Back to School is always an exciting and challenging time! It’s no different at our two Emergency Children’s Shelters, then for me personally as my two daughters started back recently. Our staff and volunteers are filled with hope and promise that the kids will succeed, that they will be supported by teachers and administration and will find peers who will treat them kindly.
Many of our staff work diligently to make sure everything is in place for the 23 kids who will start school this year. From coordinating transportation, back to school shopping, school meetings and more, the Shelter Educational Specialists are responsible for coordinating all the back to school logistics for each of the kids. They make classroom lists, bus schedules, organize "Meet the Teacher Night," fill out numerous registration packets, stuff backpacks per each classroom supply list, help pick out first-day outfits and take pictures of the kids on their first day of school. They are also responsible for coordinating and managing academic goals, daily homework and teacher meetings.
Along with all the preparation for back to school that most parents experience, the Shelter Educational Specialists work to coordinate with therapists, case aids, case managers and sometimes even parents or family members to make sure everything is in place for a smooth transition.
Please join me in wishing our children well and hoping that this will be a year of successes. We make school a priority because, with a good education, anything is possible.
