The Ingram Insider

Happy New Year!

Getting back into a school routine can be challenging. Here are some tips we hope you find helpful.

The night before school:

Lay out tomorrow’s clothes and pack their backpack with them

When a new schedule is starting, I like to do as much as possible in advance so there are minimal surprises on the morning school starts. Laying out an outfit gives my kids a sense of control over their new routine, and packing their bag can help them feel prepared (even if they don’t really need all that stuff on their first day back).

Ask what they want in their lunch box

Talk about lunch options for the next day and instead of packing something Pinterest-worthy, stick to foods that are comforting and easy to eat. My kids appreciate some predictability and ease when a new schedule starts, and knowing they’ll have some favorite lunch options helps them with the other big changes (new grade, new class, new routine)!

The morning of school:

Use a visual timer to help make the abstract concept of “time” more concrete

Especially for younger kids who don’t really know what “We have five minutes to get out the door!” actually means, they will appreciate seeing time visually represented. Visual timers use contrasting colors to show time elapsing, and give kids a sense of how much time they actually have. I like to use them all morning. I’ll set it for 10 minutes and say “This is how much time you have to get dressed.” Then I’ll set it for 15 minutes and say “This is how much time you have to eat.” Etc. It really helps keep my kids on track and saves me from repeating much-maligned phrases like “Hurry up! We don’t have time! Did you brush your teeth yet? Get your shoes on!!!”

Stay positive and send them off with a smile

It’s normal for their emotions to feel big during transition periods. I use this as an opportunity to acknowledge that things are hard. I often say something like “Starting a new schedule can feel tiring. I remember my first day of work at my new job (for example). It took me a while to feel comfortable with my new routine.” I find that dismissing their feelings isn’t helpful and some acknowledgement (without dwelling on the negative too much) goes a long way to helping them understand that any transition isn’t permanent.

When your child is ill, please contact the school to let us know he or she will not be attending that day.

State rules require schools to exclude students with certain illnesses from school for certain periods of time. For example, if a child has a fever over 100 degrees, he or she must stay out of school until fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications. Students with diarrheal illnesses must stay home until they are diarrhea-free without use of diarrhea-suppressing medications for 24 hours.

If a student becomes ill during the school day, and the school nurse determines that the child should go home, the nurse will contact the parent.

At school we are cleaning and sanitizing all rooms daily. We are also teaching the students good hand washing techniques and encouraging the use of hand sanitizer.

Students can earn a positive office referral from their teacher by showing respect, having a great attitude, being responsible, working hard, being honest and showing self control!

Each class is spelling out PERFECT ATTENDANCE on the board in their classroom. A letter is earned when all students are present in the classroom for the day. This will continue for the remainder of the school year.

Congratulations to Ms. Davidson's class for being our second class to achieve this!