(WSVN) - As the final days of summer come to an end for students across Miami-Dade and Broward, 7News has some valuable tips for parents making sure their children have everything they need for the school year.
While teachers and students got to enjoy a couple months of rest and relaxation, that time is coming to an end with the start of August.
Some students have expressed excitement to returning to school to see their friends and the start of a new year.
“I’m so excited; I’m so excited for the senior activities,” said incoming 12th grader Ava Lebish.
“I’m very excited to see the same people again,” said incoming 12th grader Sophia Leon.
Students in Broward will be returning to schools on Aug. 10 while Miami-Dade students return to the classroom on Aug. 13.
Before that happens, parents will want to make sure they’re equipped with all the standard supplies they’ll need for the school year.
It’s worth noting that many of these supplies, such as pencils, erasers, notebooks, loose-leaf paper, folders, and backpacks, qualify for a tax holiday in Florida that runs until Aug. 20, offering some relief on tight budgets.
Parents will also want to verify if their children are attending schools that set their own dress codes for students. Since each individual school across South Florida decides whether to have their own dress code, the best way to confirm is by either checking your school’s website or contacting them over the phone about dress code requirements.
Students beginning kindergarten and 7th grade, or anyone who is new to the Florida public school system, will be required to have state-mandated immunizations and a recent physical on file.
For Broward parents who intend to have their children take the bus to school, you must enter the “Register 2 Ride” program, which requires all eligible students to sign up to reserve a bus seat. You can learn more about how to register here.
As for Miami-Dade parents, if your child attends their designated home school and lives more than two miles away, they are automatically routed and eligible for bus service.
When it comes to eating at school, parents do have options.
The federal meal program, Community Eligible Provision, or CEP, looks to provide free breakfast and lunch to students in areas with high poverty.
Miami-Dade Schools features 121 CEP-qualified schools while Broward features 141 for lunch. Broward County also offers free breakfast for students at every school.
The last, and most important, thing to get down is your student’s daily schedule.
Experts say parents should help their children maintain their daily routine year-round, including during summer break, to help them stay on track.
The morning should be used to prepare for the day’s activities while the afternoon should be filled with a healthy pace of work with appropriate downtime to recuperate and relax so that students can keep a good sleep schedule at night.
“I think that some of the common challenges that students face when they come back from summer break to the school routine really kind of revolve around the unstructured nature of the summer,” said Dr. Sandra Linder from Clemson University.
For more information on back-to-school preparations, you can learn more here for Miami-Dade and Broward.
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