Dear Glenshire Families,
Welcome Back. I hope you all had a wonderful summer. September is national attendance month and I know we can continue to have the best attendance in the district by having your students at school every day and here on time. The kids are always so excited to earn their perfect attendance certificates at the end of each month.
Some strategies that can be effective in the transition back to school: Nighttime routine: dinner, bath, brush teeth, read story, and as many things as possible being done the night before instead of in the morning- packing the backpack, making the lunch, laying out the outfit. . . It is also important to allow for 8-10 hours of sleep nightly. This greatly enhances academic performance and social-emotional state of mind. Additionally, a healthy breakfast, and an after school routine that also allows for natural play and downtime. Kids crave downtime! So many students share that "They wish they could just go home after school and play." So do not feel like you have to have them in lessons five days a week. Free play breeds creativity. A wonderful strategy for finding out about your child's day is to have them tell you two positive things that happened that day. This helps your child focus on the positive and to look for that positive each and every day. Some other questions you can ask are, "Tell me what you learned that you'd like to know more about."; "What made you laugh today?"; "What was the most creative thing you did?"; "How were you kind and helpful today?" Make reading a part of your daily routine so your child looks forward to that together time, while cultivating a love of reading. Have a set place and time for your child to do their homework. Then it just becomes part of the routine. Chores are also important so the child knows they are part of a team that helps the family run smoothly. It also cultivates responsibility. Last, but not least, have fun together. Childhood is a journey, not a race, and this is a very special time for children and their parents.
Happy September!
Rachel Falk
