Bells are ringing – for students headed back

The whole adventure really ought to come with a guidebook. And in some places, it does. But in North Carolina, the back-to-school ritual comes with various types of instructions for parents depending upon the system and the age of students.

In Wake County, students on the traditional calendar will be making a sometimes tough transition, though parents can help by keeping the young ones on more of a school bedtime schedule and making sure they’ve kept up with summer reading, etc. And parents need to be aware, as most are, that elementary students who ride a school bus will have color-coded tags to make sure they’re on the right bus going to the right places.

School lunches are going up 10 cents, and parents need to make sure they have put money in lunch accounts, even if they’re sending the kids in with their own lunches.

Also coming this year, cameras on school buses, an excellent idea. This won’t stop problems – of which there are relatively few – but it will allow school officials to check behavioral problems to ensure they’re addressed.

The transition from summer isn’t easy. There may be some hazy days yet, but there won’t be any more lazy ones. And the kids generally get excited about the start of school, which for many comes with a new book bag and lunch holder and some new clothes and shoes. As always, parents who have an opportunity and the means to contribute to funds to provide those things for students who can’t afford them can do so through any number of school-connected charitable efforts.

This story was originally published August 27, 2017 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Bells are ringing – for students headed back."