Back to School Tips
Parveen Loodu
The start of a new school year usually comes with excitement and some trepidation. As students progress, schoolwork can feel more challenging, and after having a relaxed summer with less structure, it can be hard to adapt to the "back to school" routine.
In order to make the process easier for everyone, here are some helpful tips.
- Print out and post this year’s school schedule for easy reference – keep track of the days when there’s gym, band, or other courses that require special clothing and supplies. It’ll take a little while to get used to the new schedule, but in no time, it should become routine again.
- Help establish a new routine at home too – list all of the things that need to be done in the morning (i.e. make bed, eat breakfast, brush teeth, pack lunch, fill water bottle, pack books/planner and other needed materials for the day). And don’t forget to create an afterschool schedule too (i.e. hang up coat/backpack, empty lunch box, do any home reading/homework, etc.).
- Set up your family calendar – keep track of everyone’s schedule (including extracurricular activities, sporting/music practices, etc.) on either a digital or paper calendar that can be shared with all (e.g. www.cozi.com). Try not to overschedule and remember to plan for some downtime!
- Get back to a proper sleep schedule – as we all know, sleep is extremely important for us all. Try transitioning back to regular bedtimes the week before school starts. This can be hard after a whole summer of staying up late and sleeping in, so plan to set alarms in the morning so you can train yourselves back to a more regular sleep schedule before the start of school.
Contributed by Parveen Loodu, Communications & Marketing