Back-to-School Tips For Parents

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Back-to-School time can be an exciting, yet stressful period for parents and kids alike. Between the school supplies list, open houses, uniform shopping and the utter disbelief that your summer break has abruptly ended, the anxieties can easily outweigh the joyful anticipation of a new school year. Here are just a few tips from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) to help your family cut through the stress:

Mark Your Calendar. Write down important dates. This is especially important when you’re juggling the schedules of multiple children. Don’t be surprised by a choir concert or soccer banquet that you forgot about. Write down these dates as soon as possible and don’t forget to check your calendar periodically or else your preparation will go to waste.

Buy Back-to-School Supplies Early. Shop for supplies as soon as your child get’s their list of required items. Also, make sure you fill their backpacks at least a few days before school starts to avoid the morning-of scramble to find their pencils, paper, etc. Some teachers, more than others, can be specific about the supplies required. Keep your receipts so that you can return items that you do not need.

Re-Establish Bedtime and Mealtime Routines. Make plans to re-establish your bedtime and mealtime routines at least a week in advance of the first day of school.  This will ease your child back into the school year routine. Emphasize to them the benefits of a steady routine, i.e. a good night’s sleep and time for a healthy breakfast before school.

Freeze a Few Dinners That Are Easy to Make. Having a few quick and easy meals will prevent added stress on school nights and facilitate quality time spent around the dinner table as a family.

Visit School With Your Children. If your child is young or beginning a new school, visiting the school together can help alleviate any anxieties your child may harbor as well as resolve any of your child’s questions. First day familiarity with his or her classroom, lunchroom, locker and teacher will be invaluable to your child. Call ahead to schedule a time to meet with your child’s teacher beforehand.

Designate a Place for School Items (Backpacks, Lunchboxes, etc.) It may sound simple, but establishing a location in your home that your child habitually places their school items may prove crucial in those clutch moments when you’re pressed for time in the mornings. In the same location, have a spot where your child can place take home announcements from his or her teacher.

Set Aside a Location for Your Child to Do Homework. If possible, older children should be allowed the opportunity to study in a quiet place in the house. Whereas younger children will need to work in area like the kitchen or family room so that they can be monitored and encouraged.

Thank you reading. I truly hope these tips help you and your family this school year. For more helpful tips on a variety of school topics visit the NASPs website,www.nasponline.org/resources.

KidzWorld Back-to-School FX – In the spirit of Back-to-School, I’d also like to take this opportunity to invite you to our Back-to-School FX event on August 22nd. If you’re tired of shelling out so much cash for a night of family fun, then we have what you’re looking for. Back-to-School FX will consist of live entertainment the whole family will enjoy and conclude with KidzWorld Watermark. On top of all the fun, KidzWorld FX is an excellent opportunity for families to learn about God’s Big Ideas together. Keep checking back here for more information, and enjoy the rest of your summer!

Obituary for My Dad

KUBISH, AUGUST J. “GUS”, 87, Army Air Force Veteran and pastor, passed away at home surrounded by his family on April 12, 2012. He was born on October 13, 1924 in Jackson, Michigan to Henry Julius John and Mary “Ordway” Kubish. On August 23, 1952 he married Eunice in Chicago, Illinois.

He is survived by his wife Eunice; children Ruth Coulson, Sharon (Bob) Howard, Jerrilyn (Tim) Copple, Dan (Debbie) Kubish, Robert (Elease) Kubish, Jimmy Kubish and Kevin Kubish; sisters Ruth Ragonesi, Marjorie (Paul) Inman, Shirley (Carl) Ferguson, brother Richard (Lana) Kubish, Robert (Betty) Kubish, sister Kay (Norman) Kubish-King, and sister-in-law Jeanne Kubish; 27 grandchildren; 9 great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Gus was preceded in death by his parents; daughter Joy Lynn Kubish; brother Gerald H.; and sisters Mary Cunningham and Barbara Williams.

Visitation will be from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, April, 15 at Heritage Funeral Home, 502 W. Central, Andover. Funeral service will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, April 16 at the Chapel at Treerific Landscape, 13594 SW Highway 54, 2.5 miles East of Andover Rd. on Kellogg. Interment will follow at Bruno Township Cemetery, Andover.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Gus Kubish Memorial Fund.

Family Time

I hope you were able to be in your place for one of the 5 services this weekend. If you were, you heard a great message about Hope, believing that something good can come out of something bad. Every environment from KidzWorld to The Wire to Hub and the adults in the auditorium are synced up to talk about the same messages from the Bible all throughout the month of April. The presentations were very different but the message was the same this weekend: Whatever happens, remember what Jesus promised. We pray that families will take the opportunity to talk about the messages they heard this weekend together during meals or drive time or even at bedtime. Here are a couple of questions to get you started.

Ask a Kid: When you feel sad, what gives you hope?
Ask a Parent: Have you ever had a time when things didn’t seem to be going well, but later it all worked out?

You can find even more ideas and watch some of the videos we use in KidzWorld by downloading the parent cue app to your mobile device. The cost of the app is $1.99 and it has some awesome tools to help your family start conversations about God.

Don’t forget that next weekend we will celebrate Easter with 6 identical services. They will happen on Friday, April 6 at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 7 at 4 and 5:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 8 at 8:45, 10:15 and noon. Invite someone who doesn’t go to church to come and hear about the greatest event in the history of the world next weekend at NewSpring. KidzWorld will be open during ALL SIX SERVICES. The Wire will be open for it’s regular weekend schedule: 4 and 5:30 on Saturday and 10:15 and noon on Sunday.

Happy Thanksgiving

The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts.  No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.  ~H.U. Westermayer
 
Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men; but be careful that you do not take the day, and leave out the gratitude.  ~E.P. Powell

 So once in every year we throng Upon a day apart, To praise the Lord with feast and song In thankfulness of heart. ~Arthur Guiterman, The First Thanksgiving


 As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.  ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Banana Split Contest Winners

During Family Experience on August 6/7 we encouraged families to learn more about Grace at home while making some amazing banana splits. During the week families sent pictures of their creations and last weekend we held a drawing to give away 5 free coupons to the NewSpring Coffee Company each month for the rest of the 2011. Here are pictures of the winning families. We hope everyone had a blast doing this together as a family!

Ortiz Family

Byrd Family

Clark Family

Cromer Family