Planning now could make first day of school much easier
Though the school year doesn't start in Clark County until Aug. 24, there is no time like the present to plan.
From shopping for clothes and supplies to making sure children are set with their schools, there are many things parents can do today to start preparing.
As a mother and professional organizer, Janel Ralat knows the importance of having an organized home and being well prepared for the school year.
"When I'm disciplined and stick to (my organization), I probably save about two hours, one to two hours a day," Ralat estimated. "Getting into a good routine does make the day go by smoothly. We have such hectic lives, and I hate having to do something last minute."
While organizing her professional life, family schedules and every tiny detail in between, Ralat realized she is good at organizing. She began to be a resource for her family and friends.
Now, along with a team of fellow organizers, she helps to organize anything from workspaces to parties through her company One Organized Mama.
Getting children ready for the school year is one topic she often is asked about.
Her own journey with back-to-school preparedness has been an evolving one. She began implementing a series of steps to ensure things ran more smoothly at home when her children got ready for school.
One of the first things is gathering supplies. According to the National Retail Federation's Back-to-School Spending Survey, the average family with children in kindergarten to 12th grade will spend about $630 on electronics, apparel and other school supplies this year, down from last year's $669. The study shows back-to-school spending has grown 42 percent in the past 10 years.
Ralat says it is better to shop for school supplies weeks before classes begin. "The aisles are full of supplies yet empty of shoppers," she said.
Ralat doesn't just fill out her childrens' school-recommended list of items. Scouring advertisements for the best deals, she stocks up on supplies to keep from running out.
"Have your extra supplies for the school year stored in a bin," she said. "This way, you don't have a late night run to CVS."
Once parents get home with their bags of supplies to last for as long as the entire school year, designate a space for them.
In Ralat's house — something she encourages clients to do — she designates a homework area where her children have all the supplies they need and a workspace to do their assignments or projects.
"Work with your children and listen to what they want," she said.
She has clients who insist the homework space should be in the home office.
"But that could be counterproductive if your kids don't work well in there," she said, noting that her children's workspace is in the family room.
Ralat even has a family command center near her children's workspace where they can drop off papers that might need to be signed, such as permission slips.
"Then, I put it in the backpack myself," she said.
When it comes to getting ready for the school day, Ralat continues to think ahead.
"There is something to be said about preparing the night before," she said. "I lay out clothes. I have a backpack check. Even if I plan to go to the gym in the morning, I lay that out."
She sets a routine for her children as well. "I'm a huge proponent of no television or electronics until homework is done," she said, adding, "No cellphones or computer screens unless it's work related."
Ralat also relies on meal planning.
"I have a general idea of the family favorite meals and rotate through a master list," she said. "I do a lot of cooking on the weekend and have become a huge fan of crockpot recipes."
Meal preparation also applies for school lunches, portioning out fruit cups, plastic bags of vegetables or any other snacks her children can grab to put in their lunchbox. Ralat says it is good to let kids participate in the organization process.
"In the pantry, there is a basket with crackers and granola bars they can just grab and pack (with) their lunch," she said.
While getting the household ready, parents and guardians also need to take steps to be sure they meet the school district's policies and procedures. If children want to participate in free or reduced-price lunches in the Clark County School District, for example, parents need to have the proper paperwork filled out ahead of time.
"Parents must fill out a new application every year," said Virginia Beck, director of food services for the district.
Though they can apply in person, Beck recommends parents fill out the online form at applyforlunch.com.
"It is much faster," she said. "You can get approved overnight."
If parents fill out the form in person, approval can take seven to 10 days.
For parents who plan to add money to their child's lunch account, they can do so with myschoolbucks.com.
"Another consideration you should look into now is if your child has a special dietary restriction," Beck said. "You need to communicate that prior to school starting."
Parents must file that application with the school nurse, who sends it to food services for approval.
"This is something you can do ahead of time as well," Beck said.
According to Paul Shelley, a coordinator in the school district transportation department, letters about bus routes and schedules are in the process of being sent out.
"They will let parents know if the bus stop has moved," he said. "A lot of the stops stay the same. But if there is a shift in student population, the route might change."
Parents with questions can phone the district's call center at 702-799-8100. However, Shelley encouraged parents to visit the website — transportation.ccsd.net — to get quick access to information.
Parents with children with a special need that requires transportation can call the school district to have that set up. Processing a request can take three to five days, so Shelley recommends parents look into this soon.
More resources and tips from the school district are available at ccsd.net/schools/back-to-school.
Contact reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5201. Follow him: @mjlyle
