I may be more anxious than E about his impending return to school and the beginning of "real" school as well as the start of French Immersion. There's a lot of new things for him to navigate and for Andrew and I to learn to support him. Some of this (#8 & 9) feel a bit over the top even to me, but hey, it's the truth.
What E and I have done to prepare for him to go back to school:
- Wash backpack/lunchbox
Even though most backpacks and fabric lunch boxes don't recommend regular washing, I find I can put them through my washing machine a couple times a year and they come out looking fresh and none the worse for wear. I pre-treat them with a stain stick if needed and after washing, dry them outside in the sun.
- Buy new, bigger water bottle
He was quite excited to move up a size in water bottle even though it meant going away from the "fun" bottles with images on them. We'll see if he regrets this decision later or not.
- Clothes inventory
We made sure all his laundry was done and clothes organized and put away. I wanted to make sure he had enough long sleeve shirts and button-up pants that fit him as the weather will change suddenly at some point and I'd rather not scramble.
- Fall coat
I have purchased these coats when they go on sale, so he has one waiting in the next size.
- Indoor shoes
While it's likely your child has at least one pair of runners that fits (and they've been wearing this summer), it's possible their feet have grown since you last bought indoor shoes last winter/spring. E's feet are up about 2 sizes since I bought him school shoes last year!
- Behaviour review with child
I'm sure each child has their own behavioural tendencies at this age and each can use some helpful reminders about the appropriate behaviour for school. We talk about manners, classroom expectations, hygiene issues (blowing nose, Cover & Cough using elbow, Flush & Wash) as well as a bit more focus on kindness and what to do if someone isn't kind to you.
- Order/adhere labels on necessary new items
For grade 1 there aren't a lot of new items, but I've made sure to check labels on old items and label the few new things (indoor shoes and water bottle especially).
- Quick read of curriculum
This is where I feel like I probably loose most people (but maybe I'm wrong?). I clearly have some trust issues but I feel like it's my responsibility to make sure he's taught what is needed, especially for math.
- List of questions for new teachers
I also keep a running list of questions I want to ask or information I want to tell. This is less crazy than it sounds. It's mostly because I forget important things in the moment of meeting the new teachers and our Meet the Teacher Night is the second day of school.
- Have child clean bedroom/playroom
This is a goal we have for this year. We didn't tidy up the playroom the whole summer break, so it was a disaster that needed a lot of attention. E's room is a much quicker pick up because he generally takes pride in keeping it organized anyway.
- Grocery shopping
I stock up on apple sauce and nut-free granola bars, jarred and dried fruit and mini rice cakes and fish crackers throughout the summer as I see sales. This means that I'll just do a regular shop for fresh veggies and fruits and sandwich makings.
- Print First Day of School sign
We use these pretty signs. Here's the one from last year.
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