's scheduled. After some initial frustration with it, your child will settle into the routine and benefit from it.”
4) Communicate with your child's teacher. When parents and teachers come together for the well-being of the student and their education, they make a powerful team. Don’t be afraid to communicate with your child’s teacher, whether it be through emails, phone calls, in-person visits, or through notes you send with your child. Our teachers want to ensure that all their students succeed, and with a little communication, the teacher can better understand how to make their classroom learning experience the best it can be.
5) Make sure that your child’s emergency contact and other important information is updated and accurate in PowerSchool. PowerSchool is the parent and student portal that our district uses to keep everyone on the same page. Through PowerSchool, you can view your child’s teacher/s, schedule, grades, and attendance. You can also decide which district and school alerts you would like to receive and how you would like to be notified. Additionally, PowerSchool is where important contact information is stored so parents and guardians can be reached in an emergency. Keeping this information updated will keep you in the loop!