GETTING READY FOR THE FIRST DAY
As it nears:

GO OVER SAFETY RULES

Help your child practice:

• Saying his or her full name, street address and phone number
• Taking a safe route to school and/or the bus stop
• What to do if stopped by a stranger.

Note: Parents should never leave young children unsupervised to and from school.

PRACTICE HEALTHY HABITS

Encourage your child to:

• Wash hands after using the bathroom and before eating
• Take regular baths or showers
• Brush teeth at least 2 times a day and floss daily
• Wear clean clothes.

Ask your health-care providers if your child has all needed shots (immunizations).

MAKE A ROUTINE

Try to:

•·        Set a bedtime (young children need about 10 - 12 hours of sleep each night)

•·        Plan regular times for meals and chores

•·        Limit TV watching (for example, no more than 1 hour a day, or no more than 8 hours per week)

Also, plan time each day to talk about school.

VISIT THE SCHOOL TOGETHER
Seeing it can help relieve any worries your child may have.  Try to make more than one visit.
(It's also a good idea to visit the spring before school starts to see it "in action.")

TALK ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Be positive!  Encourage your child to ask questions - and share feelings with you.

IF YOU'RE WORRIED THAT YOUR CHILD MAY HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS:
Contact the school.  Ask for information about screening tests for possible
speech, hearing or vision problems.

IF YOUR CHILD HAS SPECIAL NEEDS:

• Contact the school ahead of time.  Let them know about your child's
  special needs and abilities.
• Ask the school what you can do to help prepare your child.

Ask your school what supplies your child will need, too.