Back-to-school primer

By ALISON BERT
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: August 23, 2004)

Alexis Wallace, 11, is excited about going back to school and meeting up with her elementary friends as she enters Nyack Middle School. But she is a little bit nervous, too.

"It's new and I don't know everything yet, and I've heard you get detention if you're too late for school," she explained, confessing that "sometimes I don't like waking up."

This summer, she has been staying up way past midnight watching Comedy Central with her mother, listening to Linkin Park albums and reading Sarah Dessen novels. But soon she will have to wake up at 6 a.m. She plans to ease into that brutal schedule by going to sleep by 9:30 p.m. — starting next week, that is.

With school just two weeks away, students and their parents have plenty to do to make the transition a smooth one. There are long lists of school supplies to buy and organize, doctors' visits to make, summer homework assignments to finish, lunch plans to work out and, yes, sleep patterns to adjust.

As 11-year-old Chelsea Casella of Patterson advises those who haven't started getting ready yet: "I would say, get your act together."

Her family started weeks ago. Chelsea and her sister, Hailee, 9, donated their old books to the Patterson library and clothing to the Eagle Eye Thrift Shop in Brewster, which raises money for Putnam Hospital Center. With space on their shelves, they toted home school supplies and labeled them with colorful name tags.

Chelsea, who plays in the orchestra at George Fischer Middle School in Carmel, has just one more item on her list — a larger violin. Her mother, Debbie Casella, plans to shop for it at their two favorite music venues: Radovich & Dean Music in Carmel and eBay.

Aside from the usual checklist, Chelsea and Alexis have medical issues to handle. Alexis is diabetic and must be able to test her blood sugar several times a day and eat whenever she needs to. Chelsea has severe peanut allergies that could cause her throat to close up if someone nearby were to eat peanuts or peanut butter.

To help the school staff understand the girls' situations, plan for accommodations and act properly in an emergency, their mothers take them to school well before the first day to meet with their teachers, principal and nurse.

"That's just a part of our ritual," Debbie Casella said.

Meeting the nurse can reassure children that someone at school understands their condition and is there to help, said Dr. Harold Fogelman, a psychiatrist for the Rockland County Department of Mental Health.

"You want the child to feel comfortable, because the nurse is going to be acting as the parent during school hours," Fogelman said.

Even students with less serious problems may need to visit the doctor or school nurse in advance. Hailee, who is starting fourth grade at Matthew Paterson Elementary School, has mild asthma and must get a doctor's permission to carry a nebulizer at school.

State law requires prescription medications to be administered by the school nurse, and districts set their own procedures for students bringing over-the-counter remedies to school.

Students who go off their medication during the summer, as do some with attention deficit disorder, should not wait until the first day of school to resume, said Dr. Ayame Takahashi, a psychiatrist at New York Presbyterian Hospital — Westchester Division.

Whether resuming treatment or taking a new medication, start a few weeks early so there is time to adjust dosages, she advises.

Some children and teens will have physical symptoms because they are anxious, especially if they are entering a new school. Takahashi said some stress is normal and can take the form of stomachaches, trouble sleeping, or in children 7 and younger, wetting the bed when they hadn't been. She recommends that parents seek professional help if the problem persists beyond a few weeks.

It's not unusual for parents to feel anxiety, too, and to pass that anxiety on to their children, said Rockland County Mental Health Commissioner Mary Ann Walsh-Tozer. Whether experiencing separation anxiety or specific worries, she said, "it's very helpful for us as adults to understand why and deal with it, and then be able to address the child's concerns."

To help younger children, get them back into the school routine by reading to them more, talking about school in a positive way and visiting their classroom, said Sherry Glickman, program supervisor for Child and Adolescent Services at the Rockland County Department of Mental Health.

Then there's the part about getting them to bed earlier.

With daughters in preschool and first and third grades, Debbie McDonnell of Yonkers said she tries not to change bedtime over the summer, except for "maybe a little extra play time after dinner."

With teenagers, parents have less control.

"Adolescents are not going to fall asleep when you tell them to," Glickman said. "They're going to struggle getting up that first morning and realize that it's not working."

In other words, they'll learn from hard experience.

Hailee said she learned from experience early on when it came to doing summer homework. Before first grade, she put it off until the week before school. She had to read an hour a day to finish it.

This summer, she has 25 entries in her reading log. She has even rehearsed her "paper bag report," in which she illustrates her favorite story by pulling miniature dolls, a Jello carton and a picture of her school out of a lunch bag.

Her advice to peers and parents alike: "You have to be prepared."

FYI

Easing the transition
Here's how parents can help their children prepare:
• Talk positively about the upcoming school year.
• Visit the classroom and possibly the teacher before the first day.
• Familiarize your child with a new bus stop or bus route.
• Involve your child in school preparations: choosing clothing, snacks, lunches, supplies.
• Readjust your child's sleep routine.
• Read books with your child related to beginning a school year. The librarian is a great resource.
• If your child has a medical condition or takes medication during the school day, a visit to the school nurse before the first day is encouraged.
• If you have particular concerns about your child, share them with the new teacher, and acquaint yourself with the supports offered at the school. Introduce the school's services to your child.
• Be aware that the first few days are a period of adjustment for your child and for you. Offer support and encouragement.

Getting children organized for school
Beat the last-minute rush to "get it together" by helping the students in your family organize beforehand.
A place for everything
• Work together to organize desks and homework centers, explaining that an organized work area is a tool to help do one's best job. Buy transparent plastic containers, then label contents on top and sides. Similarly, label categories of books on the student's bookshelf: animals, reference, etc.
• Label contents on the inside of desk drawers so children know where to put things. Items used on a daily basis — pencils, computer paper, dictionary — should be within easy reach; less frequently used items can be stashed farther down or back.
• Get a folder with two pockets for the student's backpack — one pocket for notes to go to school, the other for notes coming home.
• Consider a file cabinet with one drawer. Its height allows it to double as a chair or footrest once a cushion is thrown atop.
• Can't figure out where to store something? Ask your child where he or she is likely to look for the item, then find a home for it there.
Routines
• Work out a morning and evening schedule. Work backward from the time your child should be on campus, and from the appointed bedtime. If lights-out is 8:30 p.m., in-bed reading time is scheduled for 8 p.m., teeth brushing is 7:45 p.m. and so on.
• Put a calendar in each child's room to write important dates on — everything from the school fund-raiser to dentist appointments. This will help you both keep focus: "Only four more days to the school play. Is your costume ready?"
• Timesavers include making lunch the night before, laying out clothes in order of how your child gets dressed (undies to shoes) or picking a week's wardrobe by bedtime Sunday.