back-to-school
44
|
WINTER GARDEN MAGAZINE
|
JANUARY 2015
R
eturning to school from any vacation can be challenging, but
going back to school after winter break is can be by far one of
the toughest feats. You trade in holiday gluttony, shiny new
presents and carefree afternoons for piles of homework and the
realization you’re still about 100 days from the end of the year. For
nearly two months, the sounds of the season have been telling you it’s
“the most wonderful time of the year,” but you know darned well no
one’s singing about January.
Because there are few three-day weekends or other interruptions
in the weeks following the holidays, the months between winter and
spring breaks are the time when teachers plan to put the pedal to the
metal.
With holiday festivities, late movie nights and sleeping in behind
us, it is time for students to get down to business. Here are some tips
to help you and your families readjust to school mode and be ready to
conquer classes in the New Year.
Much like summer, winter break brings loosened reins on TV,
computer and other media. It’s easy for kids to turn into night owls
when they know they can sleep in the next morning. Both of these
habits can make the first week back to school challenging, even for the
most motivated student. Before sending kids back to the grind, taper
back on screen time and ease back to a reasonable bedtime.
If your family embraces a “fend-for-yourself ” approach about
breakfast during holidays, it’s time to change gears. Healthy, satisfying
breakfasts are one of the most important factors in a child’s ability to
focus in class. Hungry kids are more likely to be sluggish and
distracted. Sugary cereals or doughnuts often result in an energy
decline a few hours into the day. Start your students day off right with
a nutritious breakfast, such as oatmeal or toast with peanut butter.
Take inventory of your child’s school supplies and ensure they are
prepared to return. Make sure they have refills on paper, pencils, and
other necessities. Help them check their binders to remove old papers,
pages of doodles and remove crumpled trash from the bottom of
backpacks.
Just like at the beginning of the school year, kids will have to get
back into the practice of regular homework. If you work with your
children on their homework, decide if what you were doing in the fall
was the best schedule for fitting in homework, and reconfigure it if
necessary. The more often you can make yourself available to help your
child, the better.
Some children often get anxious just thinking about going back to
school. Younger children sometimes believe the fun of the vacation
will continue and that they will be missing it once back in school. It’s
important to help your child realize that everyone in the family is
returning to the “usual routine,” whatever that may be in your house.
Talk about the expectations they face at school, remind them they’re
returning to the same classes, the same teacher, and the same friends.
Help them to understand you and their teacher both expect great
behavior and school work. Focus on the positives that your children
will encounter, but keep in mind that to a child, it can almost be the
first day of school all over again.
Students of Orange County Public Schools and the Foundation
Academy return to classes on Monday, January 5, 2015.