 Every new school year brings about excitement and anxiety for students and their parents. Parents become preoccupied with making sure their child is ready for the next step in their educational adventure. Simultaneously, their child can become overwhelmed with thoughts of meeting new classmates, having a new teacher, and studying new concepts. Here are some tips to make the transition from summer vacation back to school as smooth as possible.
1. Get back into your bedtime routine- Going to bed late and waking up late was fun during the summer. However, when the alarm sounds the morning of the first day of school most likely you will not burst out of bed eager to get to school. Start going to bed at your normal bedtime about 1 to 2 weeks before the first day of school. This will help you wake up well rested and ready for school. 2. Shop for school supplies early- Many stores start their Back-to-School sales around the middle of July. Staples, Wal-Mart, Target, Office Max, Office Depot, etc. have great sales on all of the essential school supplies. You may be able to get enough supplies to last for most of the school year. 3. Promote good study habits immediately- Teaching good study habits, rewarding results instead of effort, and teaching about quality work will provide a solid foundation for success for your child. Develop an organizational plan that you can implement starting day one. Decide where you will place notes, homework assignments, handouts etc in your binder/folder. Also think about what the best type of daily planner to use. Some teachers order them for the entire class, but many do not. Always good to be prepared. 4. Equip your child with social skills for the classroom- Most children are nervous about the start of each school year. Even if they will have most of the same classmates, they will will be nervous about having a new teacher. Practicing proper greetings/introductions is a good way to help ease their mind. 5. Discuss bus safety - If applicable, discuss bus safety with your child. For example, boarding the bus one person at a time, quickly finding a seat, remaining seated during the bus ride, etc. 6. If you haven’t completed any required summer assignment, start now- It is nice to have a long summer break, but studies have shown that it is beneficial to continue doing educational related activities during the summer to avoid learning loss. It is good to start the year strong and feel comfortable with the lessons being taught. In addition, procrastinating to do any required work only adds unnecessary stress and can result in beginning the year on a bad note. So if you have work to complete, be responsible, and get it done.
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 Spring has officially arrived, and summer is just around the corner! It goes without saying that from now until the last day of school, students’ thoughts will be consumed with visions of sleeping in, staying up late, swimming, no nightly homework, and just hanging out with friends. There is one thing that is definitely not on their minds...SCHOOL. However, working with a tutor during the summer can and should be a part of every student’s summertime fun. Here are six ways a student can benefit from tutoring during their summer vacation:
 If they haven’t already, it won’t be long before students start counting down to one of the most coveted times of the school year…SPRING BREAK! As a former full-time teacher, I remember how excited students (and teachers) were in knowing that Spring Break was just around the corner. It was going to be a great time to kick back, stay up until the wee hours, sleep in late, travel, relax, and basically change up the weekly grind of the normal school routine. One thing is for sure, no matter how much or little happened during the vacation, it always flew by in the blink of an eye. Here are three ideas to help make the transition as smooth as possible, and hopefully take the sting out of heading back to school:
 For 16 days, millions of eyes will be glued to televisions watching competitors from around the world compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. While witnessing these athletes compete, this can be a wonderful and fun cross-curricular learning opportunity for students of all ages. Below are a few examples of knowledge that can be gained and skills to be reinforced while viewing these events. Be creative and have fun with it!
MATH
SOCIAL STUDIES
 The link below will take you to a great article from the January 26, 2010 edition of the New York Times. As with any type of change in the logistics of a school day, there are always issues that need to be addressed in order for the change to be effective.
During my 20 plus years of teaching elementary/middle school, this thought never came to mind. However, I did implement a 15 minute "cool down" period when my students returned from the lunch/playground time (lunch first then playground). It worked wonders for me with respect to them being more calm and allowing for an easier transition into focusing on academics for the afternoon. Parents may find this useful to implement when their child/children get home from school...a little play time before beginning homework or a class project. Enjoy the article, please share your thoughts! http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/health/26well.html?_r=1& |
AuthorRandy Sally 
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