Good morning ladies and gents; boys and girls and everyone in between!

Today marks the first day of school for many students, and such is the case for my little guy going into the 6th grade! Every new school year there is a transportation issue and this year was no different. I walked my little guy to the bus stop and met his new bus driver. I provided her my cell number, took my sons’ picture and continued my day.

Roughly one hour later I received a call informing me that my son was dropped off at the incorrect school. The school he is currently enrolled in was not too far from the correct school; however I had to be notified so I can come up with a game plan to get him to his correct school. Initially, I was going to simply drive to the incorrect school and take him to the correct school. The commute would have made him extremely late on his first day; so I opted to call the bus depot and they contacted the driver who passionately apologized and picked up my son then took him to the correct school.

Every year I make it a point to be available the first week of school due to situations like this. The steps I take each year are:

• Take off from work or work a flexible schedule the first week of school.
• The week before I make the final solidification phone calls to ensure that there is nothing preventing my son from attending school (transportation, records, contact information, and other documents are all in place).
• Triple check the supply list from over the summer as items can change.
• Shop for lunch items the Sunday school starts to make sure the food is still fresh and the amount of food can last through the week and retool any changes needed that following weekend.

Since I was not involved in employment activities, I was able to handle today with ease. Always prepare for the unexpected.

What tips do you have for the first week of school?