How To: Tips For Heading Back To School

You will need some items for before your child begins school. Here are a few of them:

• Birth Certificate or other proof of age
• Vaccination Records or reason for not vaccinating your child
• Proof of Address
• Medical history as it applies to school - allergies, asthma, etc.
• List of any learning issues you are aware of

It’s back to school time across the country. What do you need to get your child ready for school?

If your child is going to school for the first time, you need to be aware of a few things. Many schools and school districts require a few things from you. You will need a certified birth certificate for your child – it needs to be one issued by the state, not one that you got from the hospital. If there is some reason you can’t get a birth certificate for your child, you will need some way to prove their age. You will also need some sort of proof of address. Usually you can use a utility bill in the name of a parent or parents that have physical custody of the child. Another item you will need is a proof of vaccinations for your child. This can be from your doctor’s office and should show that your child has all of the necessary shots to begin school. If there is some reason you choose not to vaccinate your child – for example, for religious reasons – you will need proof of that, as well.

Once you have all of this gathered, it’s time to head to your area school. You can call your district office to find out which school your child will attend. Sometimes this can be tricky – especially if there is a school across the street from you that happens to be in a different district. Usually, though, it is pretty easy to find your neighborhood school. Call the school office to find out when enrollment hours are. If you are enrolling at the beginning of the school year, there are usually days set up to accommodate parents working schedules. During the school year, you usually have to enroll during school hours.

If enrolling at the beginning of the year, there may be a room or area set up to make enrollment go faster. This may be the main hallway, or the gym or cafeteria. If this is the case, there may be tables set up for each step of enrollment – start at the first table and work your way around. There will be many forms to fill out – either by hand or by computer. Sometimes you will fill these forms out yourself, while other times, you will give the information to someone who will fill them out for you. If the school is an area where there is more than one language spoken, there may be interpreters available. If there are not interpreters available and you need one, you can either provide one for yourself or you can call the school office and have one provided for you in most cases.

As you enroll, you will need to provide the birth certificate and medical records you have brought with you, along with your proof of address. You will provide personal information – name, address, phone numbers, emergency numbers, health information and other things that can help those who work with your child during the school day. Please be sure to list any medical problems and allergies your child may have – don’t be the parent that “forgets” to inform the school about the feeding tube and severe milk allergies your child has. This will only create problems for your child. School personnel don’t want to know all of your private information – only enough to make your child have a successful time at school.

While you are at the school, you will also be given information about a bus route if you need one and other information about getting your child to and from school safely. If your child is going to walk, make sure there is a safe path from your home all the way to the school. See if there are other children in the neighborhood who will also be walking to and from school. If your child is young – and there are other young walkers – see if there is an adult that can along with a group of children to make sure they are safe. If possible, volunteer for this yourself. This is a good way to get to know some of the other children you child will be with during the day.

If you are lucky, you might be able to tour the school building. If you are one of the lucky ones, look for important places – the library, restrooms, music room, art room and other rooms your child might visit through the day. You might also find the cafeteria and the nurse’s office. If you have the name of your child’s teacher and class room number, go check out the classroom. Sometimes the rooms will be locked because no one is there, but your child will at least know where the classroom is at. Other times, the teacher might be in the classroom preparing for the upcoming year. Most teachers will welcome students and parents into the classroom for a moment or two to make quick introductions – especially if they can see that your child is nervous about coming to school. But remember – these teachers are busy preparing the classroom – try not to keep them too long!

Many schools have a meet the teacher night or day so that students can come in and officially meet their teachers before school actually begins. This is the best time to let the teacher quickly know about any issues your child may have – especially those allergies and feeding tubes! But also about sight or hearing problems, or bathroom needs. Again, don’t take too much of the teacher’s time – he or she has many parents to talk to.

This might also be a time to bring the necessary school supplies in. Some schools want you to bring them in during the meet the teacher night – others want them on the first day of school. Either way, you have to have some supplies to bring. The usual items your child might need are pencils, erasers, crayons, paper, notebooks and a backpack. Some schools don’t allow backpacks, and others allow only certain kinds, so be sure to check out any rules before you buy that expensive rolling backpack your child thinks he needs – it might not be allowed! Usually your child’s teacher or the school will have a school supply list so that you can get the exact supplies your child needs.

After all of this, your child is ready for school. The only thing he or she needs now is that smile on his or her face as they walk into school for the first time! It will be a the formal beginning of a lifetime of learning – and hopefully a lifetime of loving learning!