Tips For Back To School With Help From Disney & BGCA

Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Did you know that each year, 1 million students fail to graduate high school?

Woah.

Not only is that a scary statement to think about, but it shows how important education is to today’s youth. I am happy to be a part of  the Boys & Girls Club of America as a Brand Ambassador; and I also try to help in every way I can to continue children receiving an education so they can graduate!

The Boys & Girls Club of America (BGCA) has partnered with Disney to launch an online supply drive. They made it fun and interactive to raise supplies for kids! All you have to do is go to www.greatfutures.org/backtoschool and click the “play now” button. This will bring you to a fun game!  For getting five right answers, BGCA will donate supplies for kids to have for back to school!

Click this link and it will bring you to the box that says play now  (see above picture)

From there, you can play a pop-quiz game and for every five correct answers, a donation of supplies will be made to a local BGCA club!

Above is a sample of what a question looks like!

How easy, fun and generous is that?

In preparation for back to school, it is all about getting back into “routine” mode again. There are plenty of tips to help this process go smoothly. Here are some that might help you out or find you already do!

• Be sure your child is in good physical and mental health. Schedule doctor and dental checkups early. 

• Turn off the TV! Encourage your child to play quiet games, do puzzles, flash cards, color, or read as early morning activities instead of watching television. This will help ease your child into the learning process and school routine. 

• Mark your calendar. Make a note of important dates, especially back-to-school nights.  

• Make copies of all your child’s health and emergency information for reference.

• Try to get the supplies as early as possible and fill the backpacks a week or two before school starts. Older children can help do this, but make sure they use a checklist that you can review. Some teachers require specific supplies, so save receipts for items that you may need to return later.

• Plan to re-establish the bedtime and mealtime routines (especially breakfast) at least 1 week before school starts. Prepare your child for this change by talking with your child about the benefits of school routines.

• Visit your child’s school. If your child is young or in a new school, visit the school with your child. Meeting the teacher, locating their classroom, locker, lunchroom, etc., will help ease pre-school anxieties and also allow your child to ask questions about the new environment.

• Buy only the essentials for back to school clothes shopping. Summer clothes are usually fine during the early fall, but be sure to have at least one pair of sturdy shoes. Check with your school to confirm dress code guidelines. 

• Designate and clear a place to do homework. Younger children usually need an area set aside in the family room or kitchen to facilitate adult monitoring, supervision, and encouragement.

• Select a spot to keep backpacks and lunch boxes. Designate a spot for your children to place their school belongings as well as a place to put important notices and information sent home for you to see. Explain that emptying their backpack each evening is part of their responsibility, even for young children.

• Freeze a few easy dinners. It will be much easier on you if you have dinner prepared so that meal preparation will not add to household tensions during the first week of school.

Do you have any tips as you prepare to send children off to school?

Did you find any that were helpful?

Leave a comment with your advice, we would love to know!

For more information:

Boys & Girls Club of America: http://www.bgca.org/backtoschool/Pages/Landing.aspx

Tips courtesy of: http://www.nasponline.org/resources/home_school/b2shandout.aspx

Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.