Make This Your Best Back-to-School Ever

We love back-to-school season.

While summer break offers us time to complete important work, like upgrading technology, training teachers and improving campuses, we count down the days until we can welcome back students and focus on our primary mission of teaching and learning.

Back-to-school time is a lot like New Year’s – a time for students to make a fresh start, and not just by cracking open new boxes of crayons or zipping up jeans still creased from the store shelf. Here’s some advice on how you can help your child have the best back-to-school season ever.

Build relationships.

Attend your school’s open house/walk-through event and curriculum night, participate in parent-teacher conferences and principal coffees, and join the PTA and attend its events. Relationships matter, and your involvement can help you gain insights into your child’s learning style, skills levels, and opportunities and resources for growth.

Set goals.

Just as we, as parents, “know our why” and set goals, so should our children. Talk with your child about the importance of doing his or her best at school and determining favorite subjects and activities (including which could possibly be a career focus). Set some specific short- and long-term goals for academic success. While this is most important for older students, even younger children appreciate understanding why they’re asked to do something, and the benefits.

Find a mentor.

We’re committed to ensuring that each student has a mentor at school, who is there to listen and provide support. A mentor can be a teacher, coach or club sponsor, but it also can be a school counselor, media specialist, other staff member or regular volunteer. If your child needs help finding a mentor, ask the school counselor for guidance.

Seek assistance.

Our school district offers significant resources to students and families, whether it’s connecting you to a community organization that provides medical, housing or other assistance; helping you navigate the world of special education services; or providing you with the name of a Cherokee County School District teacher who offers after-school tutoring. Please reach out to the front office of your child’s school for assistance whenever you’re in need.

We’re dedicated to continuous improvement of our services. If you haven’t read our latest CCSD Connections parent newsletter, check it out at http://cherokeek12.net/newsletter. You’ll learn about our newest improvements, including an enhanced system for making anonymous tips to school police; districtwide expansion of our bus tracking app; and the introduction of a new app featuring photos of our schools’ cafeteria menu items.

By Barbara P. Jacoby, contributing writer and chief communications officer for the Cherokee County School District.