September: Getting the School Year Off to a Great Start!

Communicate with your child’s school.

Reach out with questions or concerns, or just to stay hello! Ask how you can support your student at home or get involved with other school activities. Join the HSA!

Make a home for everything.

Organization is key. Have a drop off/pick up station for shoes, lunchboxes, bookbags, etc. Empty the book bags to make sure that important papers are seen and signed, trash is recycled, and assignments are reviewed. Get everything ready for the next day at night to help have a smooth morning.

Eat dinner together.

It’s hard. Sports practice, work schedules, etc. But the bond and relationships that grow from this family time lead to healthier families and kids. This provides uninterrupted time to talk about everyone’s day, communicate needs, and enjoy each other during busy seasons of life. Even a few nights a week is great.

Create a structured time and place for homework.

Just like organization, having a place and time for homework really helps. Some may be able to do it as soon as they get home so that they can move on and have some free time. Others may have to wait until later due to scheduling of other after school activities. As long as you have a set routine in place, it doesn’t matter when it gets done.

TALK to your child.

Ask your child open ended questions which require more than a yes or no answer. Try, “Tell me about the best part of your day.” This keeps lines of communication open and keeps parents involved in the day to day details of your child’s life.

Get Involved

Get your child involved in something they can call their own. Some ideas are church/temple groups, dance/music classes, sports, or after-school programs offered at their school. Getting them involved with their peers and giving them an outlet outside of school is beneficial for their physical and mental well-being.

I look forward to partnering with you this year and helping your child to have a fantastic year at Orchard!