
By Page Austin, Harvest Lifestyle Manager
Can you believe it’s already August? Where did the summer go? When it comes to going back to school, we know the crowd is divided. Some parents have said they can’t think about school yet. Other parents, like Laurie Peace, are excited about school. “We have had such a fun summer here in Harvest with our neighbors! Sad to see summer end but excited for my daughter Stephanie to start Kindergarten at Justin Elementary! She can’t wait to ride the bus and I am excited to see all she will learn this year,” said Laurie.
To help our Harvest students get ready for school, we hold round-ups so students can meet other Harvest students in their grade. We also do a back to school party where staff, cheerleaders and other representatives from Argyle ISD and Northwest ISD gather on our Event Lawn. We also partner with the Farmhouse Coffee & Treasures to host a Boo-Hoo/Yahoo coffee on the first day of school. It’s a great way for parents to come together to celebrate or commiserate!
We can’t forget about those who are heading off to college. That’s one of the biggest transitions for parents. There is a lot of anxiety for both parents and students. Earlier this summer, we hosted a panel made of up college students to answer questions about the transition. We also had parents of those students share from a parent’s perspective.
Our college students shared tips about planning your class schedule, meal plans, what to bring to your dorm, and pitfalls to avoid. Our college students offered great advice! Here are three big takeaways:
- “Make the most of every experience. College is what you make it!” – Logan Weitzer, Sophomore, Arkansas State University
- “Don’t ever give up or get discouraged by a bad grade because there are a lot of resources and people around to help.” – Jeff Woelfel, Sophomore, St. Louis College of Pharmacy
- “Make sure you have a routine, study, and more importantly have fun!” – Grant Weitzer, Junior, Texas Tech University
For parents, communication was a hot topic. The transition isn’t just tough for students, the parents have a hard time as well! Both Vicki Woelfel and Barbie Weitzer said they have a designated day (typically Sundays) that they FaceTime or call their college student. They also said they gave them some space in the beginning to get settled and to figure things out.
Whether you have a child going into kindergarten or heading off to college, we know that there are a lot of emotions. We hope it’s a smooth transition and that everyone has a wonderful school year! Don’t forget to share your #Back2School pictures with us!! Use #HarvestBetterTogether when you post your pictures!