The new-year checklist usually stops at pencils, shoes, and lunch kits—but a smooth start also depends on routines, relationships, and realistic expectations. Below is CVA’s practical, classroom-tested plan for a confident first day and a strong first month.

1. Build Familiarity Before Day One

• Family open house: tour the room, test the cubby, meet the lead teacher.
• Photo flip-book: snap pictures of the playground, entrance, and classroom; review them at bedtime so everything looks familiar in the morning.

2. Establish Predictable Home Routines

Children handle new settings best when mornings at home feel steady. One week out, set the school-wake time, practice breakfast in “school shoes,” and do a five-minute backpack check so lining up feels automatic.

3. Preview the Day’s Flow

Teachers use a picture schedule—breakfast, circle time, centers, outside play, lunch, rest, more play, pick-up. Create the same visual schedule on the fridge so your child can “see” when you’ll be back.

4. Pack a Comfort Cue

A small family photo or a silicone bracelet with “You’ve got this!” gives children a non-distracting way to self-soothe if nerves pop up.

5. Focus on Skills, Not Stuff

Talk about making friends, asking for help, and trying new foods. Research shows children stress more over social unknowns than forgotten crayons.

6. Share Key Details With Teachers

Allergies, nicknames, or recent changes at home? Jot them on the “About My Child” card at orientation. The more we know, the faster we meet individual needs.

7. Keep Good-Bye Short but Sure

A quick hug, a confident smile, and a parting phrase (“See you at 3:30—love you!”) sends the message that school is safe and pick-up is guaranteed.

8. Debrief the First Week

Skip the yes/no questions. Try:
• “Show me your favorite place in the classroom.”
• “What was the goofiest thing at lunch?”
If worries surface, alert the teacher early. Quick tweaks make big differences.

9. Expect a Tired Child

New sights and sounds are exhausting. Plan calm evenings and an earlier bedtime for the first ten days.

10. Partner All Year

Check the daily report, read class newsletters, and attend family events. When school and home send the same signals, children thrive.