It’s hard to believe, but the 2019-2020 school year is almost here! We hope you’ve all had a wonderful summer full of swimming, sleeping in, and spending unhurried time together as a family. But now that the days are counting down, we wanted to share some tips for you on how to prepare your students—and yourselves—for the rigors of another academic year. Here are a few easy and practical ways you and your family can position yourselves for the best possible start to school.
Re-establish healthy sleep patterns. Bedtimes and routines can fly out the window during the long summer break, but the ring of the alarm on that first day of school can be a truly rude awakening. To keep this from happening, re-establish a school-year sleep schedule about a week before classes begin. If bedtime is really out of whack (hey, it happens!), rather than a dramatic change, simply put the kiddos to bed 15 minutes earlier each night, with a goal of reaching your target school year bedtime about a week before the first day.
Create a homework station. Pick up a few school supply items for home use and set up a station for doing homework. Depending on your child’s personality, it might need to be a quiet, out-of-the-way corner free of distraction, or it may need to be in a centrally located spot like the kitchen table so your child can still feel like part of the family flow. Wherever it is, make certain it’s easily accessible for you in case your child needs assistance.
Attend back-to-school orientation events. Many back-to-school jitters can be traced to a fear of the unknown. Who will my teacher be? What will he or she be like? Will I have friends in my class? How much homework will I have? While we can’t answer all these questions ahead of time, attending our Meet the Teacher BBQ can put faces with names and eliminate at least some of the unknowns. This year’s event will be Monday, August 12th from 6 to 8 PM at Faith Academy. We’re looking forward to seeing you there!
Calm the butterflies. Some children approach each school year eager for a new adventure, but most—whether they admit it or not—have at least a few butterflies prior to the start of school. Starting a new school, or even a new grade, can be a big change for a child. Being prepared is a good chunk of the battle, but sometimes your kids just need to talk out a few fears. Be available and accessible and validate their feelings, but also emphasize the positive aspects of school: seeing old friends and making new ones, learning new things, a return to favorite subjects and activities. And be sure to follow our next tip, because it’s the best weapon against fear we have and the most important way to prepare for the coming year!
Pray. Remember that we serve a loving and sovereign God who has called each and every family and faculty member to this school, and whose wisdom we seek each day. Pray for peace in your child’s heart, for your child’s teachers as they work hard to get ready for the year, and pray for God’s blessing to be over our school and each family within it. We pray for each and every one of you, and we trust that God will move mightily through the ministry of our school this year!