Parents: It’s Back to School Time. Make Sure Your Kids Read This!

Back to school is a time for your kids to meet new challenges and take on new responsibilities. Whether they are going to school or home schooling due to the Covid Pandemic, organization is so important.

Organization is a skill that will help them not only in school but at home and in every aspect of their lives. An organized routine will lay the foundation for academic success.

The following information and tips will help them get organized & stay organized throughout the school year and hopefully throughout their lives.

There are many different ways to organize anything:
-Everyone organizes in his or her own way. You have to decide which way of organizing is easiest and best for YOU!
-The goal is be able to find what you need when you need it without spending time looking for it.

ORGANIZING BASICS:
-Always keep things in the same place so you know where to look for them. For example, put your backpack by the door where you will see it on your way out.
-To keep your space clutter free, put away your things when you finish using them.
-Make sure everything has a home that makes sense.
-Don’t rely on your parents or teachers to keep you organized.

ROUTINES:
1. Create a morning schedule:
-Set up a schedule in the morning that will help you stay organized. A sample schedule might be: Wake up at 6:45. Shower and get dressed by 7:15. Eat breakfast by 7:30 and leave at 7:50.
-Make sure you allow extra time in case something goes wrong (ie. you wake up late).
-Follow the same routine every day.

2. Mornings in most households are busy. To leave yourself enough time, make these part of your routine:
-Set out your clothes to save time the night before.
-Also set out any sports equipment for the next day’s extra-curricular activities.
-Pack your backpack the night before.
-Make sure your homework is in your backpack.
-Also make sure you have papers that need to be signed, gym clothes, etc. that you will need the following day.
-Don’t forget to grab your lunch or lunch money before you leave.

HOMEWORK:
1. Always do your homework!
-Keep phone numbers of two people in each class so you can call them to get information about homework assignments if you are absent.
-Visit your teachers’ websites to check homework assignments.

2. Set a designated time to do all of your homework.
-Limit distractions until study time is over
-Close the door, turn off the TV, cell phone, etc. so you can concentrate.
-Prioritize your assignments
-Some assignments are given a day or two before they are due. But, be sure if time allows, that you do everything on the first night assigned. For instance, if on Monday, one assignment is given in math that is due Tuesday and a short composition in English due Wednesday, do both. Because, on Tuesday, you could get several more assignments due Wednesday- Monday was a light day, and there would have been time. If you wait another day, you face the possibility of being inundated with more work.
-If you have sports or other extra-curricular activities that might conflict with your homework schedule, plan accordingly.

3. Do your most difficult homework assignment first so you can get the hard stuff out of the way.

4. Designate a study space, preferably a clean and well lit area.

5. When you’re done with your homework:
-Place it in your backpack in an area by the door.
-Keep completed homework assignments in the inside front pocket of the binder for that subject so you will always know where to find it.
-You don’t want to lose homework and possibly suffer a lower grade because you can’t find the work to submit to your teachers.

The bottom line is, everything will be MUCH EASIER when you are organized.

5 Great Tips for Parents Whose Kids Are Transitioning from Elementary School to Middle School

Good organization skills can help make the transition from elementary school to middle school go smoother.

Help your child/children stay organized using these simple tips to make the transition less stressful and overwhelming for everyone:

1. Make organizing a part of each day. Organization is a skill that will help the middle school student succeed, not only in school but also in every aspect of their life.
• Work with them to set up systems and routines that will work for them so that they are more inclined to use and stick with them.
o For example: Set a designated place and time for homework.

2. Don’t insist that they get organized your way. There are as many different organizational systems. You just have to find one that works for your child.
• Enlist your child’s help. The idea is to help them discover a way that works for them. Too much “guidance” from you can cause conflict. Offer some options and brainstorm some ideas together.
o For example: Figure out a calendaring system with them so that they’ll use it to stay up to date on their assignments.

3. A place for everything and everything in its place. At home, they should have a place for all of their belongings, not just schoolwork.
• Educate them/show them how to pick-up after themselves. It is important that they pick up their things and return them to their proper place when they’re done using them.
o For example: Pick a place that will work for them to leave their backpack so that they don’t forget it when they leave in the morning. Perhaps a hook in the mudroom…

4. Be a role model. Practice what you preach and lead by example.
• Stay organized at home to lead by example.
o For example: Keep a family calendar.

5. Be there for your child.
• Offer support by checking in to see if they need help with homework. Remember that students in middle school need to become independent so don’t supply them with the answers.
o For example: If you see that they’re not able to keep up, hire a tutor before they fall too far behind

Bottom line is that being organized will make their life and yours so much easier!

It’s Back to School Time

Back to School is a time for meeting new challenges and taking on new responsibilities.            School Room

The following 7 Tips will help you get organized & help you stay organized throughout the school year.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ROUTINES

  1. Create a morning schedule and practice it at least once before the start of school.
  2. Try setting up a schedule in the morning that will help you stay organized. A sample schedule might be: Wake up and shower at 6:45, get dressed at 7:00, eat breakfast at 7:15, pack your lunch at 7:25, do your hair and makeup at 7:35 and leave at 7:50.
    b. Make sure you allow extra time in case something goes wrong (ex: you wake up late)
    c. Follow the same routine every day.
  3. Mornings in most households are busy. To leave yourself enough time make these part of your routine:
  4. Set out your clothes to save time the night before
  5. Also set out any sports equipment for the next day’s extra-curricular activites
  6. Pack your backpack the night before.
  7. In addition to homework, also place lunch money, papers that need to be signed, gym clothes, etc. along with the bag.

TIME MANAGEMENT

If we had more hours in the day, we’d just fill them up with more things to do so USE YOUR TIME WISELY
This is a point in your life when time management skills really become important
We are soooo busy and have so much to do and remember that anything we can DUMP on paper gets it out of our heads and on to paper where you can see it and be reminded.
Writing things down will help you remember so when transferring over to do’s you’re less likely to forget.
Prioritize your list so the important things get done. Whatever doesn’t get done today can be done another time. Just make sure it’s written down so you don’t forget.
You can take on more personal responsibility by getting yourself out of bed at a certain time every day by setting your own alarm—without any help from parents. You might also explore using your cell phone as a time management tool. If you have difficulty waking up with an alarm clock, try putting it on the other end of your room so you have to get out of bed to shut it off.

CALENDAR/PLANNER:

  1. Choose a daily planner with large weekly format over two pages.
  2. Tape a copy of class schedule to the first page and place copy of schedule on inside of locker.
  3. Be sure your full name and grade level are listed in your agenda.
  4. Use it EVERY DAY and make sure it has enough room for assignments, to do’s and note!
  5. Make sure it is kept in the same location at all times so you know where to find it. I keep mine with my keys.
  6. Do not underestimate the value of keeping an accurate planner
  7. Don’t’ forget to calendar homework assignments, exams, quizzes and project deadlines in your agenda as soon as you get them.
  8. Write the assignment on the day that it is due!
  9. Look ahead in your agenda to see what assignments are coming up.
  10. If it is a big project, then break it down into parts and make your own due dates for each part.
  11. Give yourself PLENTY of time to complete assignments because middle school work is new and different.
  12. Write in reminders one and two weeks before something is due.
  13. Even when you do not have an assignment, write: “NO HOMEWORK.” Once writing in the planner becomes habitual, the student will have few, if any, excuses for not completing an assignment.
  14. Have a special place for your agenda and carry it to every class and bring it home every day.
  15. At the end of every day, read your agenda before you leave the locker area or during your last class to be sure what you need to take home to study or complete homework.
  16. Another way to keep track of assignments is through a monthly calendar hung up at home.
  17. There are some assignments, such as science projects, that will be assigned further ahead of time.
  18. Break down the project into smaller projects that can be done along with the nightly homework, rather than a day or two.
  19. Of course, you can always use the calendar on your phone, computer, tablet.
  20. Make sure there’s a place for your “to do’s.
  21. Make sure there’s a place for your appointments (sports, music lessons)
  22. Make sure there’s a place to schedule your projects, quiz’s, tests

ORGANIZATION:

  1. Everything will be MUCH EASIER if you are organized.
  2. Don’t rely on your parents or teachers to keep you organized.
  3. Organization should be important both at home and at school.
  4. Organization is a skill that will help you not only in school but also in every aspect of your life.
  5. If you establish an organized routine, you will lay the foundation for academic success.
  6. There are many different ways to organize anything.
  7. Everyone organizes in his or her own way.
  8. You have to decide which way of organizing is easiest and best for YOU!

*NOTE: Some people like files, some people like piles: some people like things out so they can see them; some people like things put away.
III. The following are some tips and ideas that may help you decide how to BETTER organize your items for school.

     9.  At home, you should have a special place for all of your belongings, not just schoolwork. (Maybe it’s your desk or, it can be a shelf in your closet)

    10.  Always keep things in the same place so you know where to look for them and where to store them. For example, put your backpack by the door where you will see it on your way out.

    11.  To keep your space clutter free, put away your things when you finish using them.

12.  You can place books and folders in your backpack and secure them in a corner or on a shelf.

13.  A special container for supplies such as pens, pencils, markers and scissors will also be helpful

 

LOCKERS

  1. Practice before you need to use it!
  2. Try it out several times to make sure the key works or that you remember the combination.
    b. Keep the combination written down somewhere where you can find it (ie, your wallet, purse, backpack) and not where anyone else would know what it is. The locker combination should be written down at home as well.
  3. Having a clean, organized locker is really important as well.
  4. Purchase extra shelves and locker organizers. The shelves will give you more space for books.
  5. Keep a magnetic pencil holder and a whiteboard on your locker door.
  6.  The magnetic pencil holder is for spare pens, pencils, highlighters, erasers, and supplies.
  7. The whiteboard is where you will write your assignments, classes, and memos on.
  8. How well you keep your locker arranged and decorated is up to you.
  9. The ultimate goal is to be organized so that you will know where your things are and where to put things away.
  10. Look over your list/agenda at your locker each day before leaving school to make sure that you bring home the correct books and notebooks.
  11. One big pitfall of being disorganized at school is forgetting a book at school.
  12. Getting in the habit of going over the assignment list at your locker will create a positive habit of always having the materials to do assignments.
  13. Don’t give out your locker combination.
  14. Keep your cell phone in your locker. HOWEVER, never leave it on because if it goes off, and a teacher happens to walk by, it can be confiscated or misconstrued by the authorities.
  15. Anything you don’t need at school, take home immediately

BINDERS

  1. It is a good idea to get your binders organized from the start of the school year.
  2. It’s always nice to start off on the right foot!
  3. Make sure everything has a place and stays in it! Math papers don’t belong in your English notebook.
  4. There are several different options and you should choose the one that you like best:
  5. You can have separate binders for each class and choose a different color or pattern for each subject.\
  6. Purchase dividers for each binder and label a section for class work, homework, notes and other sections as needed.
  7. The binder should include at least one two-pocket folder to keep handouts and other items that the student will have to remove from the binder.
  8. For important handouts such as a syllabus, use sheet protectors to preserve these items.
  9.  Or, you can: Color-code notebooks and/or book covers by subject area.
  10.  Keep the color-coding for the subjects the same every year.
  11. It is easier to remember which subject is which color, and it saves money and the environment because you might be able to reuse items.
  12. Get covers that are diverse in design or color so that you eliminate grabbing the wrong book or folder by mistake.
  13.  Have a special folder or place for homework and for notes to your parents. Carry this folder to all classes and home every day.
  14. You can also use an expanding folder with 6 or more dividers in it to keep your homework or anything important in each section according to your class.
  15. Have a separate project folder to keep all your project information and papers together in one place
  16. Keep binders and folders organized.
  17. Take your folders home periodically and clean them out.
  18. Keep papers in their corresponding notebook at all times. It will make things so much easier. You won’t have to be worried on the way home about which binder something is in
  19. Many schools or teachers will require you to have a binder for their class and even schedule “notebook checks” where they make sure that you have all your papers in the right places in your binder
  20. Keep your books and binders for the same class together so that they are easy to grab. .

HOMEWORK

Always do your homework
Set a designated time to do all of your homework

Limit distractions for concentration purposes until study time is over (Close the door, turn off the tv, cell phone)

Prioritize your assignments

One thing to keep in mind is to work on tomorrow first!

Some assignments are given a day or two before they are due. But, be sure if time allows, that they do everything on the first night assigned. For instance, if on Monday, one assignment is given in math that is due Tuesday and a short composition in English due Wednesday, have them do both. Because, on Tuesday, they could get several more assignments due Wednesday- Monday was a light day, and there would have been time. If you wait another day, you face the possibility of being inundated with more work!

Do your most difficult homework assignment first so you can get the hard stuff out of the way.

Designate a study space, preferably a clean and well lit area

If you have sports or other extra-curricular activities that might conflict with your homework schedule, plan accordingly

Keep completed homework assignments in the inside front pocket of the binder for that subject so you will always know where to find it.

When you’re done with your homework, place it in your backpack in an area by the door

You don’t want to lose homework and possibly suffer a lower grade because you can’t find work to submit to your teachers

Always be prepared.

Have extra sharpened pencils on hand as well as a water bottle.

Keep phone numbers of two people in each class so you can call them to get information about homework assignments.

Visit your teachers’ websites to check homework assignments.

Bottom line is if you’re organized, it will make your life much easier!

Great Tips For Getting Your Kids Ready To Go Back To School

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Unbelievable! Time is going so fast. August has just begun and everyone is already talking about kids going back to school. 

When I was growing up, school was over at the end of June and started right after Labor Day. Obviously much has changed since then.

What hasn’t changed is what we have to do to prepare ourselves and our kids for going back to school.  

 

 

Here are some great tips to help you and your kids get ready to go back to school:

  • Get back on a schedule two weeks before school starts: Routines are helpful so that everyone knows what to expect. 
  • Get your kids back into the groove by reintroducing the ground rules: That means getting to bed earlier; having them read and/or write a little bit every day; taking a few minutes before bedtime to clean up and get ready for the next day.
  • Make sure that everyone is getting enough sleep:  Getting your kids to bed earlier at least two weeks before school starts is a great way to reset their internal clocks.
  • Have them read: If they haven’t been reading all summer, have them start again. It is one of the best ways to keep a child’s mind sharp.
  • Make it fun: Take them shopping to get their school supplies and some new clothes. There are a lot of sales this time of year so take advantage of them.
  • Get a calendar and put it in a place where everyone in the family can see it and have access to it. 
    • Check it every morning before school to make sure everyone knows what the activities of the day are and are prepared; 
    • Check it again at night to make sure that everyone knows what’s going on the next day so that they can prepare accordingly.
  • If your child is attending a new school, visit the school before the first day so that he/she can get a feel of the surroundings. This will definitely alleviate some anxiety as the first day in a new school can be a bit scary no matter how old they are.

The following are some more tips for when school actually starts:

  • Have them pick out their clothes the night before. Make sure they have the appropriate attire for the next day’s activities.
  • Showers and/or baths should be done at night.  In addition to saving time in the mornings when things are more hectic, the warm water will also help them unwind and sleep better.
  • Check homework and make sure that assignments have been completed before bedtime and especially before TV time or any other leisure activities.
  • Get backpacks ready the night before as well.
  • Stick to your morning routine. When the same things are done the same way, as much as possible, kids will automatically know what they are expected to do and when.  
  • The less there is to do in the morning, the better it will be for everyone!  There will be less fighting and fussing and the mornings will be more pleasant for everyone.
     

Make sure that going back to school is something your children look forward to!

Call us today at (310) 560-5060 to help get you ready and organized for the new school year.

5 ESSENTIAL ORGANIZING TIPS FOR BACK TO SCHOOL

Organizing should really be part of each day.


P1010945Because mornings are usually the busiest time of day trying to get everyone out of the house on-time, set aside 10-15 minutes at night to make sure that everything is in place for the next day.

1.  Homework should be put in backpacks as soon as it is completed and has been checked by a parent;

2.  Backpacks should be packed and left at the front door or mudroom;

3.  Lunch should be made in the evenings;

4.  Clothing should be selected before bedtime.  Make sure they have included whatever clothing/instruments they’ll need for the next day’s after-school activities as well (uniforms for practice or instruments for lessons)

5.  Establish a routine that works for your family and stick to it .  It will make everything easier.

 

Remember to keep it simple!