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Get to know your child’s teacher

Anna Stubblefield, principal, Central Junior High School

1. Attend events to meet teachers, such as open houses, back-to-school nights and parent/teacher conferences. They allow you to meet the teacher and learn expectations, as well as learn the best ways to communicate with them if there are questions or concerns.

2. Be a partner. Students benefit most when parents and teachers work together and establish good communication.

3. Communicate. When you think there is a small issue or concern, communicate early in order to prevent it from turning into a larger issue or concern. Most teachers respond to voicemail or e-mail within 24 hours. If you prefer to meet in person, call the school to make an appointment.

4. Volunteer in the school. This provides you with an opportunity to experience the school climate, and it allows the teacher to see you in a different role. Being present in the school allows you to establish relationships.

5. Take time to read the school newsletter and check the Web site. Both of these sources provides valuable information about what is happening at the school and often provides specific information about teachers.

Get involved in your child’s school

Julie Boyle, communications coordinator, Lawrence Public Schools

1. Support student success at home. The best method for staying informed of what’s happening at school is by talking to your child about his/her school experiences. Ask open-ended, rather than yes-or-no questions. Find out what skills are being taught at school and incorporate ways for your child to practice those skills at home. Ask about homework and check to make sure it’s being done and returned on time. Support regular and timely school attendance. Read, read to your child and provide a variety of reading materials in your home.

2. Maintain open communication between home and school. Meet your child’s teacher early in the school year and ask him/her about the best methods for staying in touch. Make sure your child’s school has current contact information on file for your family, including emergency contact numbers. Read all school communications, request a log-in and password for Skyward Family Access and MyNutrikids.com.

3. Visit your child’s school. Visit with your child’s teacher about opportunities to volunteer in the classroom or at school. Help chaperone a field trip or a school dance. Plan a day to eat breakfast or lunch with your child at school.

4. Join the school parent organization. Each school has a parent-teacher association/organization or booster group. Parent volunteers serve as officers; they work with school leaders to set meeting schedules and agendas. Most parent groups meet regularly after school or during evenings on designated days of the month. Parent-teacher organizations discuss a variety of topics, such as school safety, academic progress and improvement, parent communication, teacher appreciation, student recognition and celebrations, school needs and fund-raising. Contact the school office for information about its parent organization.

5. Serve on the school site council. These advisory groups are composed of the principal, teachers and other school personnel, parents, business representatives and others from the community. These groups provide advice to the school and help define and meet goals. Contact your school principal for more information.

Create a positive environment for homework

Ann Bruemmer, director of curriculum services, Lawrence Public Schools

1. Make sure your child has a quiet, well-lit place to do homework. Avoid having your child do homework with the television on or in places with other distractions, such as people coming and going. Talk with him/her about what would be a good place where he/she will be able to complete assigned homework.

2. Make sure the materials your child needs are available. Assist in getting your child organized with the resources needed. Ask your child if special materials will be needed for some projects and get them in advance.

3. Help your child with time management. Establish a set time each day for doing homework. Don’t let your child leave homework until just before bedtime. Think about using a weekend morning or afternoon for working on big projects, especially if the project involves getting together with classmates.

4. Be positive about homework. Talk to your child about the importance of school. The attitude you express about homework will be the attitude your child acquires.

5. When your child asks for help, provide guidance, not answers. Giving answers does not help your child learn the material. Guide your child to resources that can assist in finding the answers. Too much help teaches your child that someone will do the work for him or her.

Dress in style

Katy Seibel, blogger on www.kansascouture.com and lawrence.com

For the girls:

1. Western-inspired styles are set to dominate the fall footwear scene. Pair traditional cowboy boots with a summery dress and cardigan for a playful look.

2. Tights that boast bold colors, fun patterns or unique materials like lace are a great way to add spunk to an otherwise everyday outfit. Pair them with a casual denim skirt and fitted tee.

3. From ruffles to flowers to bows, this season is all about pretty details. For an unexpected twist, mix delicate pieces with edgy ones.

For the boys:

4. Give your style some urban edge with a pair of bold skate sneakers. Look for bright colors and old-school silhouettes for instant effortless cool.

5. Trade in the tired old T-shirt for a collared button-up. Keep it casual with a pair of slim-fit jeans and a track jacket or hoodie.

Eat healthy after school

Susan Krumm, Douglas County extension agent

1. Nut Butter and Fruit Sandwich: Whole-wheat bread spread with peanut or almond butter and topped with thinly sliced apples or bananas (or roll the filling up in a soft whole wheat tortilla).

2. Easy Bean Dip: Combine 1 can (no-fat added) refried beans and 1/4 cup salsa. Serve with baked tortilla chips, whole grain crackers, or veggies.

3. Yogurt Sundae: Top low-fat vanilla yogurt with whole-grain, low-sugar cereal or low-fat crunchy granola, sprinkle with blueberries or diced peaches and chopped nuts.

4. Sticks and Sauce: Dip whole-grain soft bread sticks in spaghetti or pasta sauce.

5. Graham Dippers: Dip graham cracker sticks in no-sugar added applesauce (try some of the new fruit flavored applesauce for fun).

Buy the best tech gadgets

Scott Steinberg, publisher of DigitalTrends.com

1. Apple iPhone 3GS: Voice/video recording options provide immediate help with note-taking and dictation, while high-speed Internet connectivity offers unfettered access to the Web’s treasure trove of online information. Plus, a multitude of downloadable applications that turn the device into everything from a portable calculator to interactive flashcard system.

2. Fisher Price Computer Cool School: Turns your PC into a tot-friendly learning center by adding a plug-and-play keyboard, stylus, writing tablet and supporting software, making several subjects (reading, writing, math, art, science and music) a joy to experience. A range of interactive activities covers everything from storybook diversions to educational games and musical simulations, with optional printable amusements and awards adding to the fun.

3. Asus EEE PC 1008HA: A worthy “netbook,” or low-cost, ultra-portable laptop PC that’s light on frills, but heavy on functionality, making it well-suited to simple, everyday tasks like writing essays, shooting off a quick e-mail or researching book reports or historical events on the Web.

4. Canon Pixma MX700: An affordable all-in-one multifunction document or photo printer that churns out both black-and-white and color pages at decent speeds and also doubles as a copier, scanner or fax.

5. Livescribe Pulse Smartpen: Records nearby digital audio as you scribble down notes on special microdot paper, letting students play back recordings just by tapping the corresponding text on the page. That way, if you should happen to miss anything during (or forget any details of) a specific lecture, it’s easy to recall the specific information in seconds, and — most importantly — put it in context.

Keep your children healthy

Aynsley Anderson, community education coordinator, Lawrence Memorial Hospital

1. Make sure your child has had a recent physical examination by a health care provider, especially if he/she is intending to participate in sports. Also schedule a dental appointment and an appointment for a vision exam if it has been a while since their last one.

2. Ensure your child’s immunizations are up to date. Your health care provider or the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department can look over your child’s vaccination records and tell you if they are in need of any additional vaccines. Plan for your child to receive the flu vaccine as soon as it becomes available. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that all children ages 6 months to 19 years of age have a yearly flu shot.

3. Talk with your child about disease prevention. Review the importance of washing their hands properly and frequently. Also discuss correctly covering coughs and sneezes, using and properly disposing of used tissues, and not sharing food, drinks, hats, hair brushes or make-up with friends.

4. Encourage your child to get a minimum of one hour of physical activity every day. Plan to join them in a game of catch or a family walk or bike ride after dinner. Stock your pantry with healthy food options for after school snacks and for packing lunches. Offer plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and foods rich in calcium and protein. Discourage foods high in fat, sugar and salt except as a occasional treat. Ensure your child eats a nutritious breakfast before going to school. Studies show that children who do, perform better at school.

5. Review safety to and from school with your child. If they will be walking to school, walk the route with them in advance, to point out any traffic or other potential hazards. Once kids have outgrown a child safety seat with harness, Kansas state law requires kids under age 8 years, or less than 80 pounds or 4 feet 9 inches, ride in a booster seat in the vehicle. After 8 years of age and provided they are physically big enough for proper fit of the seatbelt, children should always wear a safety belt. All children less than age 13 years should ride in the backseat of a vehicle.

Make sure your children get enough sleep

Bob Whitman, director, Sleep Disorders Clinic, Kansas University Hospital

1. Gradually change their sleep schedule to match that of the school schedule. This can be accomplished by going to bed 15 to 30 minutes earlier each night and getting up 15 to 30 minutes early in the morning. Continue to make the gradual adjustments until they have established their new sleep routine.

2. Be consistent. Establish a regular bedtime and wake up time. Keep the schedule on weekends but it is OK to let students sleep in one or two hours on weekend.

3. Create a bedtime routine. Bedtime routines are important, regardless of a child’s age. It should include at least 15 to 30 minutes of calm, soothing activities. Before bedtime, encourage quiet time with relaxing activities. Discourage TV, exercise, computer and telephone use, and avoid caffeine (found in beverages, chocolate and other products).

4. Follow age-appropriate sleep needs. While individual sleep needs can vary, the following age breakdown on the amount of sleep needed by children should be used as a guide. Elementary school students need 10 to 12 hours a night; pre-teens or middle/junior students need 9 to 11 hours/night; and teens need 8.5 to 9 hours/night. Add 10 to 20 minutes to bedtime for falling asleep.

5. Teens have a more difficult time adjusting to a school schedule. A biological change in their body clock causes them to get sleepy later in the evening making it difficult for them to fall asleep before 11 p.m. With the early rise time for school, it is difficult for them to get the recommended 9 hours of sleep. Keeping TVs, computers and cell phones out of the bedroom will help encourage an appropriate bedtime.

Get to your kids to and from school safely

Daina Hodges, outreach coordinator, Safe Kids Kansas

1. Supervision is one of the best ways that you can protect children. If you cannot supervise your child to and from school each day, consider organizing a walking school bus or bike train with other families.

2. Practice walking or biking to school with your child. Assist your child in finding the safest route to and from school. Identify any risks and develop a plan with your child to minimize those risks.

3. Teach your child the rules of the road. Children should learn how to cross streets safely and obey traffic signs and signals. Pedestrians should walk facing traffic on sidewalks or as far left as possible where there are no sidewalks. Bikers should ride on bike paths or with traffic as far to the right as possible.

4. Wear and use appropriate gear. Walkers and bikers should wear retro-reflective materials that allow them to be seen easier. If your child is biking to school make correctly wearing a properly fitting bike helmet a rule. Check your child’s bike to be certain it is the right size, properly maintained and has reflectors and lights.

5. Eliminate distractions. Children should not use their cell phones, iPods or any other device that may take their attention away from the goal of getting to where they need to go safely.

Work with teachers to ensure children’s success

Kim Bodensteiner, chief academic officer, Lawrence Public Schools

1. Find out the best way to contact a teacher if you have questions or concerns about your student.

2. Emphasize to your child that you and the teachers work together as a team to help ensure his or her academic success.

3. Share information with teachers that may help them to better understand your child — his or her likes and dislikes, unusual home circumstances that may be causing stress, or if your child takes medication that might affect schoolwork.

4. Talk with your children about their classes. Get their assessment of how they’re doing — strengths and weaknesses, amount of time actually spent on homework, and where they think they can do better.

5. If your child is having a problem in a particular subject area, do not wait until a regularly scheduled conference to address it. Educators say that the sooner you discuss your concerns with the teacher, the better for your child’s academic success.

6. Keep an open mind to the teacher’s comments and assessment of your student. Neither your child nor his teacher is perfect, so if a problem arises it is important to consider all available information. The best solution is one that helps your child succeed in school.

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