Turning Dog Days to School Days

We've definitely arrived at the dog days of summer.  The kids may be getting a little antsy by now--too hot to play out of doors and not much new to do indoors. This is a great time to start building anticipation for the first day of school. 

This is also the perfect time to start sharpening the disciplines your child needs to perform well once school begins. Here's a few tips you can use during the dog days of summer to turn your child's attention toward the coming changes. 

• Use the last few weeks of summer break to ease into earlier bedtime schedules, rather than waiting until school begins. This will help your child be fully adjusted to handle the changes that come with moving from the freedom of summer back to school activities.  
• Remind them that they will soon have a new teacher, a new classroom and classmates to learn with. Taking the kids shopping for new school supplies, shoes and school clothes helps build the excitement for returning to familiar school year routines.
• Arrange a few play dates with friends from school that your child may not have seen over the summer. 
• Start engaging in educational fun activities. Take trips to the library or science museum. Play educational games and give your child fun challenges to encourage learning activities, especially as it relates to math and reading. 

Children living at Cumberland on Granbury are invited to participate in the reading challenge at Oakmont Elementary. Here's the details: 

Summer Reading Incentive!
All students, even newly enrolled students for the 2012-2013 school year, can participate.  Simply print out this form, and read, read read!  Click here for a list of suggested books for each grade level.  Please remember, these are only suggestions.  

Read books that you are interested in and that are on your reading level or a little harder.  All students that return their completed reading log at the beginning of school in August get to attend a jump house party!

   The last few weeks of summer can be just as fun and exciting for your child as the first few were as you build excitement around of the start of new school year.