Back to School Checklist
For Teachers and Parents
Make organizing for the school year easier with a Back to School checklist for both teachers AND for parents!
The first few weeks of school can be chaotic for everyone involved, so it's best to prepare and organize as much as possible so that nothing gets lost in all the busy-ness.
It helps to follow a list so you don't forget anything!
Back to School Checklist for Teachers
Prepare for students' arrival by ensuring the items listed in the back to school checklist below have been completed:
- Design your learning space
- Decorate for the first day - including bulletin boards
- Establish classroom rules and behavior management plan
- Write out the first week's lesson plans
- Decide how you will communicate with parents - ex. Will you send home a newsletter?
- Plan how you will continue your education and professional development during the year
- Create nametags for students for the first day (perhaps laminate them for use later, like on field trips and for substitute teachers)
CLICK HERE to see the list of items (books and more) I recommend for teachers to start the year off here in my store!
Back to School Checklist for Parents
Get yourself and your children ready for the start of school by following the back to school checklist below.
- Make sure your child has had the necessary medical check-ups required before school starts
- Fill out all the enrollment forms for the school
- Set sleep schedules (start going to bed earlier if needed)
- Ensure that child care arrangements are set - for before/after school
- Practice your morning routine so that the first day isn't so chaotic
- Try on clothes from last year to see what still fits and what needs to be purchased
- Designate an area in your home for organizing - perhaps a tray for notes from the teacher, a calendar with all the family's activities, and a board to hang up artwork
- Create a Back to School countdown calendar
- Plan lunches/snacks for the first week. Read any information sent home from school regarding snacks in school: are there foods that are not allowed due to allergies?
- Purchase clothes that provide your child with 2 things:
- The ability to use the bathroom quickly! Think: no belts, difficult tights for girls, suspenders. These are adorable but when you have a child who needs to go potty, and they need to go "right now", the time it takes for your child to remove the items could be the difference between having an accident or not.
- The ability to play without concern of "mess"! Please send your child to preschool dressed to play! One of the most dreaded comments a preschool teacher hears from a parent at drop off is "Have fun! And don't get your __________ (fill in the blank--dress, pants, etc.) dirty. We are going to ________ (fill in the blank--the doctors, Grandma's etc.) after school." ARGGGH! Nobody needs that kind of stress in preschool (the children or the teachers)!
Most paint companies 'claim' their paints are washable however (and I say this from experience), red paint is red paint...it does not come out of clothing (or white floors for that matter...just sayin'!). We try our best by providing smocks but messes still happen.
Shop for supplies including:
- Backpack-Be sure to consider the space your child will have in school. Some preschools only have a cubby space that a backpack will not fit into. Or, two children may need to share a backpack space. In this case, two backpacks will not fit. Preschoolers do NOT need a ginormaous backpack! In addition, it is very difficult for 3,4 and 5 year olds to carry a backpack up and down stairs. Most times, a lunch bag is plenty for a preschooler to bring to preschool! If your child insists on having one (and let's face it...they are so excited to be a big kid in school now!), choose one that is the correct size for your child (not one meant for an older child).
- Lunch bag
- Tissues (for the classroom---teachers always appreciate this!)
- Crayons and markers to share in the classroom
- Extra set of seasonal clothing including socks and underwear. This really is important! There are two reasons to send in a complete 2nd set of clothing:
- Accidents Happen! The obvious! Accidents happen, even to fully toilet trained children! This two main reasons this happens in preschool are: A) The children are excited in school and sometimes do not stop playing until it is "too late). B) The new schedule has thrown them off.
- Accidents Happen! The NOT so obvious! I can not tell you how many times children have needed to change their clothes because of a paint spill, water spill at the water table or a spilled drink at snack time!
- Either way, please keep an extra set of clothes in a ziplock bag in their backpack.
CLICK HERE to see the list of items (books and more) I recommend for parents to start the year off here in my store!
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