Adjusting to a new school year can be a daunting task for anyone, especially if you’re new to the school. There are a number of things a family can do to make the adjustment smoother for everyone. Blanco I.S.D.

Back-to-school clothes are usually the student’s top priority. It is imperative that the parent of a student just entering a school pore over the dress code to ensure you don’t have your money invested in clothes students can only wear on weekends.

For example, skirts should be the length of a girls’ fingertips when at rest by her side. Also, no “destroyed” jeans or other clothing can be worn, so holes, rips and tears are out, and all shirts must have sleeves. No tank tops or camisoles unless layered under a sleeved shirt, and no offensive words or graphics may be printed on clothes.

Just as important are school supplies. For all grades except high school, you can find a supply list before school starts in the newspaper or online and be completely prepared. High school teachers let their students know what they’ll need the first day of school, then they’re expected to have the supplies by the end of the first week at the latest. Keep in mind everything an elementary student takes must be labeled with their name, and only mesh or other see-through backpacks may be used.

Planning ahead for projects is a good idea while you‘re buying other necessities. A supply of multi-colored poster board, markers, glue, and various magazines and craft supplies can save you a trip on a busy day after school.

Meals while at school can be easy. Breakfast and lunch are offered at all campuses, or students may pack their lunch. Each student is assigned a cafeteria account number, into which they’ll deposit money. When it’s almost depleted, cafeteria workers will let the student know so more money can be deposited. If a student has free or reduced meals, he does not have to know unless the parent chooses to tell him. He simply gives the cafeteria worker his number, which will reflect his status.

Extracurricular activities can be maneuvered if students feel comfortable exploring their options. Athletics, band, and other activities require lots of after-school practice time, as well as game schedules, so joining is a serious commitment. Parents can meet the coaches or band directors to learn more about the requirements students will have if they join. Students have a variety of options beyond the basics, including Debate Team, Drama, Power lifting, and Agriculture to name a few, so spicing up the school year is easy.

Sometimes students think money flows freely, so it’s wise to set a budget for all the things you anticipate your student may need during the year. For example, athletes stay at games, home or away, for hours, and must have money for food and drinks to sustain them. Also, school portraits are taken in the fall and the spring, and most sports have individual and team pictures. Include school lunches in the budget as well as the inevitable t-shirts and hoodies, yearbooks, club dues, and miscellaneous. Also, decide in advance what you’ll do about Christmas presents for friends or homecoming mums. If you plan ahead, a budget can help you keep the finances under control.

Finally and most important for parents is to establish routines for themselves as well as their kids. Before bed routine should begin with a plan for dinner, bath time afterwards, picking out clothes for the following day, getting all paperwork/homework/sports gear, etc. ready for the next morning. Morning routine could be making the bed, getting dressed, eating breakfast, and getting in the car at an early enough time so there’s no rush. After school routine begins with maybe a snack, checking backpacks for papers that parents need to fill out and getting homework started.

All in all, the more parents and students prepare, the less stress in a family’s day., making going back to school, or even going to a new school, easier.