5 Tips for Starting the School Year Strong at GIPS

The school year is fast approaching.
 

With the first days of school arriving in about a month, our staff will be busy in the coming weeks getting our schools ready to welcome you and your students.
 

We also know that preparing for a successful school year means a lot of planning at home too. 
 

To get ready for the upcoming school year, we put together a list of tips for you — our students and families — that may help your household prepare for starting school with positive momentum.
 

5 TIPS FOR STARTING THE SCHOOL YEAR STRONG
 

1. Establish A Morning Routine
    

Whether heading to Pre-School, Senior Year, or any grade in between, a good night’s rest is vital for students.  
 

Now is a great time to start establishing what your nighttime and morning routines will be as a family!
 

Once August arrives, implement a consistent bedtime, morning wake-up calls, and breakfast routines that you will practice during the school year.  This will help establish a routine and provide your student, young or teen, with time for their bodies and brains to adjust to the new schedule.

Also, don't forget to download the school year calendars HERE.
 

A healthy morning routine will also help ensure your student may arrive at school on-time and ready to learn.
 

2. Map Out Your School Drop-Off & Pick-Up Plans
    

Attendance is crucial to student success.
 

A big part of attendance is setting-up students to arrive at school on-time and knowing they have a plan for returning home when school is out.  
 

Start working on school drop-off and pick-up plans as soon as possible.  We encourage families to work together to ride or walk together to school.  Also, please consider leaving a little earlier in the morning this year as there will be increased traffic at our schools.
 

While the number of bus routes we run reduced last year, we still provide transportation throughout specific areas of the community.  You may find our 2025-26 transportation details on our 'Bus Routes' webpage.
 

School is important and we know that children look forward to seeing their friends and teachers every day in our buildings.  Setting them up for success means also prioritizing regular attendance.
 

 

3. Check School Supplies, Calendars, & Meal Menus
    

Don’t forget about school supplies!  
 

You may find a list of recommended supplies for GIPS on our 'Back to School' webpge.
 

Also, calendars for Preschool - High School, complete with A/B day labels, are available in English and Spanish on our district website.
 

And did you know?  GIPS Nutrition Services publishes breakfast and lunch meals by month.
 

Once August arrives, you will be able to find school meal menus on the Nutrition Services website HERE.  
 

The menus are able to be translated in over 100 languages and may be downloaded or easily captured through a screenshot on your mobile device.
 

4. Update Information in ParentVUE
    

Have you updated your contact information in ParentVUE for the school year?
 

If your phone number, mailing address, or student emergency contact information has changed since the last school year, now is a great time to make those changes in ParentVUE.
 

You may find ParentVUE information on our 'Back to School' webpage.
 

Updating your information in ParentVUE will help ensure you receive communication from your school and GIPS in the ways you need to.
 

You may expect to hear from both your school and the district regularly throughout the school year.  GIPS utilizes email, text message, phone calls, and direct mail to help you receive important school information and invitations to events and activities.
 

Speaking of which… You will be hearing from our schools soon for “Back to School” events!  Be sure to mark those on your calendar when details arrive. 
 

 

5. Remind Your Student That We Are Excited to See Them!
    

We are looking forward to launching another school year.  
 

More importantly, our teachers, principals, custodians, nutrition staff, counselors, social workers, paraeducators, everyone is excited to welcome you and your student to school!  Your student is our “why”; we mean that.
 

We would love for you to pass that message along to your student as well.  

 

We want all of our students and families to feel welcome in our schools.  Our goal is to work together with you to help make sure your student is prepared to start the school year with positive momentum.  
 

If you have any questions about preparing for the new school year, please reach out to your school social worker, or send an email to communications@gips.org, or call GIPS Student Services at 308.385.5900.  
 

Let’s make the upcoming school year a great one!

#WeAreGIPS