Executive Director's Message

Juan A. Navejar Jr

It’s that time of year as kids head back to school and with check lists for supplies and clothing to get them back at their desks.

Local stores are already stocking up their shelves with all items from those lists. Keep in mind that these lists will either keep you in line or will drive you bonkers looking for that certain type of glue. But, the bottom line that we tend to overlook is that these lists provide a hidden message that is called organization.

The back-to-school lists should be treated as a learning tool for your kids. You can teach them to be organized as they begin school. It’s a proven fact that students with good organizational skills will excel far greater than those who don’t. We can use the list as a starting mechanism and get kids on the right track to a successful school year.

To have a great year let’s begin with a good routine after all repetition helps develop a brain. We use this at home. We even kept it going this summer. We read before bed, we went over multiplication numbers and even played lightning round Math with equations. With this routine, he knows what follows after our “routine”. So have a routine each night will help with elementary students.

We are also blessed that our school has reports online each day on what occurs in the classroom, cafeteria along with grades and Accelerated Reading. Also a daily log sheet is sent home each day with student performances and assignments. This report allows us to gauge what and how our son is doing in school each day. Our daily folder from school has the homework we should be doing or contains vital information from the school as to what will be on tap for the week. If your school does not do this, you can create your own folders to help you gauge your child’s progress. In one folder put all homework to be completed. Once the homework is completed put in a separate folder marked “Completed Homework and put inside the student’s backpack to assure that the student will have it with them at school the next day.

Is your home ready for afterschool study? Designate an area where your student will sit and do their homework each day and hopefully away from a television set. My wife is a stickler on this one. While we are doing homework, there is no distractions, that means no TV on, no video games, cell phones, ipads, remote controls or anything that will keep our 11-year old distracted. And I do have to admit, I can be the distraction too. Dad has to be reminded from time-to-time that it’s learning time.

One thing that I do pride myself in is the backpack. Our backpack is a three-part backpack. In the back section goes the “School folder” that contains homework and notes from school. The middle has AR book, pens and pencils. The front part is left empty at all times. Why? I am not sure, it’s just been that way. Teach your child to only carry essentials back and forth from school to keep the backpack from not being too heavy.

Teaching your child to get organized early on will help in the long run. Hopefully this will carry on to their adult life and into their workplace.