Family Roundup: Getting Ready for Back to School

The start of school for Bellevue's public schools is just a few weeks away on Tuesday, Sept. 6. I’ve gathered some tips from Eastside teachers and tutors on what parents can be doing in the remaining weeks of summer, and the first days of school, to help kids succeed this coming school year.

How to Prepare for a Successful Start at Preschool or Kindergarten

Judy Holt is director of Redmond’s highly regarded Community Preschool. She has more than 20 years of experience helping students prepare for their first days of school at her preschool and helping her “graduates” get ready for kindergarten.

It is very important, said Holt, to talk about any concerns the child has about the coming school year and to assure the child that school is a fun place with lots to do and new friends to play with.

You and your child can practice for the big first day. If the school’s playground is open to the public, take your child there to play. Practice basic skills including taking on and off coats, as zippers and buttons can be a challenge at first for little kids. If your child will be eating lunch at school, make sure they can open water bottles and food containers and have them practice unpacking a lunch box, said Holt.

For kindergarteners, review some basic skills for an incoming kindergartner such as colors, numbers and letters. If you can find out which kids will be in your child’s class, make some play dates before school starts. Attend any “meet and greets” this month that will give your child and you a chance to connect with his or her teacher and see the classroom. 

Children being nervous about taking the bus to school for the first time is common.

"Remember Mom or Dad can wait at the bus stop with the child, then drive behind the bus the first day and meet the child at school,” Holt said.

“Remember also to bring your camera for a first day of school photo,” said Holt, and “always say goodbye and let him or her know who will be picking him or her up or meeting him or her off the bus.”

Address Any Challenges Identified Last Spring If You Haven’t Already 

Dave Zook is director of Big Brains Education Enrichment, a Bellevue-based tutoring service. If your child came home in June with a report card indicating he or she is having some challenges, Zook said, before school starts is the time to connect with a tutor and bring the student up to speed.

“If kids do work over the summer, tutors are able to completely focus on shoring up basics and foundational skills which always pays the biggest dividends long term,” he said.

Zook said parents of elementary-age kids can also review skills at home this month, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division without using a calculator and, for junior high students, fractions and order of operations. 

Zook said the most successful habit of his students who are doing well in school is simple: “Reading, reading, reading.”

Zook also recommends that parents and children review basic math facts. Don’t assume they do, as he finds some of his students who are in high school are dependent on their calculators and struggle to master basic math skills. 

He suggests to parents to print out a multiplication chart (also available at the ) to quiz your student. If he or she misses or are slow, circle the problem. After you know what your child doesn't know, choose three facts. Drill them on them every time you get in the car for 30 seconds. Within a day or two they'll know them. Then, switch to three more. And so on.

"Soon, event the most stubborn calculator user will be working faster and more accurately," he said.

Zook also encourages parents to talk about expectations for their child now, before the school year starts and remember to be a supportive partner in their child’s education throughout the year.

“Be consistent. If you value education for your child then you have to make sure that they do what is necessary. There are no excuses for frequently not completing assignments and not doing extra-credit when offered. Nice clothes, sports, cars, toys, sleepovers, camps, cell phones are privileges that are earned not rights,” he said.

Don’t Assume You Can “Let Go” in Middle School

Karen Todd is a retired Lake Washington schoolteacher who taught for both the Quest program and general education classes at Kamiakin Junior High in Kirkland. Todd said that many parents tend to back off in sixth, seventh and eighth grade.

"I frequently reminded parents of eighth graders, 'you are still in charge.' ”

Look for forms arriving in the mail this month and fill them out with your student and take notice of the school pre-function event dates on the school’s website and make sure your student attends those. Also make sure your student has everything on his or her supply list before school starts.

“Talk to your kid about the things he or she is worried about and don’t assume they are not stressed,” she said.

You should be monitoring your child's computer and cell phone activity now and throughout the school year, she said.

“You need to let your kid know you are monitoring him or her,” she said.

Todd said start backing up your child’s bedtime now, so that getting up earlier isn’t such a shock the first day of school. Now is also the time she said to “have fun with them, listen to them and encourage reading and quiet time.” 

Todd also suggests having students write a letter to themselves about the first day of middle school – what they are wearing, what they are worried about and what they hope for, that you’ll keep for them and promise not read, as a treasured memory for them to have in the future.

Remember Your Child’s Teachers Are Your Partners In Education At Every Age

Rona Chumbook is a recently retired Lake Washington school district world languages teacher with over 20 years of experience teaching students from sixth grade through community college. She said teachers in middle and high school want to know about their students. She encourages parents to send teachers a brief email before school starts about any specific challenges your child has in terms of learning, hearing or vision or new situations that have arisen over the summer that may be stressing him and impact him or her academic performance including a parent’s job loss or divorce. 

If your child’s last report card or teacher conference identified challenges to work on don't wait until school starts to connect with a tutor, said Chumbook.

“Your child will be much better prepared for success in school this year if they start working with a tutor now,” she said.

Once school begins, encourage your middle and high school students to connect with some “study buddies.”

“Talk to your child about accessing teacher expectations,” said Chumbook. If your child is getting a cell phone for the first time be sure to “coach your child when and where they can use the phone and to follow school rules.”

Remember for kids entering middle school, kids need a much bigger and studier backpack. They also need organization tools before school starts including a binder, mini stapler, paper clips and correction fluid. You can find those items now at many Bellevue stores including , , and .

For the chronically disorganized, Chumbook said providing gallon-size zip lock bags can help them quickly sort their papers by class before jamming everything into a back pack.

Be mindful of how much teacher’s jobs have changed since you were in junior high and high school and be respectful of their time, Chumbook said. Communicate important information with teachers in short and concise emails. Offer to help with supplies as needed.

“Teachers appreciate hand sanitizer, tissues etc. for their classrooms that are no longer supplied, but ask what they need,” she said.

Parents should get to know their child's teacher when school starts, she added.

“Parents should view their child’s teacher as a team member and make an appointment early in the school year if the child has ongoing challenges that need to be addressed.”