FIVE WAYS TO BLESS YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL THIS YEAR

It’s September – which means back-to-school for lots of us, and first-time-at-school for some of us.

Whether your child is just starting, or returning after many years, here are some ways that your school will be blessed for counting you amongst its families this year.

Be actively grateful

Hopefully, you’re already grateful for what your teachers do. But – it sounds so obvious, I barely want to say it – they won’t know unless you tell them.

So be someone who writes emails or cards, someone who makes a point of thanking teachers at the end of the day – whatever comes easiest.

Last year, besides sending cards to Mister’s fabulous teachers at the end of term , I also wrote to them at the end of the first half term, after Parents’ Evening, Sports Day, and one of the school trips. It doesn’t take a minute, but it encourages them to keep going in the important vocation they’ve chosen.

>>Five Ways to Help your Child Succeed in School<<

When you pay for a trip or other expense, consider paying double

However affluent your school, if it is a state school, then it will be a school where some of the families are struggling to get by. It may not be obvious, people may hide their financial difficulties, but don’t think they don’t exist.

So if you can afford to, why not pay twice the amount next time your child goes on a school trip, or the next time funds are needed for an extra-curricular activity.

Note, I’m not talking paying double the cost of some elaborate ski trip or safari trek! But if £5 is required for a trip, why not consider paying £10?

The school will immediately know who needs that money, and it will bless that family enormously, as well as the school’s finances.

Hand stuff in on time

It’s a small thing, but so very helpful to teachers when forms and reply slips are handed in on time.

Teachers aren’t supposed to spend their working hours dealing with admin, but, realistically, it’s usually quicker for the teacher to badger parents rather than let the office staff deal with it. And this means that your taxes are paying a teacher to waste time hounding you, rather than planning the next lesson, or making the classroom an amazing learning environment.

>>Five Ways to Bless Your Child’s Teacher in the Last Week of Term<<

Get involved

When an opportunity comes up to get involved in the school, do it. It doesn’t have to be a weekly commitment, something onerous or time-consuming. Perhaps it’ll mean coming in for a one-off baking session, reading a story to the class at the end of the day, or helping with the school disco.

Perhaps it means contributing items for the school fair, wrapping presents for Santa’s grotto, or driving to the cash-and-carry to buy stock for the next fundraiser.

Meet and pray with other Christians

I say this because we’ve been at this school a year, and I have met zero other Christians. I’d LOVE to have others to meet and pray with!

So if you know of even one other Christian amongst the parents or the staff, see if you can get together to pray for the school. Even if just once a half term, this will motivate you and encourage you to pray consistently for the school through the intervening weeks.

And if, like me, you don’t know of any other Christians in the school, ask God to reveal any who exist, or to bring some to join you!

I’d love to hear your stories of how you’re blessing your school – in these or any other ways!