“[There are] always mixed feelings — a little bit of apprehension about what to expect, who's going to be in your class, your new teacher, a new building sometimes — so feeling nervous and a little bit anxious is part of back to school.” These are the words of Tara Routhier, a guidance counsellor at École Morden Middle School who has been involved in the system in one way or another since she was five years old. These days, Routhier gains firsthand insight into the back-to-school experience through her two children, Lucy (grade 6) and Leo (grade 5). For the pair, as with many children, there’s a lot to think about before that first bell rings in September — concerns that may seem slightly foreign to adults who have been out of the school system for a while. A flurry of questions For Lucy, who attends École Morden Middle School, there is no shortage of matters to consider as the summer comes to an end, but she also knows that she’s not alone in the experience. “You’re always worried about bullies or you're worried about not having as many friends and you're worried about fights and you're worried about if the teachers are nice, but that's just normal,” she said. “Everyone gets that feeling sometimes.” For the sixth grader, the importance of friends stands out. She acknowledges that school is where most kids meet their companions, but sometimes it can be a bit nerve-racking to make new ones. As someone who has befriended plenty of students new to school, Lucy opts to stick to the basics. “If they weren’t making the first move, I would say, ‘Hi, how are you doing? What's your name?’ Then I'll just hang out with them, and eventually, they'll get more friends,” she said, adding that her friends are also an important part of her confidence at school. “Friends are usually there to encourage you,” she said. “When I was scared to go into performance, I had a few friends come and they ... told me, ‘You can do this, Lucy.’ They told me it would be really fun, so they are usually there to give you that hand to encourage you.” ‘We do not want to go back to school’ Although Leo agrees with his sister that friends are one of the most essential components of going back to school (he said that they are there to back him up if he does something “awkward”), for him, it’s a difficult time of year. “Each year you're at the end of the school year, and you're like, ‘Finally, I made it through another one,’ but then I can probably say this for like 98% of the kids out there: We do not want to go back to school,” he said. Leo suspects that the children who agree with him about school are the ones who “normally get bored very easily.” “We are doing swimming lessons very early, and I planned that specifically so we could practice getting up early in the morning. Right now, we have the alarm set for 7:00 a.m., which will be something similar in a couple of weeks.” -One of Tara Routhier's strategies to prepare her children for the new school year. Although this is Leo’s sentiment in no uncertain terms, he still maintains a positive attitude about the inevitability of heading to the classroom — and some things make it better, which can be helpful for adults to know. To begin, he said that creating a routine helps, and making learning fun allows the time to pass quickly for him. “Once [kids] make it past the morning, they think, ‘Hey, I'm doing good because we've been doing a lot of things,’” he said. “It's kind of hard to get bored because they're always giving you things to do and stuff.” What can help ease the transition? When it comes to addressing Lucy and Leo’s concerns about going back to school, for Routhier, the secret is preparing for the transition ahead of time to make it as smooth as possible. She said that simple tasks like laying out outfits and making lunches the evening before a school day can make a difference. As the summer progresses, Routhier said she has also introduced a new routine. “We are doing swimming lessons very early, and I planned that specifically so we could practice getting up early in the morning,” she said. “Right now, we have the alarm set for 7:00 a.m., which will be something similar in a couple of weeks.” Though Routier admits that it is difficult for her children to get up when the alarm rings, it’s all the more reason the practice is a good one. In addition to becoming more comfortable with earlier wake-up times, it also allows the family to get a read on how long it takes to complete the morning routine, which is knowledge that could lessen the rush when school days come. “I would encourage parents to talk positively about school ... [Reflect] on your day and celebrate some of the challenges that you overcome and the things that make your day special." -Tara Routhier on how parents can talk about school to alleviate their children's anxieties. Routhier also said that her family begins the day with a healthy breakfast and limiting screen time to build habits conducive to a successful school day. “We allowed a lot of screen time over the summer, and so we're going to start going back to a routine where we don't allow screens after supper,” she said. Other ideas to keep the school transition smooth According to Routhier, for younger children, driving past the school, playing on the school grounds, and practicing daily occurrences like opening snack containers can also be reassuring. Routhier said her school division, Western, also assists families with transition days during which parents and students are invited to have one-on-one meetings with teachers and visit their classrooms. Other stories: Back to school zones with Winkler Police Chief Ryan Hunt Eden’s Head for the Hills is back for year 23 with some inviting updates The division also provides similar support in its “Move Up Day,” which allows students to meet their teachers for the upcoming year at the end of June. The power of conversation and a listening ear When it comes to the social aspect of school, Routhier recommends encouraging children to get involved in the school community through programs and clubs. Although preparation and proactivity can help with the transition, Routhier said that empathy and maintaining a good attitude are also good strategies for parents and children alike ahead of the new school year. “I would encourage parents to talk positively about school ... [Reflect] on your day and celebrate some of the challenges that you overcome and the things that make your day special,” she said. With files from Robyn Wiebe