Rochester Teachers Offer Some Back-to-School Advice

Thirty days.

Yep, as I peck away on the keyboard that’s all that’s left before school starts again in Rochester Community Schools.

The groan you hear is no doubt coming from thousands of students not exactly finished with their personal “Phineas and Ferb Summer To-Do List.” On the other hand, those muted celebratory cheers are probably emanating from households across the community as parents are plum out of things to do with their children. (This reminds me of one of my all-time favorite commercials found here.)

Teachers, meanwhile, are in full-blown planning mode trying to make sure the first days and weeks of the school year get off to a fabulous start. Most are probably getting antsy to get in their buildings to set their rooms up and are beginning to have meetings with colleagues from their buildings and the district.

Parents and students can do a lot – even in the final month of summer recess – to prepare for the coming school year and ensure they get off to a good start – especially for those students who are changing levels (entering kindergarten or moving into sixth or ninth grade).

Incoming Kindergarteners

Mrs. Jackson, kindergarten teacher at Delta Kelly, says there are many things parents can do with their children before they enter kindergarten to ease the transition.

One suggestion is to work on fine motor skills. Simple tasks such as cutting with scissors, coloring, sculpting with Play Doh, and putting together puzzles all help develop those skills. One other suggestion from Jackson is to take a pie pan and pour a layer of salt in it and have your child practice writing letters and numbers with their fingers. Above all, Jackson says, parents need to keep it light and fun.

Academically, parents can play simple card games with their children such as concentration or top-it/war to help with number recognition. Likewise, simple board games that include die/dice also aid in number recognition and moving clockwise around a game board. 

Finally, Jackson says it’s important for parents to remain positive about school and try to avoid phrases like “I will miss you.” While this may be true, it’s important to try not to allow your fears as a parent impact your child’s experience. Likewise, Jackson says the best advice for that first day as a parent is to smile a lot and reassure your child that you’ll be there to pick them up when the day is done. If there are tears (from the child), Jackson says, they tend to diminish quite quickly.

Incoming Middle Schoolers

While kindergarten may seem like a big leap making the transition from elementary to middle school might be the most significant because of physiological issues in play (i.e. hormones). These only serve to compound matters for children.

Mrs. Sisoler, learning consultant at West Middle School, says the best advice for students coming to sixth grade is to make sure their bodies are properly adjusted to the new schedule. School begins at 7:30 a.m. and that can be quite a shock to the system – especially if children have been staying up late and sleeping in. Parents would be wise to begin rolling back the bedtime and wake up times slowly over the next month to ensure preparedness for September 6.

It’s also critical for students to realize they need to become more independent as a learner and advocate for themselves. If there’s confusion it’s important to speak up and ask clarifying questions. If they feel they’re beginning to struggle either socially or academically, there are supports in place such as their counselors and the learning center to help get their feet back under them. Don’t be afraid to seek out these supports.

Mr. Cromie, social studies teacher at Hart Middle School, suggests parents open up a line of communication with teachers and counselors once a schedule is known. Teachers understand the questions and concerns parents and students – especially those new to middle school – have and, Cromie says, want to be pro-active in answering and allaying.

If parents don’t already have study systems in place for the school year, both Cromie and Sisoler agree it’s advisable to set up a time and location for completing homework. During the final month of the school year Sisoler suggests reading for enjoyment during this time to begin to ease back into school mode.

Finally, Sisoler notes it’s of vital importance for all students – whether new to middle school or not – to have their basic math facts (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) at ready recall. This is one of those foundational pieces that everything else in math is built upon. 

Incoming High Schoolers

For many parents today’s high school is quite different from the one they attended. Some might say it has evolved – rightly or wrongly – into more of a four-year college entrance application than it is a place to continue building on the skills acquired K-8 as they prepare for life beyond Rochester Community Schools. The pressures for students to perform come both internally – from the students themselves – as well as externally – from parents, district stakeholders, and college recruiters.

With that in mind, Ms. Sommer, English teacher at Stoney Creek High School, suggests parents remind incoming students of the importance of honesty and integrity. She notes sometimes students can become fixated with the need to build the grade point average and that can lead to lapses in judgment and wind up facing consequences for cheating and plagiarizing.  The message Sommer suggests is simple: “Your effort and your learning are important, but your integrity is worth more than your GPA.”

Those words are probably important for all students – K-12 – to hear before September 6.