Back To School Ready Classes

Make sure your child is ready to head back to school this year with a simple back to school preparation checklist.

1. Get registered! Be sure that your child is registered for their school, particularly if they’re attending a new school.
2. Mark off important dates on your children’s school calendar, such as the first day of school.
3. Get and complete the required medical forms. Set up an appointment with your family physician to make sure your child is up to date on all required immunizations.
4. Finish all the homework! Be sure your child has completed all their summer assignments.
5. Do your back to school shopping using your school’s supply list and dress code.
6. Give your child’s mental muscles a refresher with games and classes to get your student back in schoolwork mode.
7. Figure out where the bus stops are before and after school, or set up other transportation.

Creating a new routine this year is helpful to keep everything on track. "Kids do best when they know what to expect, so establishing normalcy and a routine are very important," says Yamalis Diaz, PhD, child and adolescent psychologist at NYU Langone's Child Study Center. She recommends creating a calendar that outlines which days are online versus in-person learning, and then breaks down what will happen during each of those days.

On the first day of school try to mark the transition in a special way, Catherine Halberg, a school psychologist at an elementary school in Shelburne Falls, Mass said. Consider getting a new outfit or backpack, for example, or cooking a favorite breakfast.

“Or you can create a new routine by giving your child a memento to take to school each day. You can take a picture of yourself, for example, and put it inside a locket or glue it on a piece of paper that gets tucked inside their lunchbox,” Ann Densmore, an educational psychologist who has consulted at private and public schools for more than 25 years said.

The CDC provides an in-person school checklist for getting ready to go back to school after Covid.

Address any learning loss

Because the 2020 school year did not go as planned, there will likely be gaps in students’ knowledge. It’s important to address the learning loss by identifying areas, and creating a plan for moving each student to the grade-level requirement. Back to school classes can help!

Prepare for healthy hygiene

Stock up on face coverings, hand sanitizers, and disinfecting wipes. In any in-door public setting, the CDC advises people to wear cloth face coverings that cover both their mouth and nose. Face shields can help make it easier to see, so they might be an option to consider for younger students.

Recognize your child's feelings

Young children may not have the vocabulary to express how they feel heading back to school this year. Look for behaviors that indicate they are feeling anxious, such as crying, irritability, stomachaches, or clinginess. It is important for parents to acknowledge and validate these feelings says Dr. Mary Alvord, a psychologist in Maryland who specializes in treating children and adolescents with anxiety disorders and behavioral regulation problems. She suggested using this script: "I know it’s been hard, I know you like it at home. I know there’s a lot of things you don’t know and it may be scary."