What to Expect in the First Year of School
The first week of school has arrived for many Kansas City students! This time is often filled with excitement, but it can also bring anxiety for kids, parents and teachers alike. Getting back into the swing of the school year takes a little time for everyone. If your student’s first day (or first few weeks) back to school, or at a new school, don’t go as smoothly as planned, we encourage you to relax and give it some time. Understanding that this time is an adjustment period and allowing space for students, parents, and teachers to develop routines is important and helps build a strong foundation for the remainder of the school year.
At Show Me KC Schools, we want to give you a heads up as to what to expect for the first week of school. We compiled a list of first week expectations we thought parents may find helpful! Here are five tips for parents to help make those first weeks back at school good for everyone involved!
Remember, you’re not alone.
The chaos of the first week happens at every single school. Your school is not unique in the fact that routines have not yet been established. Drop off and pick up are especially hectic at every school at the beginning of the year. Remember, students (and some parents) don’t know exactly where they are going for the first few days. If students are in a new school, they are trying to get used to the new faces and places around them. Try to help your student establish a morning routine by keeping things consistent for the first few weeks and reviewing the drop-off and pick up plan as well as where they need to go throughout the day in the car on the way to school or the night before.
Be prepared for delays.
Expect the school bus to be late for the first few weeks. It takes a few runs to get the routes down and for everyone to make it onto the bus on time. Pre-program important contacts, such as school and transportation numbers, into your cell phones so you can readily call if a bus is running late. Also, remember to try to separate transportation and busing issues from the school, the school contracts out for transportation and they are likely just as frustrated as you are with buses running behind and off schedule.
Be ready for the waterworks.
If you have a kindergartner or young student going to a new school, be prepared for them to cry at some point in time – this is completely normal. As hard as it is to leave your student at school when they are upset, the longer you linger the harder it may be on your student and the teachers. Remember, you can always check in with your teacher later in the day via email to make sure your student is having a good day! Be excited for them to go to school and, as hard as it may be, stand back and watch them fly!
Have the snacks ready.
When students get home from a long day of learning, they can be hangry. Have healthy snacks on hand when they get home from school to help hold them over until dinner time. Even better, check if your school allows snacks in the classroom if so send your student to school with snacks so they can stay energized all day.
School supplies are for all.
When you purchase schools supplies for your student, don’t be surprised if they all go into a communal usage area for all of the students in the classroom. Throughout the year, teachers may also ask for additional supplies to be contributed to the entire class when they run out. This ensures that all students are able to function in the classroom on the same level regardless of having or not having school supplies.
Expect extra sleep.
Your student is going to be extra tired the first few weeks into the school year, especially if they are transitioning into kindergarten. Expect your student to want to catch some extra zzz’s in the evenings.
