Back-to-School Jitters?

by Sheree Wyatt, Building Families Specialist

Here are some back-to-school tips that may be helpful in your home: 

1. Many children get nervous about new situations, including changing to a new school, classroom, or teacher. If your child seems nervous, it can be helpful to rehearse heading into the new situation.
2. Point out the positive aspects of starting school to help your kids look forward to the first day of class. Talk about how they will see old friends and meet new ones!
3. Consider starting your child on their school sleep/wake schedule a week or so ahead of time so that time change is not a factor on their first couple of days at school.

Building Families offers in-person and virtual therapy for children and families. We use Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) which is an attachment-based caregiving model to meet the unique needs of children. For more tips, or information about the services Building Families offers, email me at swyatt@thornwell.org

St. Andrews continues to find new ways to love and serve our neighbors. This time with books. We’re giving away free books! We have a stash of children’s books sitting unread in our Education Wing. Additionally, all of us likely have excess books for adults we’d love to donate. As children head back to school, and crowds visit our grounds each week at the Farmer’s Market, we’re inviting market goers to take FREE BOOKS home with them to be enjoyed anew. The St. Andrews Free Book Exchange Table (Donate and/or Take home Books) will be featured at the Farmers Market.

We need volunteers to help sort and prepare book donations, set up and break down our display on Thursdays, and to host the table during Market hours (4-7pm). Please contact LaVerne for more information, or to put your name on the list of volunteers, laverne@sapctucker.org. There will be a box in the narthex starting this Sunday to donate books for our book table

Make your plans now to join us for an outing on Thursday, September 7th. We’ll leave the church around 10:30 am to have an early lunch at the Mary Mac’s Tea Room before visiting the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in early afternoon.  Tickets are $10.00 for adults 60+ and $12.00 for all other adults. We will not be doing a guided tour so you will be on your own to explore the Library and Museum at your own pace. Please contact Pat Baker 678-438-3673 or pat@sapctucker.org by August 25, 2023 if you’d like to go.  

In Worship, on August 6th All students and educators, young and old, or anyone returning to work in an office is invited to bring your backpack, messenger bag, or tote to worship. We’ll celebrate the new school year and pray for our students and teachers. We will pass out tags to go on these bags to remind everyone that Christ’s peace goes with you and that the love and support of your church family goes with you everywhere you go. Put one on your gym bag or yoga mat strap. Pick up one of the cards to keep in your wallet or tuck in your car’s sun visor to remind you of the love of God and peace we receive from Christ and share with our neighbors.  

Join us for a family-friendly movie night on Sunday, August 20, at 4:00 pm in Heffner Hall. We’ll be watching Inside Out

It’s a great movie for all ages and stages of life. We’ll have popcorn and water. Children can come in their pajamas and bring pillows, blankets, or whatever makes them comfy. We’ll have some chairs and tables set up, too.

This event is a companion to Rev. Dr. Camille’s sermon series Big Feelings, which beings in morning worship on Sunday, August 20.  Click here for printable “tickets” you can use to invite folks to come to the movie.

• The Blessing of the Backpacks will be held in worship on Sunday, August 6th.
• Back-to-School Carnival, August 12th
• All-Church Movie Night in Heffner Hall, August 20th, 4:00 pm
• Rally Day, our celebration of the beginning of Fall Sunday School classes for all ages, will be on September 10th.
• Coro Voci Concert, September 10th, 4:00 pm
• Fall BBQ – September 24th, after worship

Carnival – Sign Up Now! Our annual Back-to-School Carnival will be held on Saturday, August 12th at 10:00 am. We’ll have bounce houses, a petting zoo, hotdogs, story time, crafts, yard games, and new this year, a firetruck! We need your support to make this big day a success Click here to volunteer. There will also be a paper sign up sheet in the Narthex on Sunday morning.

• The Blessing of the Backpacks will be held in worship on Sunday, August 6th.
• Back-to-School Carnival, August 12th
• All-Church Movie Night in Heffner Hall, August 20th, 4:00 pm
• Rally Day, our celebration of the beginning of Fall Sunday School classes for all ages, will be on September 10th.

Fall BBQ – September 24th, after worship.

 This fall Vivian would have been starting Kindergarten. David and Kjersti are asking to honor this milestone by making donations to Omega Support Center’s 4th annual Back to School Celebration on July 29th Omega plans to serve 1000 + students in DeKalb County with backpacks, school supplies, uniforms, shoes and personal hygiene items. You can make a donation online in Vivian’s memory on their website located here, or bring in new school supplies to the Narthex this Sunday, July 23rd. A list of the most needed items includes: small Kleenex boxes, notebook paper, paper towels, folders, calculators for H.S. Students, and gift cards for shoes.

It seems like Summer has just started, but it’s already time to collect items for NETWorks’ Good Neighbor Back-to-School Shop. More information about the program can be found here. We will have collection bins in the Narthex and by the office beginning this Sunday, July 2nd. Collection ends Sunday, July 19. Click this link for the list of most needed items. The expense of school supplies can be a burden on families. The Back to School Shop collects new school supplies and families that qualify for NETWorks’ services can shop for what they need when they visit the food pantry at deeply discounted prices.

Click this link to volunteer at NETWorks, and this link to donate in lieu of shopping for items. Thank you for supporting this important outreach to our neighbors. Collection Bins are available through July 15 in the narthex, and in the courtyard by the door to the office. Additionally we will be collecting at The Tucker Farmer’s Market (July 6 &13).