10 Tips to Prepare for Back to School brought to you by the Jacksonville Public Library.

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advice, Back to School, Back to school tips, hassle-free move, Jacksonville Public Library, Jacksonville Real Estate, School District

While the heat may not be winding down, the summer freedom is. That means it’s time for school supply shopping trips, earlier bed times, and the dread of homework to come. Heading back to school doesn’t have to be stressful though. Follow these tips to make your life easier come the dreaded first week back.

1. If your kids are not already participating in Summer Learning, encourage them to read at least one age appropriate book before school starts.
2. Make sure your student has their most valuable school supply item, their library card. The Jacksonville Public Library Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) student card program has been extended this year to include all students grade K-12! Their DCPS ID card can be used as their library card. Check out our website for more information about the student card. Not a DCPS student? No problem. If your child is age 17 and younger, they could qualify to get a juvenile card.
3. Familiarize yourself with the online homework and tutoring help the library offers.

   Your library card gets you admittance to more than just physical materials. Unlock access to research databasesfor school papers, Brainfuse HelpNow for homework and tutoring, ebooks, and much more!

4. To save money, take advantage of Tax Free Weekend, August 2-6.
5. Print out your school’s supply list and inventory school supplies from previous years before shopping for new supplies.
6. Visit educational and local attractions to get your kids excited about learning again. Tour places like the library (duh!), the Cummer Museum and Gardens, The Museum of Science and History (MOSH), and other cultural attractions.
7. Get your kids ready for their normal “school night” bed times by starting the routine two weeks before the first day of school. Check out these recommended hours of sleep per age group from WebMD.
8. Have a discussion with your children about what they should expect on the first day so they feel more prepared.
9. Look up the school lunch schedule ahead of time and discuss the healthy options with your children.
10. Remove distractions like mobile devices and games from your child’s room to help them get a good night’s sleep.

Whether you’re dreading back to school or welcoming it, being prepared is always a sanity saver. Now if only we could come up with tips to guarantee kids will be out of bed, fed, and dropped off on time! Here’s to another successful school year, good luck.

Have any questions or are you ready to start your new home search in 2019? Give us a call today!  Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORS Keller Williams Realty Atlantic Partners Southside 904-515-2479 http://www.HanleyHomeTeam.com

 

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Evaluating Schools

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buying near a great school, evaluating schools, neighborhood schools, School District, School research, schools

The question remains: How do you evaluate schools? What’s the best approach for understanding if your local schools will score your property an “A” or relegate it to the land of “D-“?

Luckily, there are some excellent resources out there for vetting schools online. Here are a few I’ve come across which provide a good place to start:

Education.com: A major portal site for education everywhere, you’ll want to pay particular attention to the schools section, found here: http://www.education.com/topic/school-and-academics/

GreatSchools.org: A good search engine for researching schools, you can do zip code based searches and learn lots about the public and private institutions in the area.

ProjectAppleseed.org: A website dedicated to improving public schools, you can learn a lot here about the crucial elements of what makes a local school and excellent local school.

Finally, here are a handful of questions to ask yourself if you’re doing research:

How comprehensive is the school’s safety policy?
What social/support services are available at the school?
How does the school handle discipline?
Are people involved in a parent/teacher organization?
How healthy is the school district’s annual report?

Finally, be sure to ask your agent!

Looking for neighborhoods with great schools? We can help! Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORS Keller Williams Realty Atlantic Partners Southside 904-422-7626 http://www.HanleyHomeTeam.com