Tag: back to school

5 Tips To A Great Start For The New School Year

Every new school year brings with it a clean slate, nervous excitement, optimistic hope, and high expectations. In addition to the tips we published before (A New School Year Means New Opportunities), here are 5 tips to getting off on the right foot.

A Place For Everything, And Everything In Its Place

Establish a designated place for all school supplies and papers. You will appreciate having a single location where school related items stay, especially when things get hectic.

Tell Your Calendar Who Is Boss

Schedule your family’s important doctor, dental, and other appointments ahead of time. Before blocking out your calendar with after school activities, block out important dates and appointments. The dates will be set, and you won’t be scrambling to fit them in later. Don’t forget to schedule your own appointments too!

Well Laid Plans Make Life Easier

When it comes to planning, anything worth doing is worth overdoing. Set yourself up for success by doing more than just planning. Over-plan, because failing to plan is planning to fail. Within a few short weeks, everyone in your household will ease into their own rhythm, and the hours will plan themselves. Until then, overdo your preparations for new learning strategies, new schedules, and new teachers.

Take The Time To Soak It All In

Don’t forget to stop and slow down every once in a while. Every new school year brings with it the excitement of novelty and the anticipation of change. Remember to stop every now and then, to take a deep breath, and to enjoy each moment. As Socrates famously said, “An unexamined life is not worth living.”

Embrace Your Inner Optimist

Attitudes are contagious, so remember to smile, maintain a positive attitude, and believe that the best is yet to come.

A New School Year Means New Opportunities

by Jason Haeger

As we are in early September, and most school districts have been in session for at least a week, it’s a good time to pause and reflect.

Every year, students begin afresh in a new grade, families return to a routine anchored in a schedule created by the school(s) their children attend, friends are reunited while new friends are made, and a clean slate is delivered with the promise of good marks for academic performance.

For many, this is the reason for the new clothes, new supplies, and general feeling of newness that comes from new investments into materials and time with a purpose. For students, there will be new subjects, new lessons, new teachers, new textbooks, new methods, and new patterns. When a pattern is repeated, it becomes a routine. Routines become habits, and habits build character.

Every New School Year is a Chance to Build Something New

Good choices are made when your student(s) feel secure about who they are. The biggest control factor is you: family time and family dynamics. If you do not typically do these things, this is a good time to start making positive patterns in your life.

1. Meal Time Gatherings

If you do not already sit down together as a family for your evening meal, try to set aside as many days to do this as possible. Eating is a social act, as much as it is practical, and emotions are closely tied with it. This can help give you more quality time together, and help strengthen a sense of belonging.

2. Healthy Sleep Patterns

If you consider yourself a night owl, but the world doesn’t seem to understand why starting later is a grand idea, this is for you. While it is pretty common knowledge that the recommended time for adults is 7-9hrs, school aged children need between 9-11hrs, including those in high school. (src: Sleep Foundation) Getting enough sleep is important for cognitive performance, including memory, concentration, and alertness (not a complete list). This is a new school year. Schedule your time to set yourself up for success.

3. Outdoor Activity

When weather allows, spend some time in the great outdoors, even if only for a few minutes. If you are someone who likes to wake up early, a morning walk, jog, or run is a great way to get outside while building your immune system, improving your mood, and enhancing your cognitive function. If that doesn’t sound like you, even going for a walk before or after your family’s evening meal can yield real benefits. On the weekends, try bicycling, hiking, sports, or just going for a walk to potentially improve your well-being.

4. Find and Feed Your Passion

Mark Twain is said to have said, “Don’t let your boy’s schooling interfere with his education.” (but it was probably Grant Allen src: Quote Investigator) With so many interests, ideas, and hobbies to explore, it just makes good sense to feed your passion, and to engage in the developing expertise in that which catches your fancy. Some schools offer classes to help this along as a professional pursuit, but if your does not, don’t let schooling interfere with education. A sharp mind is a curious mind.

5. Volunteer

Nothing gives you a vested interest in your community quite like investing your time and energies to give back. Of course, this assumes you can make the time. Not only does it feel good to do good, but this is also a great resume booster for students who will be applying to attend college!

The Takeaway

Every new beginning, just like the start of a new school year, is to make positive lasting changes. Make sure to write the new activities, orders, or plans into your schedule, and stick to it. If you do, they just may become full blown habits by midterms. Happy School year!

Get The Kids On A Back To School Schedule

by Benchmark

The kids have been staying up late all summer, going to sleepovers, playing video games and having a blast. But now it’s August, and the days of getting up early for school are looming.

How do you get them on a back to school schedule?

Don’t worry; with a little planning, the back to school schedule can be something that everyone eases into, instead of a shock to the system. This will make the transition to the school year go much smoother, and still provide some last-minute summer fun.

The first step is to use science to your advantage.

People have a natural sleep cycle called the circadian rhythm, that tells our bodies to sleep when it’s dark and stay up when it’s light. About two weeks before school starts, give the kids a bedtime, but make it only about an hour before they’ve been going to bed. If they’ve been staying up until midnight, make their bedtime eleven p.m. Every couple of days move their bedtime up an hour, so that by the time school starts, they’re used to sleeping and getting up on a back to school schedule.

The good thing about this is that they’re still going to bed when it’s dark, so they’re more likely to actually sleep. The shortening days of late summer will also be helpful here. To further promote good sleep, cut off any food or drinks with caffeine, like soda or chocolate, by the early afternoon. Also, if the kids are playing outside, bring them in a couple of hours before bedtime so they can wind down and relax. They can read, watch TV or play games.

To make the transition to a back to school schedule even more manageable, plan some fun outings during the last few days before school, and make them activities that start early in the morning. An all-day trip or outdoor adventure will be great motivation for getting up with the sun.

Of course, it’s still school, and they still may not be thrilled with going.

Remind your kids that getting on a back to school schedule leads to seeing their friends and having fun with them again!

Six Ways to Go Back to School on a Budget

by bmadmin

The summer is coming to a close and the 2012-2013 school year is upon us.

The seemingly endless list of school supplies and clothes has to be handled now. It’s time to get the backpack and supplies. The kids need new clothes and shoes.

This year the average family with students from Kindergarten to 12th grade is expected to spend $689 on Back-to-School items. It’s up from $604 last year according to the National Retail Foundation.

“When it comes to their children, there’s nothing more important to a parent than making sure their children have everything they need, even in a tough economy—and especially when it comes to back-to-school shopping,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.

Here are six ways you can save a little money and go back to school on a budget:

1. Know the Dress Code – Before you go out shopping for school clothes make sure you fully understand the dress code. We want to ensure the clothes we buy can all be worn to school.

2. Buy Supplies for the Whole Year – August is typically the cheapest month for school supplies. Many of the big office stores even price items below cost. Look for notebooks, paper, pencils, and other items on super discount and stock up.

3. Break Down Bulk Snacks – Save some money by purchasing larger packages and divide it up into individual portions.

4. Know When It’s Not a Deal – Tax free weekend, back to school sales, semi-annual clearance. You will hear plenty of creative names for sales. Check the prices and make sure it really is a deal.

5. Wait For The Clearance -Stores will begin marking down school supplies right after the rush. You can get some great deals if you can hold out a few more days.

6. Give Them a Budget – Let your kids get involved in the process by giving them a budget for school supplies and clothes. They will appreciate learning how to stretch the dollar and get the most out of their budget.

How do you handle this time of year to make sure you go back to school on a budget?