It's National Ice Cream Day: Some Treats to Start the School Year Strong
We hope that you’re out enjoying #NationalIceCreamDay to the fullest, but we can’t help but think that the start of another school year is just around the corner. Below are some tips and tricks you can start implementing today to make the transition just that much easier:
2 Minutes or Less:
• Update iCal: Turn on the "Family Sharing" feature. This is a game-changer that lets everyone know exactly where they need to be. You can even color code for certain family members.
• Update Contact List: Add the front desk line in your Contacts. While you’re add it, update contact information for the School Nurse, School Counselor, Guidance Counselor, Tutor, and College Counselor.
• Download Parent Cue App: An intentional guide to making each week count with your child.
• Turn on the “Shared” Feature on Your Notes App: Creating a packing list? Making a menu or grocery list for the week ahead? Implementing a chore chart? Simply click the plus icon on the top righthand section of the app to share access to any contact in your phone. You’ll receive updated notifications when your contact edits the note. It’s a gamechanger!
5 Minutes or Less:
• Print Out the School Calendar: Today. Seriously. Bonus if you update your iCal with all the breaks and special events!
• Print Out the NYT Bestseller List: As a family, work your way through the list this year.
• Seeking Tutoring This Year? Put a reminder for yourself to reach out to your network or further research a good fit right after Labor Day. We’ve found this is the optimal timing to both allow students to get back into the swing of a routine while avoiding the academic slump.
30 Minutes or Less
• Develop a Testing Strategy: Is your student taking the ACT, SAT, SSAT, or JATP at some point this year? Now is the time to check the school calendar. Sure that later testing date may seem like a good idea until you find out it's Homecoming Weekend. Log onto CollegeBoard.com or SSAT.com and start circling some Saturdays on the calendar where everyone is in town and there are no late night Friday events prior to testing morning.
• Start a Routine: Want to be the family that reads in the evenings? Or eats dinner together at least 3 nights a week? Put it on the calendar--and start practicing today.
1 Hour or Less:
• Shop for School Supplies: Grab those supply lists and head to @Target and knock it out in a single afternoon. Or, log onto Amazon and those pretty pens and binders delivered to your front door in 2 days with Prime—easy!
• Organize the Study Zone: Whether it’s individual desks, a bonus room, or even on the kitchen counter, make sure your “study station” has all the supplies your student needs—which will cut down on distractions and save time in the long run. Make sure you have items like a laptop charger, phone charger, paperclips, stapler, post-its, highlighters, sharpened pencils (for math!), pens, markers, crayons, dry erase markers and personal dry erase board (for working out math problems), a calculator easily accessible.
We hope these treats will help you start the new school year strong!
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