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Tag: back to school

Celebrating ‘Back to School’

There are some days of the year that are just more special than others. My favorite day is right around the corner. I absolutely love the first day of school!

On the first day of school my neighborhood chimes with laughter, sighs of annoyance, and pleas of parents to, “Let me have one picture with you smiling” or “Can you please take a picture with your little sister?” Children are excited to see friends from school, to meet their new teachers, and a few are nervous to board the bus by themselves. There are tears from some younger siblings wondering why they can’t go too, and occasionally a tear will escape from a parents’ eye as their youngest heads to school for the first time.

I miss the days when The Boy did not want to let go of my hand as he headed into his classroom or when he would look over his shoulder for one more wave goodbye. He used to wait patiently while I took pictures, then he got to the age where he proclaimed, “You only get one picture, Mom!” Now The Boy only looks over his shoulder to see if he has escaped the annual early morning back-to-school photo.

The Boy and I played a fun game for a few years where he made it very difficult for me to take the “First Day of School” picture. It started in fifth grade when he rushed out of the house before I could walk him to the bus stop. I was completely caught by surprise, and only managed to get one shot of him running to meet his friends on the corner. By sixth grade I was better prepared and captured one picture of him looking over his shoulder with a sly smile. In 2020, we paused our game, since neither of us had anywhere to go. Our house was his school and my office.

After a year of social distancing, the beginning of the 2021 school year was truly special. He was excited and nervous to go back into a school building and see his classmates after nearly 16 months. The Boy actually allowed me to take “Back to School” pictures. He even volunteered to take a selfie with me (before becoming a surly teenager again!)

As the students waited together at the bus stop, several parents gathered to chat and wait for their children to board the bus. We all cheered when the bus arrived and captured pictures as the children boarded. We waved while the kids sunk deep into their seats with embarrassment.

Last year, I met friends for breakfast to celebrate the first day of school. We shared pictures and stories about the first-day early-morning rush. We laughed, expressed our concerns about the risks of our kids being exposed to Covid, and also shared relief that they were back in a classroom.

This year, my friends and I are planning to celebrate the first day of school! We will meet for breakfast and recount the details of our mornings. Instead of heading to work or home offices, we plan to enjoy the Lazy River at Hershey Park and our favorite rides.

Even though I expect a day of fun at the amusement park, I will be home to greet The Boy when he gets off of the bus. I am looking forward to hearing the sounds of students walking home and filling the neighborhood with shouts and laughter. Most of all I cannot wait to hear about The Boy’s first day of high school!

Classical Conversations Open House

Have you ever wondered why classical education has been developing strong leaders and thinkers for so many centuries? It is tailor-made for harnessing the power of how students learn best at each level of their development. Classical Conversations has made this time-tested educational process do-able with a thoughtfully crafted curriculum and a community to support you along the way. The Elizabethtown community meets weekly on Tuesdays and offers Foundations classes for ages 4 through sixth grade from 9-noon and Essentials classes for ages 9-12 from 1-3pm. We would love to share with you how Classical Conversations has blessed our home school journey with community, flexible structure and dependable leadership. Come see our community day in action as we work through the classical style of education in a community setting, focused on Christ. We hope you can join us!

Please RSVP so we are prepared for you. Attendance at a CC info meeting is required prior to attending an open house. Check www.classicalconversations.com/events for a list of upcoming info meetings.

Classical Conversations Open House

Have you ever wondered why classical education has been developing strong leaders and thinkers for so many centuries? It is tailor-made for harnessing the power of how students learn best at each level of their development. Classical Conversations has made this time-tested educational process do-able with a thoughtfully crafted curriculum and a community to support you along the way. The Elizabethtown community meets weekly on Tuesdays and offers Foundations classes for ages 4 through sixth grade from 9-noon and Essentials classes for ages 9-12 from 1-3pm. We would love to share with you how Classical Conversations has blessed our home school journey with community, flexible structure and dependable leadership. Come see our community day in action as we work through the classical style of education in a community setting, focused on Christ. We hope you can join us!

Please RSVP so we are prepared for you. Attendance at a CC info meeting is required prior to attending an open house. Check www.classicalconversations.com/events for a list of upcoming info meetings.

Back-to-school 411 for special needs students: A Loving Journey

It’s back-to-school time again, a time filled with mixed emotions for moms and dads.

A part of you wants nothing more than to keep your children at home with you forever. The other part can’t wait until they’re back at school and out of your hair.

Of course, your child has mixed emotions, too — about meeting and making new friends and meeting a new teacher.

I have a few tips that may help ease the transition of back to school, both for you and your child.

Pass a note in class.

If your special needs child is shy or nonverbal, making friends may be hard. To help your child along in school, you may want to write a short letter for the teacher to pass out to parents to read through with their children, explaining your child’s disability, as well as her likes and dislikes.

Dispel any mystery.

Talk to your child about school and what they might expect this year. Take him to back-to-school night to see their classroom and meet the teacher and some students. This may help with some anxiety about going back to school in a new setting. And if any parents or students have questions about your child’s disability, you will be there to answer and educate them, if needed.

Go shopping!

Let your child help pick out their school supplies and backpack. This helps them with decision making and helps them to feel included. Even picking out some crayons for school will put a smile on your child’s face and build confidence. Include them in as much as you can.

Write a list.

Send a current medication list along to school so your school nurse and teacher are up to date, even if it’s medication taken at home. You can also send along a list in your child’s backpack of all the things you are sending with them to school such as snacks, lunch, change of clothes, wipes, etc. That way everyone knows where the items may be.

Send a daily log.

Make a daily log of what your child should be doing while at school. For example, “2 hours in stander” or “Must eat lunch then go to the potty.” Also, send along a copy of your child’s current IEP.

Check in with your child every day.

Talk to your child each day when they get home. Ask about any concerns they may have. Read your child’s log to see how her day went so you can gauge anything that needs to be updated or fixed. Talking with your child about their day helps to include them on making decisions on their school day. And just giving them an ear is a good way to help them feel loved.

Remember: Rome wasn’t built in a day. Your child may have setbacks, or it may take time for them to get used to a schedule. Try to be open and understanding when they have a bad day at school. It does not mean you or your child have failed; it just means there’s something you can learn from. We, too, have bad days as grownups. Stay positive.

Keep everyone in the loop.

Your child has a team at school, and you and your child are part of that team. To help make things go more smoothly, find ways to keep all members of your team on the same page. Keeping your child’s doctor in the loop is a good idea too. Heck, even your child’s physical therapist. Sending a bi-weekly (or as needed) update on changes in therapy in or circumstances at home or in school means fewer surprises all around.

Again, slow and steady wins the race. It may take some practice and time, but your team will get in the groove and eventually work as a finely oiled machine. Express any concerns as soon as possible and bring them up at your child’s IEP meetings. If a staff member isn’t working out, ask for another. If your child needs additional intervention, ask for it. You are your child’s advocate. You have rights and so does your child. Please…please…speak up.

I hope these tips help make back-to-school fun and a little less stressful. Don’t forget to ADVOCATE. You can do this. And your child will be a rock star at school. Stay positive. Happy back to school!


Trish Schaeffer is a mom of three boys—two with special needs—and a blogger for Central Penn Parent. Follow her at www.centralpennparent.com/A-Loving-Journey. You can follow Trish on Twitter @Alovingjourney and on her Facebook group A Loving Journey-Parents of special needs kids.

How to ease anxiety during your child’s back-to-school dental visit

The start of school means back-to-school physicals for students. But what about back-to-school dental visits?

The American Dental Association reports that dental disease causes children to miss more than 51 million school hours each year.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in five children age 5 to 11-years-old have at least one untreated, decayed tooth.

“Tooth pain can impact a child’s eating, speaking and concentration in school, and even their sleep,” said Laura Myers, director of dental services at CHI St. Joseph Children’s Health Dental Center in Columbia. “Some schools require back to school dental checkups; however, regardless of the school’s requirements, this is a good time of year to make sure that your child’s dental care is up-to-date. Fortunately, there are ways parents can make these visits easier for themselves and their child.”

Use books and videos to reassure children who are nervous. Going to the dentist may cause anxiety for your child even if they have been there before. Use books and videos that talk about what your child will experience at the dentist to remind them that there is nothing to fear.

Schedule back-to-back dental visits for siblings and allow the more experienced child to go first. Older children who are more comfortable seeing the dentist can help alleviate fears and apprehensions of younger siblings by serving as role models.

Make sure your child is well-rested and has had a light nutritious meal or snack before a dental visit. Summer schedules often mean later bedtimes and extra treats. Make sure that your child gets plenty of rest and eats a healthy meal prior to visiting the dentist. A tired and hungry child usually means a more frustrating experience for everyone.

Plan a special post-dentist reward for your child. Preplanning a special reward – such as a favorite lunch, a family movie night, or special experience like cooking a fun and healthy meal with mom or dad – gives your child something to look forward to after a successful dental checkup.

Have your dentist check your child’s mouth guard to prepare for sports seasons. Take full advantage of your appointment by having your dentist check to makes sure your child’s mouth guard is in good shape and is the right type for your child’s mouth.

“Back to school time is extremely challenging for parents who are juggling new morning routines, numerous after school activities and additional demands like homework,” said Myers. “But it’s important that a dental checkup makes it on every parent’s to-do list.”

Mind on Health: Taming those back-to-school butterflies

For most kids, there’s nothing like the phrase “Back to School” to throw cold pool water on an otherwise glorious summer vacation.

At the first mention of back- to-school preparation, many children experience a passing wave of apprehension. However, for some children, the thought of going back to school can trigger anxiety that interferes with their daily life. How can you tell just how anxious your child is and whether you should do something about it?

Generally speaking, children might struggle with a few fears about how they’ll like their new teacher or whether they will find their way around a new school, but they have enough intrinsic coping mechanisms or experience in their life to know that they’ve gotten through new situations before and they will again.

However, children who already have anxiety like predictability and the thought of a new school year can trigger debilitating fears.

For these children, the “if” questions become huge: What if I can’t find my classroom? What if I have no friends in my classes? What if my teacher doesn’t like me? What if my bus driver doesn’t know where to take me home? If your child asks these questions over and over despite your repeated, logical and comforting answers, this can be a red flag that help is needed.

Kids might also complain of stomach aches and headaches, have interrupted sleep or nightmares and try to avoid anything remotely connected to school, including their friends, and even ask to skip the first day back.

Recognizing and reacting

While we all have a level of anxiety that is helpful — like “If I don’t do my homework, I might fail so I better do it” — some anxiety is pathologic and keeps us from being able to function. It is important to look for a possible underlying cause, such as separation anxiety or fear of leaving a parent for an extended period, fear of bullying on the bus, or academic work that is too hard and causes feelings of being overwhelmed. Sometimes it can be hard to tell whether they are just having some normal anticipatory anxiety that will pass the minute they get to school. The bottom line is that your child should be able to continue to eat and sleep normally, see friends when they want to and carry on activities of daily life, even if the thought of school doesn’t necessarily thrill them. If, on the other hand, they display excessive clinginess, say they don’t want to sleep alone or repeatedly ask “what if” questions for several weeks, it may be time to seek help.

Parents can pursue many avenues to obtain help for their child, including talking with their primary care provider, the school guidance office or child therapists and psychologists who may be able to provide specialized individual or group therapy. One approach that can be highly beneficial is cognitive behavioral therapy, which uses practical approaches to solve problems. Many guidance counselors will provide school schedules and let you come in to walk through — or even arrange a meeting with the teacher beforehand to build familiarity and comfort. Come up with a contingency plan — a place your child knows he can go if he feels overwhelmed, like to a trusted teacher, the nurse or the guidance counselor. Also, make sure the cause for anxiety isn’t something else you need to address, like being bullied or struggling academically.

If your child remains highly anxious and it is interfering with normal activities despite therapy and comforting measures, a referral to a psychiatrist may be warranted.

Remember, even your older child transitioning to high school may have some anxiety and can benefit from talking with you about fears and taking a trip to tour the new school during the summer. Most students really enjoy the freedom of high school and end up doing much better than parents think they will.

Watching a child’s anxiety level rise can set parents on edge, but it’s imperative that you remain calm. Offer reassurance and encouragement; let them know that even though you know this is something new and new things can seem scary, you believe they can do it.

Changing your expectations of them is not a good idea. Continue normalcy in the home, as the structure itself is helpful. Do not allow your anxious child to stay up late with you or skip chores while the siblings have to carry on as usual. As tempting as it may be to keep them home on mornings when there are lots of tears, it is extremely important to still send your child to school.

Instead, remind your children of all the times they have successfully negotiated new situations and replace their negative self-talk with positive reinforcements. Get as many people on board as you can — at school and at home — to reinforce the encouragement. Make sure your child knows every other student is experiencing the same new things and together, you will all get through it.

Jeanne Logan is a pediatric nurse practitioner in the Department of Psychiatry at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

Parenting Pro: How do you get kids back to back-to-school sleep schedule?

Parenting is rarely smooth sailing. For the big problems, we seek guidance from pediatricians, counselors or other professional advisors. But for the everyday matters — those “how-to” questions that nag us and the non-emergency “glitches” — we turn to our parenting peers. In this issue, our readers lend help some parents get their children back into the early morning school routine without too much pain and misery.

Q: After a summer of late to bed, late to rise, my kids have a hard time adjusting to the school sleep and early wake up schedule. Any tips to help them adjust, or is it hopeless?

A: I just wake them up at 6:30 (middle schooler) and 7:30 (elementary) on the first day and they are so tired that night they fall into a natural early bedtime routine. We don’t plan any play dates or after school activities the first week of school because adapting back to self-controlled bodies and listening ears is exhausting! -Jeanne Brennan Harris

A: Start the process about two weeks in advance. Each day or week (depending on how far off their schedule is) go to bed & get them up closer to their school day schedule, having at least three days of “back to school” prior to school starting. Get them back into their routine (breakfast, shower, etc.) in this ramp up period as well. This way, they’ve already started their norm by the time school starts! -Crystal Moon

A: We start adjusting morning and bedtime routines about two weeks before school starts. The week before school starts I put an alarm on my phone to sound when they need to be ready for school or in bed once school starts so they can see how they are doing. The two weeks seem to be the perfect amount of adjustment time for them and I don’t get too much fight the first day of school. -Ashley Shirk

A: We try and start moving bedtime a few days (three to four) ahead of time, but to be honest, we aren’t the greatest at sticking to that. Waking up the first day is sometimes a little tough, but that first week is exhausting, and because of that exhaustion, bedtime falls right in line. -Kristin Savko

A: Try to adjust sleep schedules in advance. Also make ahead breakfasts (overnight oats, crockpot egg casserole) and lay out clothes the night before to speed up the morning process. -Bridget Paz

A: Start putting them to bed for their school schedule starting in August a couple weeks before school starts. This should work for their daily routine. -Dee Bossalini

A: Our school starts after Labor Day Weekend, which means that my teenagers are up late for the three nights before that first early morning. I’ve given up on trying to coax them into bed early for a week or two beforehand because the holiday weekend obliterates any progress anyways. I do the same thing as Jeanne Brennan Harris — I let the early morning wake up on the first day of school do its job in making them extra tired that evening, and eventually we get back into a good schedule naturally. -Sarah Perry

A: [I use] Picture prompts to remind kids of the necessary steps to prep them for the nighttime process.-Maureen Carol

A: Homeschool! We never have to adjust to a new sleep schedule, pjs aren’t frowned upon, and [there are] no tardy slips! -Lucinda Hughes

A: Start the process early and work back to school schedule gradually. We try to do that with our littles when we get off schedule. -Ashley Tasker Kido

A: Try to get them to bed at regular school night time a few days before school starts. Establish a regular bedtime routine and wake up time. -Nancy Joy Hornig Bowers

A: We try to keep the same schedule all summer with only occasional late nights. -Stacy Shank

A: I change the kids’ bedtime the week before school starts. It gives them time to begin adjusting to a new routine. -Barbara Moore Smathers

A: Coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. For the parents of course! -Cory Miller

Join the conversation! Look for our Parenting Pro questions on Facebook. Please note: not all responses will appear in the magazine, and responses that do appear may be edited for length and style.