Can you believe it? It’s that time of year again. Back to School time!
It’s always exciting to get back into the swing of a fresh, new school year here at Archbishop Walsh Academy/Southern Tier Catholic School after a fun-filled summer.
Your children may be through-the-moon excited – or maybe even a tad anxious – about new teachers, new subjects and meeting their friends. The days before starting school again are always busy and stressful.
So Let’s Get Into the Back to School Routine
Let’s get ready with some helpful back to school tips (reminders, more likely) to smoothly ease into the routine.
1. A Good Sleep Schedule
Sleep is so important. A lot of it, from early years through adolescence.
Kids need some time to get back into a regular, consistent sleep schedule. To make it easier for the kids to be awake (and ready) early in the morning, it’s recommended to re-introduce the school sleep routine two weeks before school starts.
Proper sleep contributes to a student’s overall health, performance and well-being. Those who get the proper amount of sleep at night have better focus and concentration – and better grades.
2. Breakfast – The Most Important Meal of the Day
Although it sounds cliché, it’s 100% true. Children who eat a complete, balanced breakfast come to school nourished and ready for the day. Plainly and simply, they have more energy and alertness than children who don’t.
They work up to their abilities and make fewer mistakes – no matter the subject – along with having better comprehension and memory.
The result? Once again, good grades!
3. Read – Every Night
Escaping to the imaginary world of art and literature has many benefits for your children. The importance of reading for kids is so clear. And it doesn’t matter if it’s you reading Dr. Seuss to your 4-year-old or your high school junior reading a history book.
For the younger kids, your nightly bedtime stories will encourage imagination and calm the waters before bed. And older kids and adolescents who read on their own experience the same benefits as adults do – expanded worldviews, vocabulary, intrinsic knowledge and so much more!
Sounds like good grades – again!
4. Spend Quality Time on Homework
Students of any age and ability level can benefit from parental involvement during homework sessions. If done right – with a little bit of fun along the way – homework becomes quality time.
If possible, parents/guardians should set aside time each afternoon/evening for homework sessions. Being involved allows you to better understand your child’s distinct learning style. They may be:
- Auditory
- Visual
- Tactile (touch)
- Kinesthetic (movement and doing)
You may also observe your children’s strengths and weaknesses. Just knowing where they might hit a snag in their work (and why and how to fix it) makes all the difference. And even if you’re not there, you’ll have helped them lay a good foundation of solo study habits.
Great grades, anyone?
5. Get Involved
Walsh/STCS gives students so many opportunities to explore their existing interests or discover entirely new ones, develop fun talents and useful skills, and to give back through activities. We have numerous extracurricular clubs and sports teams – and you, as a parent/guardian, can be involved in every one of them.
We encourage it!
These vital programs allow students to learn teamwork, take initiative and share group responsibility. They build focus and perseverance through competition, and allow students to look beyond differences and work toward common goals.
The not-so-unintended benefit? You guessed it: good grades!
Interested in becoming a volunteer? Reach out to us at (716) 372-8122, and we’ll have a chat about where you’d like to help out. Just as importantly, a private Catholic school like ours doesn’t benefit from big state and federal budgets. We must all pitch in and work together to steer the ship. Donations of any size go a long way toward providing excellent instruction and learning opportunities for our children.
A little extra effort is what makes the Walsh/STCS experience so fulfilling in the end.