We Are Back to School

Molding a Mindset

• Frame the new school year positively, as an opportunity to meet new teachers and children, to learn new things, and to sharpen one’s academic and social skills.
• Build some level of familiarity with the school, even after the first day. If possible, take your child(ren) to visit the school and some of the school leaders and teachers in the building. Teachers love to have classroom helpers year-round outside of the school day.
• Connect with families and other children who will be enrolled in your child’s school or class as well, to start forming relationships. Play dates outside of school always contribute positively to scholars’ social and emotional development in school.
• Remind your child(ren) that teachers understand jitters better than anyone and are there to fully support them. Encourage your child to speak up if they need an adult to talk to.

Routines, Routines, Routines

• Check in on your scholar’s routine to make sure it complements the routines at school. This could mean shifting your child(ren)’s bedtime earlier to ensure they are getting adequate sleep and are falling into a routine that promotes energy and concentration in school. It could also mean having a place at home where they can put folders for you to check or a lunchbox that is ready for next day’s lunch.
• Establish consistency in your child(ren)’s bedtime and morning routines. Predictability makes children feel safe and comfortable, knowing what to expect each night and morning. Research shows that earlier bed times improve your child(ren)’s physical, emotional, and mental progress.

Nourishment is Non-negotiable

• Plan for a nutritious breakfast or morning snack to ensure your child is satisfied and well-nourished to start the day. Check in to see what breakfast options are offered at your school.
• Look into what is offered in the school cafeteria, for lunch and for snacks, and determine whether you will supplement with meals or snacks from home.
• Ensure your child is well hydrated! Pack water and encourage them to hydrate throughout the day.

Shape organizational Skills

• Work with your child(ren) to gather school supplies that may bring them joy during the school day. Children love to have a special pencil or eraser that reminds them of their interests.
• After attending Meet the Teacher night with your child’s teacher, you will know which subjects have homework and which do not. Help your scholar prepare organizational systems to keep track of assignments and materials.
• Determine what responsibilities your child can have at home. By developing a routine of chores for them, you can open the door for those scholars to have classroom jobs with the teacher that they enjoy. Classical scholars love to tidy the classroom library and explore book titles, reorganize the math manipulatives, and sharpen pencils. If they get to practice these skills at home, they will be strong contenders for the Responsibility Character Award at Community Gathering.

Communicate

• Perhaps most importantly, as your child(ren) start a new school year, communicate! Ensure you are giving them ample opportunities to discuss how their days went and stay in communication with them and their teacher to best support their progress this academic year. Remember, it takes a village!
• Approach conversations with your child(ren)’s teacher as an opportunity to understand. There are many routines that teachers thoughtfully craft to support individuals and the group at large. Creating opportunities to better understand a teacher’s approach can open the door to a partnership that allows your scholar to flourish. You may find yourself being a great partner with your scholar’s teacher at the end of the year on a field trip.
• Remember that you can always reach out to your scholar’s teacher to ask how they are doing on their classwork, homework, and assessments. Classical teachers model specific habits on papers for their scholars to use in order to show their thinking in all subjects. With this in mind, teachers can show you how your child(ren)’s schoolwork looks in relation to the teacher model to support a school to home connection on their work.

As a non-CMO charter network, we rely on the thoughts, opinions, and innovations of our staff to move our mission forward and provide an excellent academic option to families in the South Bronx. To hear more from our staff, check out the next post!

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