Things to remember as the school year comes to an end

In only a week or two, most local students will be finishing their school year. As exciting as summer is for students, the significance of the end of the school year should not be overlooked. With finals, graduations, parties and special field trips, it is easy to forget some of the essential items that should be considered at the end of a school year.

For many students, the end of the school year means saying goodbye to friends and teachers. Although some of those friends may be able to reconnect the next school year, some may not. Even if your family is not moving this summer, your child’s friend’s family may be moving. If your student is transitioning to a higher-level school — for example, moving from elementary school to middle school — some friends may not be transitioning to the same school. It is important to talk to your children about goodbyes and ways to connect with their friends they may not see again in the fall.

Parents can encourage their children to talk about their friendships and saying goodbye by asking them what they’ll remember about the school year and what they’ll miss. If they’re old enough, ask them to write about their school year. If they’re not old enough, they can talk about it and draw pictures. It might also be nice to take pictures of your child with some of his or her favorite friends.

Another key person at your child’s school to whom they will be saying goodbye to is the teacher. Teachers spend every day with the students and build strong relationships with them. Unfortunately, in these days of school budget cuts, there is no guarantee that your child’s current teacher will be on campus next school year. Ensure that your child is able to say a proper goodbye to their teacher and shares their (and your) appreciation for a successful school year.

If your family happens to be one of the many military families who will be moving this summer, a few more tasks must be considered. If you haven’t already done so, please notify your child’s teacher and school office that your child will not be returning next school year. Schools staff teachers according to the number of students they expect to have the next school year. It’s important that they know if your family will not be returning.

Also, before the last day of school, ensure that you have the school’s contact information and the name of the person who should be contacted by the new school to request your student’s records. You will not be carrying your student’s file to the next school. Once registered at the next school, the new school will request files from the previous school. It will be wise to hold on to a copy of the final report card and a copy of the most current IEP if your student is receiving special education services.

As the school year winds down, it is important that parents with older children check in to make sure their student is progressing to end the school year successfully. It is an unfortunate situation when report cards arrive a few weeks into summer with disappointing grades. It is even more disappointing when those poor grades could have been prevented by completing missed assignments. Some teachers will accept late work. Parents and students should not be caught off guard, but instead should be monitoring grades before the school year ends.

Summer is exciting and it is just around the corner. Before we turn that corner, it’s important to make sure all is taken care of before leaving this school year behind.

— For any K-12 education related questions, please contact the NBVC School Liaison Officer at 989-5211 or email monica.james@navy.mil.