Start of school brings plentiful activities

There are just a few more precious days of the summer break before children head back to school Monday morning.

These days are bound to be filled with activities as families prepare for the start of classes. There are new clothes and shoes to be purchased and backpacks to outfit with school supplies.

Despite my best intentions to prepare my daughters for school earlier this month, I know we will be busy sorting through closets — again — to see what still fits, either in size or style. There are bound to be a few things that will need to be replaced.

And since my younger daughter’s first words to me were “shopping for shoes,” I have no doubt that sometime in the next four days I will find myself inside a shoe store shopping. Can one ever have too many pairs of shoes?

Luckily for me, I have a penchant for office supplies and have a fully stocked cabinet at home with pens, pencils, paper and other necessities. I pick up unusual notepads or colorful writing utensils whenever I spot them.

The bigger challenge for me this year is to stay away from all those back-to-school sales where I can get a box of crayons or four-pack of glue sticks for 25 cents. My babies have grown up and are far beyond the need for crayons.

These last days also are a great time to reconnect and begin setting rules and priorities before waking up way too early Monday to catch the school bus and starting that frantic pace for the next nine months.

Parents are not the only ones who need to be aware of the start of the new school year. All residents of Boulder City will notice more activity on the streets, especially those near our local schools.

Police Chief Bill Conger said there will be extra officers patrolling the city’s streets the first week of school to help enforce traffic laws.

He also reminded drivers that the speed limit in school zones is 15 mph, and 25 mph most everywhere else.

Fortunately, according to Conger, there haven’t been too many issues or accidents involving children within the past year.

However, a few concerned residents have noticed people driving too fast on side streets to avoid the school zones.

Their impatience caused them to form a group, Slow Up So Our Kids Can Grow Up. The fledgling group actively watches drivers’ actions and reports them to the police department. They hope to create special signs to post on their streets warning drivers to slow down.

Also preparing for the start of the new school year is the corps of crossing guards. The men and women who help children cross busy streets on their way to and from school play an important role in keeping everyone safe.

To ensure they know exactly what their duties are and how to communicate better with police officers, crossing guards will attend a special class Friday presented by the police department. It’s a great way to establish rapport between the crossing guards and officers, as well as address many potential problems before they become serious issues.

Knowing the rules in advance, and what can be done to enforce them, is always a good idea.

As my husband likes to say, proper preparation prevents poor performance. With everyone on the same team, the 2014-15 school year should be a success.