Dear parents/guardians:
Here we are again; summer is over and school is already starting up. Those summer months always go by too quickly, though from what I have seen this week, students are eager to be back with their friends and to start a new school year. For freshmen, there is a lot of new information to take in. They will have an increased autonomy as high school students, facing a new frontier of career and technical education and expectations from academic teachers.
Upperclassmen are shifting into new priorities of getting used to being in their CTE program for an entire week or looking ahead at college or entering into the workforce.
As with all transitions, what helps younger people is the structure that school and being on a schedule brings. This shift is not always easy. Here are a few pointers on how to get your child on track for a successful school year, as well as a back-to-school toolkit.
1. Start the sleep schedule and screen time shift - What time does bedtime need to be to ensure a good night's sleep? What do you need to do in order to get that sleep? Perhaps you would want to sit down with your student to discuss when the phone should be shut off and what safeguards need to be in place in order to do so. Should you take the phone away at a certain time? It's certainly a controversial topic among teenagers but it's a known fact that phone use keeps students up well past their bedtimes.
2. Create a morning routine - Mornings can easily become a mad dash to get out of bed in time to catch the bus or a ride to school. I often hear that the most arguments occur in the morning over the tension to get students off to school. Perhaps a conversation about how to make the flow of what needs to happen to get out the door would be a good idea. After all, starting the day off on the wrong foot is tough to turn around for adolescents.
3. Discuss goals for the school year - Many parents wish that their student would get more involved with sports and after school activities. Perhaps a meaningful conversation or getting the school counselors involved in those discussions would help motivate your student. We hold an activities fair for freshmen in early September - encourage your 9th grader to sign up for a club in order to get involved from the get-go. Maybe a goal is to get homework done after school. We offer an after-school program on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2-3, with a 3 p.m bus available to take your student home. Now is the time to psych your student up for starting the year strong.
Thanks,
Julia Fairclough LICSW, SAC
Adjustment Counselor
