Back to School Checklist

1. Health & Wellbeing

Sleep Schedule

Gradually get your child back onto a bedtime and wake-up schedule a week before school starts. This will make adjusting to early morning starts easier. Aim for 9-11 hours of sleep per night for younger children and 8-10 hours per night for teenagers. Reduce screen time before bed to improve sleep quality.

Health Check-ups

Every child entering a private or government school for the first time must, by law, have a health screening. These are usually conducted in the summer months and are free if done through the Public Health Department. Once the health check-up has been done you will be issued with a health screening certificate which you must take to the school. Talk to your paediatrician about having your child’s blood tested to see if their iron levels are low. Scientific reviews have found a consistent association between children with iron-deficiency anaemia and poorer cognitive performance.

Vaccines

If your child is starting primary school for the first time, the school will ask to see their immunisation record and will expect any outstanding immunisations to be administered before they start school in September. The Public Health Department at the Smith Road Medical Centre can administer vaccines, and many are given free in an effort to encourage more families to have their children vaccinated to keep the island free of preventable disease. If your child is heading off to university, it is recommended that they get immunisations for Meningococcal ACWY (meningitis), measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and HPV (recommended for female students), if they have not already had them.

Vision & Hearing Tests

It is a good idea to have a vision test once a year, and if you suspect that your child might be having problems with their hearing, then a hearing test as well.

Medication

If your child is on any medication, make sure that you fill prescriptions or book an appointment with their paediatrician to organise a new prescription for the school year. If they have allergies or a medical condition, make sure to update the school nurse.

Mental Wellbeing

Talk openly with your children about any worries they may have about going back to school, whether it be about friendships, schoolwork, or a new teacher. If they struggle with anxiety, practise relaxation techniques like deep breathing or mindfulness. Help them to talk about their worries in the safety and security of your home and give them strategies to overcome their worries. Reach out to their teacher, or a counsellor in advance if needed.

2. School Supplies & Uniform

Uniform & Shoes

Don’t leave buying uniforms and shoes until the last minute or you might find that the options are very slim, especially in Cayman! Plan to go at least two weeks before school starts but don’t go too early as your child might well go through a growth spurt over the summer! Buy name tapes and name stickers and label everything to prevent items from getting lost.

Backpack, Lunchbox, Water Bottle & Stationery

A good-quality backpack should have padded straps to protect your child’s back. You can find a very good selection at Atlantic Kids and Waterman. Check if your child needs new notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, rulers or a calculator. Older children may need specific supplies like a geometry set, scientific calculator and a laptop. Most schools in Cayman now require their students to have a laptop, particularly once they get into high school.

Choose a lunchbox that is easy to clean and insulated. Either buy a lunch pack that has in-built ice packs as part of the lining or buy freezer blocks from Kirk Home Centre, A.L. Thompson's or Bon Vivant to keep their lunch cool. An insulated thermos will keep their lunch warm. Buy a medical grade stainless steel insulated water bottle. These do an amazing job at keeping water cool and last forever. If you make your child’s lunch every day, spend some time planning a few healthy and easy-to-pack meals. Visit the Cayman Parent website for inspiration or do an internet search for 'healthy packed lunch options for children’. As a reminder, all schools in Cayman have a nut-free policy.

Academic Readiness

The ‘summer slump’ is a real thing that teachers in Cayman notice every year when the children start back at school after a long summer off. We have written an article about it and you can find it on the Cayman Parent website. Make sure you are getting your children to read over the summer, and if you can, go back over last term’s notes and worksheets to refresh their memory.

Find out from their teachers what subjects will be taught in the first part of the new school year, and bring these subjects up at the dinner table to get your children thinking about them and discussing the topics. Review where they will do their homework, and if possible set up a quiet, tidy space at home with good lighting for homework and study time. Discuss their homework routine, and set down ground rules (e.g. phones must be on airplane mode while studying).

3. Organisation, Transportation & Safety

For young children, consider doing a morning tick chart that outlines (with photos) what the child needs to get done in the morning (e.g. make bed, get dressed, brush teeth, eat breakfast, take dishes to the sink, gather backpack, water bottle and lunch pack, leave house by 6.45am). Will you be driving your child to school or will they be taking a school bus? If the school bus, talk to the school about when and where the bus will pick up your child.

Make sure that the school has up-to-date contact details for parents and emergency contacts. If your child carries a phone, ensure they know important numbers. Teach them what to do if they miss the bus, get lost, or feel unsafe. Make sure the school knows about any allergies, and if your child has an EpiPen, make sure that it is within date.

All schools in Cayman will send you an introductory email with everything you need to think about very clearly laid out. They will also guide you to a website or app that they use to keep parents and students informed of timetables, homework, when a PE kit is needed, staff contact details, school lunches, and after-school clubs and events. For example, John Gray High School uses Arbor as a school management system; St Ignatius uses an app called EPraise; Cayman Prep and Island Primary use Everest and Cayman International School uses the PCR Educator platform. Many schools also use Microsoft Teams. It would be a good idea to become familiar with these websites/apps and how they work prior to your child starting school.

4. Extracurricular Activities

Discuss with your children what afternoon activities they would like to try in the new school year. Some days they can stay in school and do school clubs – check their school timetable for sign-up deadlines for clubs, music lessons or sports teams – and if it’s possible to take your children to football practice, or for swimming, tennis, music or some other lesson, it will help them feel more confident as they discover what they are good at, and what they enjoy.

Once you know what your child would like to do then book up your chosen time slot quickly. There are only so many lessons available between 3pm and 5pm on a school day and on a Saturday morning. Once your child has decided what sport they'd like to do, make sure they have the necessary gear. Use a planner or calendar to schedule activities, so schoolwork and relaxation time are balanced. Have a look at our article on After-School Classes & Activities.