School to Community Connection
August 11, 2004

First day of school is Monday, August 23, 2004
School starts on Monday, August 23 at all HUSD schools. Start times are as follows:

• Foss Creek – 8:00 am (1-6th grade); 8:20 am (Kindergarten)
• Healdsburg Elementary (HES) – 8:00 am
• Junior High (HJH) – 8:25 am
• High School (HHS) – 8:50 am (Monday) 8:15 am (T-F)
   

Important events taking place over the next month at school sites

• HHS New Student Enrollment August 11
• HHS Freshman Orientation August 12
• HHS Registration/Distribution of Schedules August 12
• HHS Registration Makeup Day August 17
• HJH Readiness Faire August 17
• Foss/HES Classroom Assignments Posted August 20
   

Back-to-School Nights

• HES September 8 - 6:15 pm
• HHS September 9 - 6:30 pm
• Foss Creek September 22 - 6:30 pm
• HJH September 23 - 6:30 pm

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.