Welcome Back to School!

We have another great year in store for us. Best wishes on a terrific school year!

Social Skills Groups

Big news this week – I am the recipient of one of six Mental Health Practitioner grants through the National Association of School Psychologists and the Children’s Fund! I am using the grant to purchase social skills curriculum materials from the Second Step Violence Prevention Program, an evidence-based program to teach students social problem-solving skills. Some sample lessons include initiating social interaction (e.g., how do I ask to join in on a game?), and dealing with social problems (e.g., what do I say to a bully?). The lessons are designed to teach students how to get along with their peers and to problem-solve difficult situations without resorting to tattling or verbal/physical aggression.

Once the materials arrive, I will be recruiting small groups of students to participate in Mrs. Klein’s “Lunch Bunch” – a weekly social skills group conducted during lunchtime (so the students don’t miss any academic time!). I’m looking forward to getting started!

Dealing with “Starting School” Anxiety

If you notice your child is anxious about starting school, here are some helpful tips to help them cope and change that anxiety about school into a positive “can-do” attitude!

• Let your child know you care. Send personal notes in the child’s bookbag or lunchbox. Reinforce their ability to cope. Children are sensitive to their parents’ anxiety and stress, so model confidence and a positive attitude for them. Let your child know that it’s normal to be nervous about a new situation, but that they have lots of wonderful people at school and at home that are here to help and make this school year the best it can be!
• Don’t overreact. Particularly for younger students beginning their first school experience, it is not uncommon for them to experience some shyness or separation anxiety the first few days of school. As hard as it is, try not to linger when you drop them off – you’re putting your child in the hands of trained professionals who know how to handle shyness and separation anxiety. Model confidence and a positive attitude as you drop them off, reassure them that you love them, will think of them during the day, and will be back at the end of the day to get them. Above all, remain calm and positive!
• Acknowledge anxiety over a bad experience last year. Unfortunately, your child may have had a difficult year last year academically or socially, and it’s understandable that they are nervous about how this new school year will go. Share your concerns with your child’s new teacher, so they can be aware of what happened, and work with them to prevent it from happening this school year. Let the child know that you are working with the school to make sure that this year will be a much better year, and tell them to let you and the teacher know if the problems arise again. Open communication between you, your child and your child’s teacher is critical! If you have concerns about your child’s academic progress, you may want to refer your child to the school’s Student Intervention Team (SIT) for academic or behavioral interventions – talk to your child’s teacher if you have questions.
• Arrange play-dates with some of the children in your child’s class. This can help your child get to know some of his/her classmates in a smaller setting.
• Volunteer in the classroom if you are able. Teachers welcome volunteers in the classroom, even if you are only able to volunteer once during the school year! Talk with your child’s teacher if you are interested in volunteering to set it up.

From Helping Children at Home and School II – Handouts for Families and Educators, Back-to-School Transitions – Tips for Parents, by Ted Feinberg and Katherine Cowan.

Back-to-School Transitioning

Hooray, the first day of school is tomorrow! Although the first day is very exciting, it can also be stressful for students and families. Here’s some tips to help with the transition from summer to school-time!

• Mark your calendar with all of the important dates for the school year.
• Re-establish “school-year” bedtime and mealtime routines.
• Vist the school with your child so you can locate your child’s classroom and other important areas in the school (nurse’s office, cafeteria, library, etc.). Our walk-through is tonight – hope to see you then!
• Make sure your child’s new school clothes conform to the school’s dress code, and that they have a pair of sturdy, comfortable shoes. If you have questions about the dress code, information can be found in the student code of conduct, or by asking your child’s teacher.
• Designate a “homework spot” for your children to complete their work once the school year has begun. It should be free of distractions; for elementary students, it is important to be in a place where their work can be easily supervised by an adult – in case they need help!
• Designate a spot for backpacks and lunch bags, if applicable. That way, there’s no frantic searching each morning for a missing book bag – it’s in the same place each day!
• You might even want to consider making a few meals in advance and freezing them, just so you don’t have to worry about what to make for dinner on top of everything else that first week of school!
• Make lunches the night before, if your child is not going to be eating the school lunch. Again, anything that will make less stress in the morning is helpful!
• Having children set their own alarm clocks is a great way to help them take some ownership and responsibility in their morning routine. Praise them for prompt response to morning schedules and bus pickups.
• Leave plenty of time in the mornings for unexpected mishaps!
• Let your child know what to do if they get home from school and you are not there. Be VERY specific, especially with young children! It is prudent to have a backup plan, like putting the name and phone number of a trusted neighbor in a card that the child keeps in his/her backpack, along with some practice with the child about what they should do in that situation.
• Make contact with your child’s teacher within the first week. This helps start that home-school communication that is so important for student success, and it gives you a chance to meet with the professional who will be working with your child during the day!

Have a great school year!

From Helping Children at Home and School II – Handouts for Families and Educators, Back-to-School Transitions – Tips for Parents, by Ted Feinberg and Katherine Cowan.

Back to School!

Welcome back to all of our returning students, and a hearty welcome to all of our new students! We’ve got a fantastic school year ahead of us, and I hope you all are excited for this new year to begin.

To all of our students and families: please check back here periodically for updates. I will be posting lots of resources that I hope will help make all of our students successful!