New Year, New Plan: How to Successfully Start the School Year

Welcome Back Willows! We hope that you had an enjoyable summer full of rest and relaxation and are ready for the start of school next week! Before you know it, we’ll be fully immersed in academics, athletics, and the arts, so take a moment now to establish a plan for the upcoming year.

The beginning of a new school year provides an excellent opportunity to create habits that best fit your child’s needs. However, with new schedules, curriculum, and responsibilities, it’s common to have more questions than answers. As the first day gets closer, we encourage both students AND parents to consider goals for the upcoming year. Adapting your routine is a crucial step to meeting your expectations, and we have a few recommendations for how to do just that.

"Try to model and show your children what seeking help from others looks like, to be open to trying new strategies, and most importantly, what it looks like to move forward effectively from setbacks."

- Madison Besser, Willows Community School Counselor

Set a plan, but don’t be afraid to adjust it:

Tasks can pile up quickly without a solid plan for how to allocate your time. Make a schedule so that you can effectively complete your objectives, but don’t be rigid in your plans. Being flexible is important for both you and your child and crucial to self-growth. So, if a sudden change of plans occurs (and they often will!), recognize that your schedule must change as well.

Ask questions or seek help when necessary:

Being comfortable asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Teachers and staff are your allies, so don't hesitate to ask questions or seek clarification if something isn't clear. Our faculty and staff are here to support you, and we want to make sure that any concerns or doubts are addressed.

Explore outlets outside of academics:

Whether it's participating in activities through The Willows, like debate, dance, or sports, or finding extracurriculars in your community, following your child’s personal interests offers many benefits. It’s a great way to destress, make friends, and learn more about your passions. School should always be the priority, but it should never be all-consuming; consider external outlets to add balance to your child’s school year.

Finally, at The Willows, we believe that emotions matter, and play a major role in how we learn. As a RULER Mentor school, we foster emotional intelligence in all facets of education, and strive to show our community that knowing yourself and cultivating empathy are not just lessons to teach our students, but habits to practice for a healthy mental state. Our school counselor, Madison Besser, has a message for families as they begin the 23/24 school year.

“Try to foster a growth mindset with your children. We all have the capacity for flexibility and resiliency. Try to model and show your children what seeking help from others looks like, to be open to trying new strategies, and most importantly, what it looks like to move forward effectively from setbacks. Our school theme this year is strength. It’s important to show our children that they can have a good day after having bad moments and that every morning brings a new opportunity.”

As summer wraps up, we’re excited to start another school year at The Willows! No matter if it’s your student’s first or 10th year with us, we look forward to the return of the wonderful energy that they bring to campus each day.