We’ve all been there. It’s May 15, the kids have been sick off and on since spring break. Is there money in their lunch account? We still are not sure what day they have gym.
As the school year winds down, the questions mount even further and the to-do list grows. To help you with your to-do list, we asked local parents about their year-end lists and what tasks they prioritize as they prepare for summer.
Summer Learning Plans
Academically, a conversation with your child’s teacher still may be in order. Ask the teacher to assess your child’s strengths and weaknesses, which will inform any summer enrichment plans to support all the fun your child(ren) will have. Based on those informal chats, parents told us some next steps may include finding a tutor specifically geared toward any weaknesses or areas for improvement your child has shown in the classroom. If those concerns don’t rise to that level, identifying and securing appropriate activities to help any areas for improvement are on many parents’ to-do lists.
“One other thing I consider academically is the information I learn from people in my network about the teachers and expectations in the next grade level,” says Caitlin Copestick, a mom of two elementary-age children in Solon. “For those parents who have had my daughters’ new teachers before, what are their styles? How can I best prepare my kids for that teacher? What should we expect in third grade?”
Thank You to Teachers
Outside the classroom, the considerations are a bit more fun. For the Copesticks, it starts with gratitude — thank you notes and gifts for teachers and bus drivers.
Did They Lose Something?
Do a quick check of the lost and found at school, because who among us hasn’t found a single glove or sock in book bags at the end of the day?
Other parents who responded listed several other practical items on their lists that may benefit readers.
Choose Your Summer Program or Camp
Wrap up those summer camp plans and start coordinating your summer schedule. A spreadsheet or family Google Sheet calendar helps parents identify gaps that may need to be filled.
Take a Final Snapshot
Make sure to grab a last-day picture to match the first-day picture, a must for any family looking to create or continue traditions — and ensure consistency in those traditions.
Playdate Set Up
Secure contact information for parents of children your child may want to visit or play with over the summer, if only to avoid the awkward Facebook message seeking contact information.
Organize School Art
Display the fruits of your kids’ school-year labor, often in the form of art. One parent said she hangs one or two pieces of her child’s school art in their home, to remind him of his work and also show her pride in him all summer.
Summer Fits
It’s time to make room in the dresser drawers for spring and summer. If you’re feeling ambitious, do a pre-swap clean-out of winter clothes that don’t fit anymore and donate them to your local clothing bank. It will save you a headache in the fall when you make the summer-for-fall swap.
Perhaps most importantly — equipment. Parents said they use the last couple weeks before school ends to ensure sports equipment is in place for summer, and of course, that bathing suits, swim trunks and goggles still fit.