Five on Friday: 5+ Back-to-School Resources

There’s 104 days of summer vacation, ‘til school comes along just to end it…

We don’t live in Danville with Phineas and Ferb, so our summer vacation wasn’t quite 104 days. In fact, it seemed much shorter; school is soon coming along to end it for many of us! (For a few of our friends in different parts of the country, it’s already come. Our condolences—or congratulations?)

The first few weeks are always a scramble—filling new backpacks with pencils, glue sticks, notebooks, and (as a sign of the times and the budget woes many schools face) kleenex, hand sanitizer, and wipes for classroom use. Gone is the lazy summer schedule as we try to get the kids back into a structured routine. Gone are the whines of boredom to make way for the whines about homework. But on a positive note, we welcome the fresh start and getting to see friends again.

Today’s Five on Friday is a brief list to help get you in that Back-to-School mood and make the transition from beach days to school days:

1. 173 School Lunch Ideas: After the third week of school, alternating between PB&J and cold cuts gets as stale as the bread ends you sometimes find you’re left with. Easy Lunchboxes has a slideshow of 173 different lunch ideas. Some might not be up your kids’ alley (salmon and cream cheese roll-ups? If only they’d eat that!), but there are so many that you are sure to find several your kids will like. We also have to put in a little plug for Easy Lunchbox containers. They are inexpensive, durable, and easy-to-use, eliminating the need for several different plastic baggies or containers cluttering up the lunchbox.
   

   FYI: We aren’t not paid affiliates of this site nor are we compensated for our endorsement. We just really like the product!

2. 10 Favorite Free Sites for Homeschoolers: The Walk By The Way blog has put together a list of great websites that are useful not just to homeschoolers, but to any student and their family. The site itself has links to printables and lessons. Bookmark this valuable resource today!
3. Homework Help: Jefferson County Libraries (Colorado) has put together a fabulous list of resources to help your student, including a link to “Email a Librarian” and “How Stuff Works”. Next time your student complains that they don’t know where to start, direct them here!
4. Back to School Organizing Page: Real Simple has a page full of tips, links, and ideas to get you and your kids organized and running smoothly for the beginning of the school year, including the best websites for kids’ clothes and gear and a back-to-school supply checklist (for those who are unfortunate—or fortunate—enough not to receive a formal list from their school).
5. Start a Back-to-School Tradition: One friend takes a picture of her children holding up a sign with the year and their grade on the first day of school. Another takes hers out for a celebratory ice cream after school. Having a tradition can help calm any anxieties your student (or perhaps, yourself) has and helps put a positive spin on starting a new school year. Something important to remember when the kids get a little older and the novelty the first day of school wears off! This great post from TipJunkie includes several other ambitious ideas to start a new tradition with your students. Also check out her 12 First Day of School Traditions and Activities.

And just for a giggle, why not enjoy the opening sequence to Grease 2. It’s got a catchy Back-to-School Song:

And by catchy, we mean stick-in-your-head-all-day. You’re welcome. 🙂

 What helps you get into a Back-to-School mode? Got a great lunch recipe? Any fun traditions for the first day? We’d love to hear from you!