FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — The nerves before the first day of school are not only felt by students, but also by parents.<\/p>\n
Alexis Kapheim has a 7-year-old daughter and Billy, who will soon start kindergarten within the Visalia Unified School District.<\/p>\n
She felt nervous about how Billy would handle school and took proactive steps to prepare.<\/p>\n
“Talk to the staff, talk to the teachers, be involved,” she said. “Know what your kids are going to do during the day, and that will relieve the anxiety that you have. “<\/p>\n
Billy was part of a weeks-long program, TK round-up, where little ones attend school for three hours daily, helping prevent anxiety on the first day.<\/p>\n
“By the time that first day rolls around, they are comfortable, and that crying that we used to see is almost non-existent,” says Leticia Trevino, Visalia Unified’s Early Childhood Education Director.<\/p>\n
School districts like Fresno and Clovis Unified want to remind parents and students that feeling nervous about going to school is completely normal.<\/p>\n
“Families and students really experience a lot of uncertainty,” says Abigail Arii, Fresno Unified’s Student Support Services Director. “They are going into uncharted territory, they don’t know everything on the other side, and that is where there is a lot of worry.”<\/p>\n
Arii with Fresno Unified says it’s about being prepared regardless of your grade level.<\/p>\n
“Focus on what you can control, so for a lot of families, that might look like having what supplies they need to have prepped,” she said. “Maybe that is setting out the first day outfit early. For those students going to larger campuses, having a schedule and a map, maybe walking the campus beforehand to know where they are going.”<\/p>\n
If students continue to feel anxious, school leaders say there is support.<\/p>\n
“We also have a social-emotional support team on campus that includes a school psychologist and social workers,” Arii said.<\/p>\n
Kim Aalto with Clovis Unified says there is always someone available on their campuses as well.<\/p>\n
“We have peer-to-peer groups, we have impact counselors, we have our school psychologist,” she said. “We have people who are trained for our kids.”<\/p>\n
All three school districts have detailed links on their website with resources for students and parents who want to take a glance before talking to someone on campus.<\/p>\n
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