Back to School

As summer winds down and a new school year begins, today's episode will focus on back-to-school tips and ways families can make the transition a little smoother. Along the way, we'll hear from School Based Program Manager Samantha Arnold, who shares valuable insights and encouragement for students, parents, and caregivers. And be sure to stay with us through the end of the episode for a special feature that offers a unique perspective on the school year ahead.

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:05

Hey everyone, and welcome to Voices of Hope. I'm Ross Wilsie. And I'm Mike Wade. Each episode, we sit down to talk about what it means to live well, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and beyond.

SPEAKER_03 0:17

We'll look at how wellness shapes us as individuals, families, communities, and even the wider world around us.

SPEAKER_04 0:23

Through real stories and honest conversations, we'll explore what hope looks like and how it grows, right here in the New River Valley. Thanks for joining us. This is Voices of Hope. Welcome back to another episode of the Voices of Hope podcast. We're going to do something a little bit different today. Instead of a guest-centric episode, today's will revolve more around a specific topic. Another difference today is that my co-host, Mike, is taking some much needed time off, so we wish him well and hope he's getting the rest he deserves. Mike puts so much of his time and energy into serving this community, and I, for one, am incredibly thankful for him. So it's that time of year. Kids are checking the mailbox for their school schedules and hoping it syncs up with their friends. Summer activities are coming to a close. Everyone is quietly ignoring the fact that in a matter of days, sleep schedules may need to suddenly shift by a factor of several hours. Yep, it's back to school time. Maybe you're excited, cautiously optimistic, a little nervous, or maybe you're downright dreading the return of the school year. Wherever you are on the spectrum, I hope today's episode is helpful in some way. So in my research for this episode, I realized that we could go real deep on this topic from a mental health and self-care perspective. We'll certainly cover it from those angles, but we'll also go over some of the more practical things families can do. I also want to say that a lot of these tips aren't just for parents or kids going back to school. If you're someone who doesn't fit into the back to school box, I think you'll still find some of this information helpful because we're coming at it from a general overall wellness perspective. And I think the big thing to remember in this episode is that back to school success isn't just about grades and supplies. It's also about helping students and families build routines, relationships, and habits that support their overall well-being. All that said, believe it or not, we still have a guest for today's episode. So let's give a listen to the conversation I had recently with Sam Arnold, and then I'll be back afterwards with a few more tips. We have the privilege today to be joined by Samantha Arnold, school-based program manager here at NRVCS. Sam, thanks for taking the time to hop on the Voices of Hope podcast today. Would you mind briefly just telling us a little bit about yourself, um, maybe about your background, your time at NRVCS, and anything else you might want to share?

SPEAKER_07 2:49

Yeah, sure. Um, I have been working in um the school systems with behavioral and mental health for the past 19, 20 years. 13. This is my 13th year here at NRVCS. I have spent all of my time in the school-based program here. Um it's where my heart is. I very much enjoy it. I started out as a TDT clinician here, uh, moved into our school waste case management position, went into some leadership and supervision, and and now I'm in a program manager position. And so nice.

SPEAKER_04 3:29

Yeah, I thought we had been around for a pretty similar amount of time. I started in 2011, so I know and we've worked together on a couple things in the past. So um well, so I'm hoping hoping you'll be able to share, you know, a few tips around the back to school time of year, which is quickly approaching. Um, maybe set the hearts and minds of some of our listeners at ease as they start to think about all the things that need to be done before the first day of school, you know, the sudden change to the summer schedule, too. And maybe people are uh a little worried about new teachers or classes or social situations. Um, so I guess as a starting point, what can families be doing right now, a couple weeks out from the first day of school, to begin preparing for that transition?

SPEAKER_07 4:18

Sure. Um and really this is parents, teachers, staff, students, and it that's really surrounding sleep patterns. And um obviously everybody goes a little bit lax on their sleep patterns. Your teens are are up pretty late at night um and sleeping in pretty late during the day. And um that's probably one of the most important things is giving it a few weeks to get back on a normal school routine sleeping pattern. Um make sure that you kind of set that same time um to go to bed, but also the same time that you'd be waking up before school starts. Um so if if you gotta get on the bus at 6 30, you're probably getting up at 5 30 or 6 o'clock, depending on if you want to get ready the night before or not. And so um most of our kids have not been up at at 5 30.

SPEAKER_06 5:14

Right.

SPEAKER_07 5:14

Uh six o'clock in the morning. And so really practicing that, um, giving yourself a pattern. Um and and not just waking up at 5 30, 6 o'clock, uh, working on that same routine. Get up, get ready, brush your teeth, do your, you know, those same kind of things that uh you're gonna be doing, waiting on the bus. And yeah, um, just try to get that schedule back to as normal as possible.

SPEAKER_04 5:41

That's a big ask, at least in you know, in my mind, I'm thinking about my kids who are 12 and 15, and you know, like you said, the the teenager is sleeping in till 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock some days. Uh and so would you recommend like a to just go straight to the the early wake-up, or should it be like a step down kind of gradually get there, or what do you what would you say?

SPEAKER_07 6:06

Yeah, and honestly, if you're not used to going to bed early and getting up early, your body isn't just gonna let you go to sleep uh at nine o'clock. So it it is really gonna be individual based and and work what works well for you, and um learning some things that are some good calming routine things that can start getting you to sleep uh earlier and earlier. And so that might two weeks might be a good time frame. Um you might might need a little bit more time if you know that yeah, you're just not used to that.

SPEAKER_04 6:41

So yeah. Okay, so sleep, um, what else is good to start doing now?

SPEAKER_07 6:47

Um I really kind of stress diet, particularly because um I've had kids in schools for years, and I you know, if you're used to not waking up until noon and snacking then, um, that is gonna be a drastic change. And so trying to reset your body and and eating well, having that breakfast earlier. Also, lunch times are all over the place in schools, and so they're you're starving by the time you get home, usually if you've eaten it. Right 10 30. And so um really kind of planning some healthy snacks, um stuff that kind of keeps you going longer and and you know, not all the candy and sodas, yeah, the things where you're gonna crash, but some stuff that will sustain you through the day and uh and help you after school when you're already tired and hungry.

SPEAKER_04 7:40

Right. Gotcha. Yeah, those are good tips. Um well, so let's say the the first day of school has come and gone, maybe the first few days, and we're now at the at the first weekend after school starts. Uh, I know that can be, you know, you've got your first time uh of rest, um, but it's also probably a time when kids are exhausted at that point. So what are some ideas, you know, for managing that?

SPEAKER_07 8:10

Sure. And and really it's those first few days of school. Uh anybody that has kids knows that they're gonna try to take a nap as soon as they get home. Um and sometimes those are lengthy naps because their body is adjusting. And um, I stress that we're not napping, you know, for two or three hours after school.

SPEAKER_05 8:32

Right.

SPEAKER_07 8:32

And then we're also not able to now fall asleep because we had a nice long nap. And um so really just kind of trying your best to keep that schedule. Sometimes you do need a power nap, and um I need a power nap some some days, and we gotta do it, but try to try to keep that short because that does lead into some of the irritation. And right, there's a a lot to learn in your first few days back to school, and um, you might be learning a new building, new teachers, new friends, and you're pretty overstimulated. Um and so I caution not to say, how was your day as soon as you walk in the door? Because if anybody has had a teenager, why are you asking me that? And so um really try to give a good 30, 40 minutes of decompression time to not ask them questions, just you know, have a snack, sit quietly, do something that isn't related to task or or anything like that, so that we can uh reset. And I think even as adults, we like to do that and have some downtime.

SPEAKER_04 9:39

So yeah, for sure. Um if if someone let's say a parent is uh maybe overwhelmed and with school related things, who is someone they should contact or or lean on in those confusing moments?

SPEAKER_07 9:57

It's a little bit of an information overload. I see um on social media, all of these, you know, back to school events and and um get your forms filled out, right? Any of those things. And so it's super overwhelming, uh, particularly if you have kids in, you know, elementary, middle, you're navigating two different systems who might have different requirements. And so some of those school counselors are starting to come back and sending those emails out. Yep. Um, so that is a good starting point. If you have school-based counselors, they also are are starting to work on navigating those things and and the requirements and sending that out.

SPEAKER_04 10:42

Right. Well, um, this has been very helpful. Do you have any is there anything I missed or any other tips that you'd like to to share before we end our time together?

SPEAKER_07 10:52

No, I think just uh routine definitely helps uh keep everybody's patience and and keeps us going. And uh hopefully that will help for a successful year back. And we look forward to it. Every year is is exciting and and stressful and all the things. And hopefully this is helpful.

SPEAKER_04 11:12

Yeah, yeah. And I think to go along with that, just just keeping in mind that we're all probably going through some sort of uh a stressful time and giving a little bit of grace to to people if they don't come across maybe uh as nice as they usually do. So well, thanks, Sam, for for all that you've contributed today. And um, like you said, let's hope for the best start to the school year ever.

SPEAKER_07 11:37

Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 11:42

Huge thanks to Sam for taking the time to join me in that conversation and share some of the wisdom she's gleaned from her years in the world of school-based services. So I just want to touch on a few other tips and then we'll end with something fun that I think everyone will enjoy. I think one of the most important factors in the overall well-being of parents and their kids is setting realistic expectations and putting connection ahead of performance. We obviously want our kids to excel in school, but we need to be sure we're defining success in healthy ways that steer them away from perfectionism. That means allowing room for mistakes, encouraging them to build relationships with their teachers, making sure they have the time and energy they need to maintain their friendships as well as their family connection. Students who feel connected tend to be more successful academically and emotionally. Okay, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention social media. I won't spend much time on this, but if you or your kids, notice I didn't just mention your kids, have access to social media and regularly spend time in that world, please be aware of the risks and manage those well. Avoid comparing yourself to influencers or other content creators, or even your classmates. Most of what we see on social media doesn't represent reality. Usually it's an overly idealized version of a person, and more and more often these days, it's a downright fictitious representation of real life. We could spend hours on this topic, and maybe someday we will, but please avoid comparing yourself with others on social media. Manage screen time and do your best to curate healthy online spaces versus toxic ones. Okay, next one I want to mention is consider setting up a family calendar. We've done this in our household, and it has really helped everyone feel more on the same page and significantly reduces the number of instances where someone feels blindsided by an event that's happening. Things you might want to put on a family calendar could include sports practices and games, club activities, due dates for big assignments, and other appointments like doctors, dentists, counselors, that type of thing. There are several ways you could implement a family calendar. There are devices that you can buy that are specifically made for this purpose. Basically, it's a screen that you can put in a central part of your home that always displays the calendar. Those are a little pricey. So if everyone in your family has a mobile device, you can also create a shared Google Calendar that you'll all have access to. And another method is just to have a dry erase board that you hang in your kitchen or another place where everyone would frequently see it. The last thing I'll mention is that this time of year can be a great opportunity for growth individually and on the family level. We can help each other learn about managing transitions and change in life since that's something that affects literally everybody. We can use this time to re-establish routines we may have gotten out of and to set wellness goals that we may have been considering for a while. So if this is a time of year that you typically dread, I would challenge you to try to reframe it as a positive time of opportunity. And if all the information in this podcast just further overwhelms you, ignore it all. Or maybe just pick one thing you heard today and apply it to your life. Do what works best for you and your family. There is no formula here. And finally, I want to leave you with some actual voices of hope, the voices of the very kids who are starting school in a couple of weeks and what they have to say about the topic. Enjoy. Always bring an extra pencil and make sure they're sharpened.

SPEAKER_06 15:08

Before school starts, like if you have a back to school night, then kind of get to know your teachers, and then also if you know your schedule, then like walk it to get like a feel of it. Yeah. So you're not as nervous like on the first day.

SPEAKER_05 15:24

For me, just like making a schedule, trying to have everything planned out in advance and making sure to leave a little bit of extra time everywhere, because nothing is ever a hundred percent efficient when you need it to be. If you don't add that extra five minutes between things, then you always end up like 30 minutes off of schedule at the end of the day. Yep.

SPEAKER_06 15:46

Make sure you know how you're getting home.

SPEAKER_05 15:49

Make sure you have good friends in your classes that will help you along the year and get your work done and stay focused in class.

SPEAKER_01 15:57

I would just say have fun and remember that school isn't just a place to memorize every single thing before a test, but it's also a place to meet people and build connections and create memories that'll stay with you for the rest of your life.

SPEAKER_00 16:10

So something that's helped me when I'm going back to school is to stay organized, and I like to do that with a calendar. Really helps me out. I can look at my schedule each day and see what I have coming up.

SPEAKER_02 16:22

Beyond time, remember your stuff. Don't be afraid to speak up first.

SPEAKER_04 16:28

Thanks for listening to Voices of Hope. If you enjoyed today's conversation, we'd love for you to rate and review the podcast and help us spread the word. Voices of Hope is a production of New River Valley Community Services. To learn more or listen to past episodes, visit nrvcs.org slash podcast. And remember, hope grows when we share it. So keep the conversation going, and we'll talk to you next time on Voices of Hope.