Getting Acquainted with Your New School

by Maya Cohen

Obtain a copy of your child's schedule and block off time to explore the entire campus. Take a few "dry runs" with your child, and walk through his school-day schedule. Do this as many times as it takes for your child to feel comfortable. Also, if he has a locker, be sure to check it out and practice using the combination to open it. Visit the cafeteria, bathrooms, library, and nurse's office.

Make a point of stopping by the principal's office – receptionists are often there in the last weeks of August. Introduce yourself and your child, and use this opportunity to ask any questions or express concerns.

If your child is in high school, he may be embarrassed to walk around his new school with a parent, so encourage him to check it out by himself or with a friend. Assure him you will drop him off and pick him up. This is an important step, so make it as convenient as possible.

Inquire as to whether you can be introduced to your child's teachers before the school year begins. On the first day, your child will be faced with so much that's new. She may feel more comfortable if she has met and talked with her teachers beforehand. Contact the school and see if a brief conference is feasible – ideally on the day when you will be visiting the school.

Extracurricular activities are a great way for children to make new friends with people who share similar interests. Obtain a list of school clubs and teams, and go over it with your child to see if he is interested in any of them. Also, remind your child that extracurricular activities often begin before the academic year, so getting involved may mean that your child will meet some of his new classmates before that first day of school.