Take These Simple Steps to Prepare for a Successful Back-to-School Transition

As the warm days of August dwindle into September, students, teachers and caregivers turn their attention towards the new school year. A significant amount of preparation goes into this transition, from putting together lesson plans to buying school supplies to picking the perfect first-day-of-school outfit. 

While many students glide into the new year with ease, others struggle to reenter a learning environment and adjust to new schedules, demands and responsibilities. So, as we all look ahead toward the upcoming school season, here are a few things students and caregivers can do to navigate the transition and foster success.

Before the School Year Starts

This preparation process should begin in late August when students and their caregivers start returning to a school year mindset. Here are four ways to start getting ready for classes to resume: 

1. Get Organized

Caregivers can start by creating a calendar for the first few months of school and writing down upcoming events and family activities. Having everything in one place will enable them to plan ahead and, more importantly, communicate with their student’s teachers about availability and any needed accommodations. 

2. Begin a Sleep Schedule

It's natural for students to gravitate towards late nights and even later mornings during the lazy summer months. However, returning to a school-year sleep schedule before classes resume in September will make waking up on time much easier. They can start this process gradually by going to bed a bit earlier each week until they're back on a more normal schedule and ready to hit the books fully rested in the fall. Caregivers may need to get involved with enforcing earlier bedtimes, particularly with younger students.

3. Set Up a Workspace

Students can also get a jumpstart on the year by setting up their personal workspace. For students at brick-and-mortar schools, this could be an area to do homework. For Oregon Charter Academy Students (ORCA), who do more learning from home, their workspace should be a pleasant place to do most of their schoolwork without any distractions. They’ll build a sense of ownership and autonomy while setting up the cutting edge technology that all ORCA students receive and organizing their accompanying learning materials provided by the school. 

4. Get Back Into the Habit of Learning

Being a student takes a bit of practice, and it's easy for kids to forget their successful study habits over a long summer. That's why it can be helpful for students to begin re-engaging their minds before school starts again by reading a book, doing puzzles or exploring a topic they're interested in. It’s not too late to check out some of ORCA’s summer resources listed in section 11 of last month’s blog.

After Classes Begin

Once school begins, students should take a few social and academic steps in the early weeks to help them have a more successful year.  

Make Social Connections

The friendships students make in school offer them something far beyond learning. Friendships give kids a reason to show up enthusiastically and increase their overall enjoyment of education. 

In a virtual learning environment like ORCA, friendships are just as meaningful. Virtual students can meet their peers by exploring the many social opportunities ORCA offers, such as clubs, leadership, field trips and other social events throughout the year.

Create Strong Academic Habits

Being a good student takes practice and discipline, so kids need to begin fostering these habits early in the year. This process starts by doing the assigned work every week and communicating with their teachers if anything gets in the way. Once a student falls behind in class, it gets increasingly difficult to catch up, so students need to give their teachers an opportunity to help as early as possible. 

Students also benefit when they can create a positive relationship with at least one of their teachers. By building trust with a teacher, they have someone they can turn to for help navigating challenging academic and social situations that might arise. 

Planning for a Successful New Year

A new school year is an opportunity to take a fresh approach to learning. As September draws near, students and caregivers can set themselves up for a successful summer transition and a fantastic school year with a bit of thoughtful planning.

Prospective and currently enrolled kindergartners are invited to a meet-and-greet hosted by ORCA at the Wilsonville Memorial Park Splash Shelter (8300 SW Memorial Road, Wilsonville, OR 97070) on Monday, August 21, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

If you'd like to learn more about ORCA and the benefits of a virtual public charter school, join us for a virtual information session to connect with ORCA staff and preview our learning platform. 

We hope to see you at an upcoming event!