School starts this year on many kids’ favorite day of the week, Friday, as the 2024-2025 school year will begin on August 23.
This is the earliest schools can start due to state law. Most schools typically start at this date because their goal is to finish the school year before June each year. Solon School District Superintendent Davis Eidahl said, “We try our best to set a calendar to where we can get out as close to Memorial Day as we possibly can. Anything beyond that day you start to lose student focus.”
The state chose August 23 to be the official earliest start date allowed for schools because of how important kids and families were to the Iowa State Fair. Eidahl said, “We have a lot of students around Iowa that not only attend the state fair but participate in the state fair.”
With the new school year soon to begin, there are a few new things around the district. For the first time in just over a decade, there will be a full industrial tech program in the High School. The class will aim to open the door to freshman and sophomores for an exploratory opportunity. It will also be available for any upperclassmen who want to dip their toes into the industrial tech world. Mr. J.J. Cooper will teach the program this year.
There will be a new playground at the intermediate school. The school has received all of the pieces needed for the climbing apparatus to be assembled, but the assembly will not be complete until late September. Eidahl said, “If kids are busy, are entertained, and have things they like doing, then they are less apt to be ornery.”
The transportation offices for the district will not only have a new location (at the former truck shop along Hwy. 1 on the north end of Solon), but also a new phone number. The number to call when needing to contact the transportation office is (319) 624-2047.
Transportation will be adding a tenth bus route this year as well. Information can be found under the transportation tab of the school district website. Eidahl said, “There will be a few routes adjusted by that as we pull students off their original route and put them on a new route. Which means that hopefully they are on a bus with fewer students and on that bus for a shorter amount of time.”
There will be open houses in the district for parents and kids to meet teachers and walk around the school Wednesday, August 21, starting at 4:00 p.m.
Tips to get kids back in the learning mindset
The beginning of school means kids’ summer of relaxation has come to an end. No longer are the days of staying up until the early hours of the morning or sleeping in until lunch. To prep for the school year, kids should begin to get into the school routine of waking up early and going to sleep at a decent time. Associate Superintendent Josh Lyons even advises to have kids go through the motions of getting ready for school.
A way to help ease kids into the school year nutritionally is to look ahead and plan for lunches over the first couple of weeks of school. This can be deciding what days they want to eat hot or cold lunch and what they want in their cold lunches as well as providing healthy options for snacks to fuel their day. Lyons said, “As we get into the first week of school, the kids need healthy meals, healthy snacks, and bedtime routines so they have the energy when they come to school to make it through the day.”
Parents play an important role in preparing their kids for the new school year. Often in the summer kids can forget some of the things they learned the year prior. Lyons says a way to combat a slow start to the year learning-wise is simply to read to or have a kid spend 15-20 minutes a night.
Lyons believes parents should also reach out to the classroom teachers. Parents reaching out to their kids’ teachers to introduce themselves can open a line of communication that can help down the road. Lyons said, “We want to be partners with our families, and we want to make sure everyone has a smooth transition into school.”
The beginning of school can lead to anxiety and nervousness for many kids. Lyons advises parents to not only talk about why they are nervous, but to talk about what they are excited about. Keeping conversations about school positive can help ease the transition back into school. Lyons said, “It’s always a good strategy to reflect on the day and think about how if today wasn’t a great day, how could we make tomorrow a better day. And sometimes it also helps parents reflect and calm their anxieties.”
Of course, each grade possesses its own challenges during the year but the beginning of a senior year can be one of the most difficult times to stay focused and motivated. A common terminology, “senioritis,” means that seniors become too relaxed in school because they are so close to the end. Lyons believes a way to prevent this loss of motivation begins with a strong start to the year. Lyons said, “For the seniors they need to anticipate what a great year it’s going to be. They should think about all that they want to accomplish that final year, because it will go by like that [Lyon’s snapped his fingers].”