Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
| "This is a great tip for the upcoming school year: It's hard enough to keep track of the names of your children's classmates, but trying to remember who's who from last year or the year before can be impossible. When class pictures come out, I make a photocopy and write the names of the children on the copy, right next to the child in the photo. I keep the photocopy handy throughout the school year and then file it away later with the actual photo. Our family has been doing this for almost 10 years, and it makes for great recall when looking back." Y.O. in Utah To help the transition for a child entering kindergarten, or any child going to a new school, try to set up a play date on the school playground a few times before school starts. Also, bring the child to tour the school before the first day. Often, you can walk around and see where lunch will be served, look in on the library or media center and meet the teacher and principal. Familiarity will help a young child adjust to his or her big day. "In our house, school (and work) lunches get prepped on Sunday. As a family, we prepackage appropriate servings of snack foods, including cut-up fruit and vegetables, for use in lunches. This way, the kids get to be involved in helping care for themselves, and feel like the decision to eat healthy foods is more theirs than ours. They choose the foods they like, and it makes rushed mornings go much more smoothly." C.L. in Illinois |