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Issue 49
First Day of School is Sept. 2
School starts on Tuesday, Sept. 2 at all HUSD schools. Start times are as
follows:
Fitch Mountain – 8:00 am
Foss Creek – 8:00 am
HES – 7:55 am
HJH – 8:25 am
HHS – 8:15 am
Prepare for Back-To-School
Now that summer is nearly over, we must think about preparing for getting
back in the routine of school. Here is a checklist for preparing students
and families for Back-To-School.
• Bedtime - Gradually bring bedtime in line with what it needs to be on
school nights. Always make sure kids get enough sleep (at least 9 hours
for elementary school kids, according to one of the National Institutes of
Health, and 8 for high school kids, according to sleep experts).
• Mealtimes - Get back to regular mealtimes if they've changed over the
summer, making sure your child has good food. Younger children, in
particular, need to adapt to new meal routines before the school day
demands it of them. Plan meals and snacks to accustom little ones to
rituals of the school day before the school year begins.
• Lunches – If your child brings a lunch to school, stock up the kitchen
with necessary lunch makings.
• Reading - Encourage kids to get back in the habit of reading every day
if they have slacked off during the summer, and read to young kids about
starting or returning to school.
• School route - Review with your child the route to and from school. Make
sure you both know the safest route and how long it will take to get
there.
• Bus # and Schedule - If your child takes the bus, review where the bus
stop is, what time it picks up in the morning, and what bus number your
child should look for when school is out. Getting on the right bus after
the first day of school can be a confusing task. Bus schedules will be
available in the Tribune and on the school websites the week before school
starts.
• After-school schedule - If your child is in child care, involved in
after-school activities, or is mature enough to stay home alone after
school, make sure everyone involved knows where to go, when, what the
rules are, and what the back-up plan is.
• Note school information - Near your phone record the phone numbers for
your child's school - the school office and the attendance office. Also,
post a copy of your child's schedule and a map of the school so that you
know where he/she is throughout the day. School maps are on the school
websites.
• Family Calendar - Update your calendar now with all important school
dates – back-to-school night, school holidays and teacher work days,
school breaks, school dances, sports events, etc. These dates can be found
on the school websites.
• “In/Out Area” - Create a special “In/Out Area” for each family member.
This is a single location to contain all the "out-the-door" essentials of
life. This can be as simple as clearing a shelf in a bookcase and
designating the area the family's “In/Out Area”. For little ones, this is
home to permission slips, lunch boxes, homework, library books and science
fair projects. For "big kids", it holds handbags, car keys, return videos,
and dry cleaning. One special place to corral items every family member
must have to leave the house each morning.
• Backpack check - Make sure your child’s backpack is sturdy and ready to
withstand a year’s worth of carrying textbooks, binders, lunches, etc. It
should have padded straps and a waist belt to help distribute the weight.
Once school is underway, test the weight of the backpack – it shouldn’t
exceed 10% of your child’s weight.
• Emergency contacts - Update your emergency checklist with your child.
Make sure they know how to get hold of you wherever you may be - phone,
cell, pager numbers and e-mail addresses. The school should have this
information on their emergency card, but so should your child.
• Reduce added stress - Keep the week just before school starts and the
few weeks after free of vacations, camps, extra activities, or lots of
guests. This can help reduce stress and establish a less hectic schedule.
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