Parents, Are You Ready For The First Day Of School?

Idaho Falls School District 91 wants to make sure you AND your child are ready for school. Here is a checklist of things that can help ensure you are prepared for that first day of class. And, while we may have the end of this school year and summer on the brain – there is plenty to begin preparing now.

Spring & Early Summer

• Register NOW. If your child turns 5 before September 1, register them for kindergarten this spring. Registration is underway in Idaho Falls School District 91 and surrounding school districts. Registration information can be found here.
• Download and fill out a registration packet OR pick up a hard copy at the school you are zoned to attend. Not sure what school you are zoned to attend? View the Attendance Boundary Map or use our Find Your School feature.
  
• To register you will need:
  • Address Verification
  • Proof of Birth
  • Guardianship (if applicable)
  • Current Immunizations records

Register sooner rather than later so you get information about the kindergarten orientations planned at all D91’s schools the week of May 6. You also will get all the back-to-school information.

Register Now for the 2019 – 2020 school year!
Idaho Falls School District 91 

• Prepare for Kindergarten. If your child is starting kindergarten in the fall here are five things you can do NOW to help them prepare.
  1. Read 20 minutes a day together. “Reading aloud is important from infancy through the high school years. It helps develop speaking and listening skills, expands their understanding of the world, stimulates imagination, and increases vocabulary.” – Rachel Miller, elementary Special Programs Coordinator for Idaho Falls School District 91
  2. Practice counting real objects, like cereal or crayons. Using real objects makes counting more concrete. Early exposure to math and number activities will promote your child’s comfort with these skills and increase their confidence, leading them to believe they are good at math.
  3. Find and name letters of the alphabet everywhere you go. Similar to counting, using real examples of the alphabet helps children generalize and become comfortable with the alphabet. It is also a way to make learning to recognize letters fun!
  4. Meet and play with other children. Academic readiness is only part of what your child needs to be successful in kindergarten. Socializing is just as important as making sure your child knows their numbers and alphabet. Children learn self-control, independence and how to positively interact with others by playing with their peers.
  5. Work on fine motor skills through play. Fine motor skills are the ability to use small muscles of the wrists, hands, and fingers in conjunction with the eyes. They are essential for daily tasks such as eating with utensils, dressing, handwriting, and typing. Try some of these activities with your kids:
     • Garden or play in the sandbox
     • Blow bubbles and use index fingers to pop them
     • Use sidewalk chalk to create works of outdoor art or practice handwriting
     • Play with spray bottles, squirt guns or sponges
     • Make a summer scrapbook by writing, drawing or cutting pictures out of magazines

Keep children engaged and learning and they can start school with confidence!

Late Summer & Early Fall

• Start talking to your children about school. Make sure there is space in these conversations to talk about the positives of school as well as their worries and be ready to provide reassurance. Open communication will ensure your child is more comfortable with the idea of talking to you about things as they come up. While anxiousness is normal in any new situation, according to psychologists some children can develop real physical symptoms, such as headaches or stomach aches, associated with starting school. If you are concerned that any worries are rising above the level of normal back-to-school jitters, speak with your child’s doctor, a teacher or a school counselor.
• Start thinking about and back-to-school shopping. Back-to-School supply lists are usually posted on school websites or available at stores around Idaho Falls in the summer. But, you will want to think about more than school supplies. What kind of backpack will be the safest and most comfortable for your child? Do they need a lunchbox? Does that lunchbox fit in their backpack? Shopping together can help your child get excited about school.

• Ease into the school night routine. Summer can be hectic but it is important to begin slowly adjusting to a school-specific routine. A few weeks before school starts, try to start a more consistent schedule, building time in the evening for reading and, later on, homework. Establishing that kind of routine will help ensure your children are well rested and ready to learn by the time school begins.

• Visit the school with your child. Before school starts D91 schools host Back-to-School nights. These are a great opportunity for you to visit classrooms, try out the playground, see the cafeteria, bring supplies and meet teachers and school staff.

• Practice the morning routine. As you get ready, talk to your child about his/her morning routine. If they’re riding the bus you could walk with them to the bus stop and talk about pickup and drop off. If they will be walking or biking to school you could walk or bike that route together as a family. If someone is going to drive them to school talk about when they need to be ready.

Starting school is an exciting time but it can also be filled with anxiety and questions. Use these tips to help you feel more prepared. If you still have questions go to www.ifschools.org.