One way is to make all information pertaining to the start of school friendly and easy to access.
Anticipating both anxious and enthusiastic students and families, I updated the class website's welcome page this morning.
I started with one of my favorite ambassadors to all things positive and learning, Kid President:
After that I wrote a short welcome note to students providing them with ways to prepare for a successful year and information about the first day of school. I also invited students and families to email me anytime with questions or thoughts as it's easy and helpful to check my email regularly and answer any questions they may have.
Throughout August, I imagine that families and students may drop in and take a look at the class and team websites in anticipation of the year ahead.
The more we can do to start the year with transparent, inclusive, and welcoming information, the better the year will be. Don't you agree?