6:42am. That’s when the high school bus swings through my neighborhood to pick up my older son — nearly a full half-hour earlier than the middle school bus he’s used to making, the one that will continue to ferry my younger son to 7th grade. So, you know, we’re tired. Imagine how it’s all going to feel in a few weeks, when homework and ice hockey practice and music lessons and everything else kicks into full gear.
For parents and kids alike, going back to school can be quite the wakeup call, even without a drastically altered morning schedule. This issue is packed with articles intended to help everyone get off to as smooth a school start as possible.
- Still concerned about the Common Core curriculum now entrenched in the area’s classrooms? Read about its pros and cons here.
- Good study habits are key to keep kids on track academically. Click for local tutors' tips on how to break many students’ reliance on cramming for quizzes and tests.
- Tech has invaded the classroom. Find out how area schools are using iPads, laptops and open source software as teaching tools.
- There’s cool stuff happening at the area’s public high schools — academically, athletically, culturally. Check out our yearbook-inspired roundup here.
- Finally, here are 22 ways to volunteer at your kids’ school. Read it and pick your poison.
Believe me, I get why parents run screaming from September sign-up sheets. After five years as secretary on my kids’ PTA executive board, I’d reached the burnout point and tried like nobody’s business to end my run this past spring — but there were no takers to fill the slot. So I’m heading into year six, with less time than ever to devote to the task but more determination that sticking it out is the right way to go.
I like being in the kids’ school; like showing my face so that the administrators and teachers know I’m serious about being a partner in my sons’ education; like knowing the who, what, why and wherefores of their day. I don’t know any involved parent who doesn’t feel the same way. So even if you have only an hour to spare every few months, fill it by helping out however you can. You’re totally allowed to grumble about it — I certainly do. But I guarantee it will energize you, no matter how early you have to wake up in the morning.
Happy September,
Cheryl
