Dear Teachers Q & A

April 26, 2022 noon

By Peggy Gisler and Marge Eberts

Finishing Tasks

Question: What should children and families be doing to end the school year on a high note? – Final Tasks

Answer: Life certainly is easier for your children and the entire family if everyone takes the time now to tie up all the loose ends necessary to ending the school year successfully. In this way, the next school year can begin without having to do tasks related to the previous year. Keep the check-off list below as a handy tool to track tasks that need to be completed before the last day of school:

The most important thing children need to do is keep their grades up until the end of the school year. Homework still needs to be done, and tests prepared for.
Encourage your children to clean out their desks and lockers. They should select papers, projects and personal items they want to keep and bring them home.
Have them search everywhere—from under the beds to in the car and the lost and found—for items that belong to the school, such as textbooks, library books and musical instruments, and return them.
Make sure children at all levels have a list of any assignments they must complete over the summer to be ready for the next grade.
Learn when any sports, band or other activities will begin if they typically start before the beginning of the school year.
Talk to your children’s teachers well before the last day of school about any special concerns that need to be addressed during the summer. For example, not working on grade level in any subject requires some type of intervention during the summer.
Sign your children up for remedial summer programs, if needed, or enrichment programs, if offered.
Gifted children should definitely be challenged over the summer and enrolled in programs that will fuel their desire to learn.
Plans for special needs students with IEPs for the next school year must be in place.
Make sure young children are enrolled in kindergarten and older ones in a new school, if this applies.
Have your children obtain the phone numbers and email addresses of friends they wish to see during the summer if they don’t already have them.
Make it a point for you and your children to thank teachers who have truly helped them during the school year. A short note will do the job.
Find out the dates of any special programs the school will be offering during the summer. Some elementary schools have weekly library programs, as well as sports programs.

Think About the Future

Parents: Life moves forward faster than we are often prepared for. Before you know it, children are in high school and thinking about college. As early as middle school, you need to be sure they are taking the right courses to meet college admission requirements. And when they get to high school, it is absolutely essential to know they are on the right path to college. Course requirements for state schools are a good standard for them to meet for most colleges, but not all.

The costs of going to college are much publicized. Investigate early some of the financial help you might be able to get. There are 17 states that offer tuition-free programs at community colleges for eligible students. Find out whether your state is one of them. Also, look into the costs of attending a public or private college in your state or another state. Your savings and a college savings plan may not meet all these costs. Think ahead to the probability of getting help from your children obtaining scholarships and from funds that may be available from your company or union. Plus, some states offer college money that does not need to be repaid for superior grades or certain career choices.

Parents should send questions and comments to DearTeacher@DearTeacher.com and to learn more about helping their children succeed in school visit the DearTeacher website.

As always, please consult your health care provider with any questions or concerns.

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