Celebrations

Replenishing for a New School Year

Life is so much easier when you partner with others to help share the load of living each day. And for moms and dads there is nothing more important than getting to know the parents of kids with whom your children spend most of their days.

We live in a world that is faced paced where getting to know others is something we have relegated to Face Book or a quick hello as we rush to the next appointment. Despite the efficiency of this modern way of communicating, still nothing comes close to a good face to face.

I remember well the days, not very long ago, when each year one of the greatest challenges for my kids and I was to try to get a handle on not only teachers but the school’s community which seemed to change drastically each year.

A great way to help with creating the connections that you and your child will need throughout the school year is an annual parent/student get -together for the children who attend class or participate in activities with your children on a daily basis. The get together does not have to be fussy and you can think in terms of using it as a celebration to mark another chapter in the lives of your children. Here are a few ideas that might help in getting you started.

  1. Plan to have a gathering at the beginning and end of each school year.
  2. Ask your child to choose from among their friends and then ask them to include someone new and perhaps not so popular kids from amongst their classmates.
  3. Reach out to the parents of the children chosen and make it a point to introduce yourself and share your desire to create a community that can be utilized as support throughout the school year. Be sure to exchange telephone numbers, email addresses and face book connections as a way to stay connected.
  4. Make up a questionnaire or a list of things that you might want to discuss during your gathering.
  5. To cut down on the work, plan a potluck and ask each family to donate a dish. To make it interesting, plan to share recipes if it is a family favorite.
  6. Offer to assist with car-pooling to school or other school-related events to distribute the workload throughout the year. A word of caution, be sure to vet the parent being entrusting them with your child.
  7. Think about having each parent/household sign an agreement of some type to keep a safe household when kids are visiting their homes.
  8. Take pictures during the gatherings as a keep -sake of your child’s school year.