It's Never Too Early to Start Getting Ready for School

The first day of school, Sept. 4, is fast approaching, but there sure are a lot of things that need to be done to make sure the school year is successful.

The Northshore School District is hosting their annual back to school fair on Aug. 15 from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at Maywood Hills Elementary to help parents and students prepare.

According to Karen Orsinger, the partnerships coordinator at Northshore School District, the free event will include a “resource room” where representatives from community organizations such as the Northshore YMCA, City Bothell of Parks and Recreation, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, can talk to families. Human service providers, including Public Health, Hopelink and the Northshore Family Center will also be available.

Parents and kids can enjoy live music, free food and drink, and craft activities will keep the youngsters entertained.

What to do to get ready for school:

Immunizations: In order to attend school, kids are required to get certain vaccinations. For a complete list of the required immunizations, click here. Parents who intend to exempt their kids from the vaccination requirements should know that changes have been made to the immunization exemption law.

Transportation: Students riding the bus to school this year can find their bus route here. For more information about transportation including the rider code of conduct and bus stop guidelines, click here.

Inclement Weather: To find out whether school’s closed because of weather conditions, sign up for email reports from schoolreport.org. The school district posts their decision by 6 a.m. For more information about weather related closures, click here.   

School Supplies: Before going back to school shopping, find out what your child needs for the school year. Click here to find your child’s school and click on “2012-13 supply lists.” has already started stocking school supplies.

Bell Schedule: Every school runs on different bell schedules by about five minutes to accommodate the buses. Link to your child’s elementary, junior or high school to find the bell schedule.

Attire: Every year, someone seems to get in trouble for their choice of wardrobe. Section 1B of the student rights and responsibilities handbook addresses the district’s rules for attire and dress.

For more information, go to the Northshore School District website.