3, 2, 1. . . The school year is almost ready to blast off, and you've been busy at your Christian school getting your schedules, classes, and activities ready for a new group of freshly faced students. Finally, you are ready for the doors to open and the throngs of students to flood your once summer-silent halls. Or are you?

What orientation materials do you have to help students adjust to the new school year? If you answered, "Not much," here are a few ideas to make the transition smooth for the nervously anticipating students about to begin classes.

1. Host an Open House. Invite parents and students to your school to meet their teachers, find their classrooms and lockers, and meet classmates. This is a good time to remind parents of policies, parent/teacher conferences and office hours, activity schedules, and supply list needs.
2. Offer a Welcome Packet. Include important contact information, student and parent resources, curriculum information, teacher bios, student expectations, club list, campus map, student ID and school calendar. A welcome letter from the principal is also a nice touch! (Sign up parents for a school newsletter, too.)
   
3. Give Fun Freebies. Help get students and parents excited with free school merchandise items that will pump up their school spirit. Consider offering drawings or giveaways for school T-shirts, posters, magnets, school supplies, sports clothing, and bumper stickers.
4. Hand Out Personal Resources. Offer items that could improve student success that might not be directly related to your school. Items could be a list of educational websites, homework study tips, technology usage help, a weekly progress checklist, motivation helps, test preparedness tips, and parent help articles. (Build relationships immediately with students so they know they can come to teachers, counselors, or guidance personnel when they have questions.)
5. Have an Intro. to School Course. Stats prove that schools that offer a school overview course have a better rate of student retention. Topics covered in the course could include the following: school details and course options, directions for communication with teachers/students/parents, school website information, and information about curriculum (and technical info such as login and troubleshooting if your Christian school uses online curriculum like Ignitia from AOP.)
6. Assign New Students to a Welcoming Committee. Form a committee of older students who know the ropes and are willing to introduce newbies to the ways of your school. Peer tours and peer support groups are essential elements in making students feel comfortable in your school.
7. Make Orientation Personal. Try to make orientation as personal as possible. Add student names to items. For transitions between grade levels, consider adding time-appropriate materials, such as the switch from elementary to middle school and middle school to high school.
8. Establish Learning Communities. Give students somewhere to go for help and fellowship. Clubs, teams, and groups are the obvious choice. Tutoring centers, teacher/student activities, and out-of-the-classroom events can also build relationships and a feeling of belonging to your school in your students.

Remember when you were a student in school, feeling nervous with knots in your stomach before your first day? Now that you're a teacher or administrator, you have an opportunity to elevate nervousness with a well-planned orientation.

Your Christian school might already do one or two of the items on this list, but consider implementing these other great ideas school-wide. The more your students can easily adjust to learning at your school the better their academic experience will be.

Breathe deeply. This school year is going to be fantastic! Start your students off strong.

What student orientation ideas does your Christian school do? Share with readers.