By Mary Welander
State Rep., D-114
Mary Welander
Like many families, we are saying goodbye to summer and hello to the new school year. Our family is in a period of transition as two of our kids are starting at new schools in the Amity District. At the same time, our oldest will be able to drive independently in the near future.
With these considerable changes looming in our family, and many other facing similar adjustments, I wanted to share some thoughts and resources that may help all of us make this school year a great one. Like a student’s grade point average, a “family GPA” starts with preparation, attention to details and follow-through.
Gameplan: Some students may be able to navigate the start of a new grade or a new school with ease, but for many it can be overwhelming and sometimes unsettling. Creating a gameplan with your student addressing their comfort with new situations and new people may reduce some of that anxiety before the start of the school year. Teachers and school counselors can also be part of that process so your student knows they have someone to turn to if they need support.
You can also work on a gameplan for at-home preparation and habits. The New York Times article by Jessica Lahey, “How to Help Your Child Succeed at School,” may have some ideas that can help.
Privacy: With an increasingly tech-based society, we have all become more accustomed to using social media platforms to keep in touch with friends and family, especially on big days like the first day of school. Unfortunately, we need to be more aware of how to protect our online data privacy.
As more bad actors are using online information to gain access to personal information or even to contact our children, security experts are cautioning against posting photos that share specific information such as your child’s height or weight, interests or teacher’s name. Instead, it’s recommended that you protect your family’s privacy by only using general captions or not sharing photos with personal information online. Talking with older children who have their own devices about sharing personal information is also important for their safety.
Aware: The start of the school year means busier roads with many new, young and inexperienced drivers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2021 young drivers between the ages of 15-20 made up 11.7 percent of traffic fatalities in Connecticut. Aggressive driving patterns, high speeds and distracted driving have all increased over the past few years. Ensuring your new driver is aware of those dangers and reminding them of the updated guidelines can help keep our kids and our roads safer.
Having a new driver in the house is making me much more aware of my own driving tendencies and pushing me to make safer choices when behind the wheel. You can find information and tips about new drivers at portal.ct.gov/TeenDriving.
Wishing all of the Orange and Amity families, students and educators the very best in this new school year.