Mountain Matters: Back to School

As summer comes to an end and the local pools and swimming holes close up for the year, many local Mt. Hood Villages parents, teachers and children prepared for their back to school traditions and routines. From meet and greets with teachers, back to school clothes and supply shopping and getting back into extra curricular activities, many families from the Mt. Hood Villages to Sandy have begun their routines in similar fashions.
While students had the week before school began to prepare both physically and mentally for the upcoming school year, many local staff and teachers reported a week early to prepare classrooms, attend meetings and get lesson plans all prepared for the eager young minds that awaited. Retired teacher and guidance counselor Cindi Sempert fondly remembers the preparation and the work that was required to get students and her own children ready for the start of school. “Teachers go back the week before students, usually for four days of in-service, but many teachers go back on their own earlier than that to get ready,” Sempert said. “As a teacher/counselor I always went in early to work on my own to be sure things were as ready as possible for the first day of school. Handouts (syllabus, classroom procedures, first lessons, bulletin boards, seating chart forms, IEPS and 504 plans were read ahead of time so I was aware of accommodations for specific students,” Sempert added.
When preparing for the first week of school, parents are also taking steps to ready their children for the shift in seasons. Mt. Hood Villages resident Kelsey Friend has had eight children prepare for back to school mornings and always finds it helpful to prepare in advance. “We involve our kids in everything to get ready for school,” Friend said. “They organize their supplies and pack them in their backpack, they choose what they want for their first school lunch and help make it, and they choose what they’d like to wear and set it out the night before. I think letting them be in charge of their school preparations helps make for a pretty successful first day,” Friend added.
While feelings vary from student to student in terms of excitement levels and nerves for going back to school, both Sempert and Friend have found that early preparation helps ease students back into the routine. “Have a good attitude and be patient with them [children],” Sempert said. “When they get home from school, ask them how their day went and ask for details. Ask what they learned or who they ate lunch with or what sort of activities they think they might get involved with. I also suggest setting an established time and place to do homework and even if they don’t have homework, have them read or do educational types of puzzles for at least a half hour in order to help get them into a routine of doing schoolwork at home when necessary,” Sempert added. Similar to Sempert’s advice, Friend also finds that encouraging children to grow and learn with the teachers during the school year is very important. “I think it’s incredibly important to let go and let the teachers do their job,” Friend said. “This will be one of the hardest but most crucial things you do for your kiddo. There will be separation anxiety, tears, and outbursts but it’s important to support them rather than “rescue” them from these emotions. We have amazing, experienced teachers up here as well as an incredible office and support staff. Your child’s emotional needs will be met and it will be an awesome growing experience for the both of you,” Friend added.