With the start of the school year right around the corner, the to-do list for parents and students grows ever longer. Parents have to wrangle school supplies, create new daily routines, establish transportation or walking routes for their kids and get in touch with the new teachers.
All aboard the back-to-school express!
Here’s a list of general best practices and some grade-specific advice from experts (and other parents) to make sure your kids are set up for success as they start the school year.
Set ‘pillars of preparation’ for your child
“I think it’s important to prepare because it sets students up for success,” said Shannah Cariño, the director of Project RISE in Akron, who also runs a private counseling practice centered on childhood education. “A lot of times there’s transition periods for families and students at the start of the school year. … Some of that can be minimized with some prep and support from parents.”
Cariño’s pillars of school preparation for families include establishing healthy routines, setting family value systems collaboratively, opening a line of communication with teachers and the school, and having regular mental health check-ins with children to keep relationships positive.
These tenets of preparation are echoed by Danielle Bunner, the director of the Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK) program for the Early Childhood Resource Center, which serves communities across Northeast Ohio.
“As we’re getting closer to the time when they’re going into the school building, we talk about setting routines,” Bunner said. “… We talk about maybe a nighttime routine, a morning routine, so the child is a little more comfortable getting ready to go.”
When do Akron Public Schools start?
In the coming weeks, it’s important for parents and students to begin preparing their bodies and minds for the rigors of the academic year. Among the most important routines, especially for younger students: setting a new bedtime and early morning routine.
About a week ahead of the first day of school, Cariño recommends setting an earlier dinner and bedtime routine that you can sustain throughout the school year.
MORE INFO: SPARK is a free in-home parent and child education program that focuses on getting 3- and 4-year-old kids ready for kindergarten. Enrolled families receive a monthly visit from their SPARK educator, who helps provide guidance and skill-building exercises. That helps make sure the parent and student are ready for the big transition that is full-day kindergarten.
The program is currently accepting new families, and interested parents can learn more here: (https://www.ecresourcecenter.org/wba/content/spark/enroll-in-spark-today/)
“I think getting back into school-year routines before the start of school will set a kiddo up for success,” Cariño said. “Sometimes that means creating systems, whether it’s family systems or systems for the student to be organized. That can really help.”
The other side of this new bedtime routine is an earlier start for kids. Schools vary across Northeast Ohio, so be sure to check the full list of start and end times for Akron Public Schools schools here.
General Akron school start and end times:
- Elementary: 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- Middle schools: 8-8:05 a.m. to 3:15 pm.
- High schools: 8:05 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
If your child attends Cleveland City Schools, you can find their hours here.
You can find the date your Summit County school begins here — in Cuyahoga County, it’s here.
What back-to-school supplies do kids need?
Getting your kids up and out the door is only half the battle. Don’t forget to equip them with tools for success: pencils, notebooks, binders and folders.
A supply list for Akron Public Schools is here: https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1683745168/akronschoolscom/nrazejldvuc7fhbv0yx1/APS_SchoolSupplyList_2022_V2.pdf
Most kids in first through fifth grade will need the following supplies: crayons, glue sticks, pencils, a box of tissues, blunt scissors, a ruler, pocket folders, pink erasers and wide-ruled notebook paper.
The material list changes for middle schoolers, with the addition of basic and scientific calculators, depending on the grade. Some kids may need graph paper and highlighters as well. High school students should add a dictionary to their material lists.
Cariño said it’s best for parents, especially those dealing with financial hardships, to not try to purchase everything for the full year right away. Instead, she said it may be easier to just get enough to get through the first month of the year then buy on an as-needed basis going forward.
If the cost of school materials is a burden, parents can contact schools to learn about backpack drives. Additionally, a number of community organizations host back-to-school drives. Parents can also check with local churches and charity organizations.
Akron Public Schools offers a backpack drive at the Akron Zoo for kids enrolled in kindergarten through fifth grade. The Backpack Adventure event at the zoo is scheduled for Aug. 20-21. Parents should receive invitations.
Signal Akron compiled a list of where Akron parents can find school supply giveaways.
Soft skills make for good students
Perhaps the most under-recognized aspect of preparing your child for a successful start to the school year is checking in on their organizational skills — especially if they’re transitioning from elementary to middle school or middle to high school.
Cariño said it’s normal for kids to have some anxiety around the start of the year, but having conversations about how they’ll keep track of assignments and extracurricular activities will go a long way toward setting them up for success.
“I think it’s super important that parents know that the skills needed to be successful in school need to be learned and taught to them in practice,” Cariño said. “We need to get rid of this assumption that our kids always know what to do and are choosing not to do it. I think that supportive role that we play in their education is so important.”
Parents can do this through conversation and helping their kids understand what the expectations are going into the school year. Together, parents and children can have a discussion about what is important to them as a family unit. By setting expectations and values early, Cariño said the family can better navigate eventual hiccups and unexpected events.
If, after the first few weeks of the school year, students are still struggling to bring home their assignments and materials, Cariño said parents should reach out to teachers and ask them to check in on their kids during the school day to make sure they’re keeping track of homework.
The parent-teacher connection
Finally, Cariño said it’s vital that parents try to establish a line of communication with their child’s teachers before the school year. They can attend any events hosted by the school to meet them in person or send an email introducing themselves.
In doing so, parents can lessen some of the burdens of keeping their kids in line and on track during the school year. Teachers can’t pick up all the slack, but by sharing your concerns about your child’s progress, you can help them be a collaborator to maintain healthy habits and routines with their school work.
Even just asking a teacher to ensure a student is writing down their assignments and having their materials before leaving for the day can pay dividends and help lessen conflict at home.
“I would make a teacher a part of your team with that stuff, and most teachers are happy to help, at least temporarily, to create helpful habits at the end of the school day,” Cariño said.
