2014-15 Here We Come!

I have always been one of those people who gets excitedly anxious for a new school year.  The clean notebooks, new folders, the excuse to buy cute post-its - yup, sign me up!  But, of course, there is also the warm greetings - seeing my co-workers and the students again, establishing ourselves in a new year of our lives - this is the true joy of school for me.  In one week the halls outside my office will once again be filled with talkative teenagers - yahoo!!

Yet with the start of anything new (whether it's a new school, new building or new grade) it is perfectly normal to feel some nervousness.  And because no two teens are exactly alike, this nervous feeling shows itself in many different forms.  Some teens appear more tired, others have increased mood swings, still other teens will demonstrate apathy toward school, while others will come right out and tell us they feel worried.  So what do we do about it?  Usually we don't need to intervene too much.  But just in case, here are a few ideas:

• It can very helpful to hear that feeling anxiety over a change is completely normal and most of the students returning to school this fall feel somewhat nervous. Share with your teen how you approach new situations, believe it or not, they do value what you have to say!
• Coming up to school to practice your student's locker combination, find their classrooms and visit the bookstore are also simple ways to ease into the new year. 
•  I could go on and on about the benefits of sleep.  Try to get your teen to bed at a time that would give them at least 8 hours of sleep, more if you can.  You know how lovely tired teens are, right? It's more than just attitude though, our ability to cope with life's demands is so much stronger with a brain functioning at full capacity.
• Plan something special to do with your teen after their first day of school.  I'm thinking of taking my kids to a cupcake place, not the healthiest I know, but they will look forward to it because it's something we rarely do and we can talk about their day over a treat.
• Reach out - contact your student's adviser, Dr. Leonard, Mr. Carolan, Mr. Robertson, Mrs. Van Ness or myself.  It makes us feel needed and it means you don't have to support your teen on your own - win-win!

With all this talk of preparing for school to start, it's also important to remember to just enjoy the last days of summer.  My last day of summer was spent watching my 5 year old son master riding his bike without training wheels!  A perfect day for us to cherish as we move on to the school year.  (Side note - my apologies if I am teary the first day of school - he starts Kindergarten this year and my baby girl begins pre-school!!!! I may need tips from all of you!)  I hope you and your family create some fun memories this week.  Be sure to stop in and say hi this fall!  

Cheers to a new year!