Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C. -- As the dog days of summer begin to wind down, children can look forward to the start of a new school year filled with education that will last the rest of their lives.
Delalio Elementary School aboard Marine Corps Air Station New River will open its doors for students Aug. 22.
Before school starts, parents should take time to prepare their children for an experience that differs from summer vacation, said Regina Harper, Delalio Elementary School secretary.
An important part of this is setting a schedule that includes going to sleep and waking up at regular times that are early enough to start the day and attend school without tardiness.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children aged 5-10 need 10-11 hours of sleep per day while children aged 10-17 require 8.5-9.5 hours.
Nutrition is also an important part of a child’s school day, said Harper. Children should start the day with a healthy breakfast that contains little sugar and lots of complex carbohydrates and vitamins, she explained.
Choices include oatmeal, fruits and granola, according to http://nutrition.gov. These will provide a continuous supply of energy necessary for paying attention in class without a crash. Lunch also needs to have similar nutritional values for continued energy for learning in the afternoon.
Before school starts, parents should also exercise their children’s minds.
“It’s time to wake up their brains,” said Harper.
Good ways to do this include adding mathematics into their daily lives. Harper said this can include calculating ingredients for a recipe, counting various objects, and measuring a sibling’s height.
Other ways to re-awaken a child’s brain includes asking thought-provoking questions that require a critical thinking. Returning students can review what they learned last year.
For younger students who have not spent considerable time away from a parent, learning to say goodbye can lessen an emotional impact, said Harper.
“It’s important for children to be able to say goodbye and let them know that they will be back home every day,” she said.
Harper said up-to-date contact information from parents is especially important and should be reviewed before the school year starts. A wrong number might prevent the school from being able to contact a parent in case of an emergency.
“If parents take some of these things in consideration, their children will have a successful school year,” said Harper.
Aside from preparing their children for school, Harper said parents should also get them excited for it. Shopping together for backpacks, pencils and other school supplies can help.
Free school supplies will be available at the Kid’s Day event hosted at the air station theater, Aug. 21. The first 150 children who come to the information fair will be given a tote bag full of pencils, notebooks and other necessities.
For more information about the Kid’s Day event visit http://www.mccsnr.com or call 910-449-6577.