Schools
5 Things To Do Before School Starts in East Lake
Make heading back to school less painful for the whole family with these helpful tips.
With the first day of school only a couple weeks away, families across Tampa Bay are gearing up to trade in their beach balls for textbooks. But it doesn't have to be a rough transition with proper planning.
Here are some things you can do now to prepare for the big day:
Make sure health records are up to date
Most schools require all students show immunization records which reflect appropriate shots for their age. Call your school district to determine which shots are required. Several free immunization clinics are being offered throughout the area. Call your local health department to see where you can obtain free immunizations for your child.Test drive your night and morning routine
Begin transitioning from your child's summer time bedtime and wake-up time to what they'll need to do for school. To ease the shock, make your children go to bed 15 minutes earlier each night the week before school starts.Sign up for afterschool
Do you know where you child will go when the school bell rings at the end of the day? The time is now to sign up for afterschool programs whether they be in school, a recreation center, or nearby Karate studio. Places like the YMCA offer afterschool programs that can help children get a headstart on their homework.Do a school test run
Does your child know where their bus stop is? Why not walk with them to the stop at least once before school begins so they know exactly what to expect on the first day. If your child walks to school, it's also a good idea to do the walk there and back before the first day of school. And if you drop your child off at school and pick them up, it's not a bad idea to test run that routine as well so your child and you can develop a plan of where you'll pick them up each day.Update your calendar with important dates
When is Christmas break? When are the parent teacher conference nights? And what about those half-days? You can mark important dates on your calendar now by taking a look at your child's school district 2013-2014 calendar. Pinellas County Schools 2013-2014 calendar can be found here. Hillsborough County Schools 2013-2014 calendar can be found here. And Pasco County Schools 2013-2014 calendar can be found here.Do you have any good tips back to school preparation? Tell us in the comments.
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