Madison School District prepares for new school year

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) - For students in Rexburg, the final minutes of summer break are ticking away. The first day of school for students in the Madison School District #321 is Tuesday, August 22.

Administrators and teachers are making the necessary preparations for the next school year and preparing to welcome back students.

"We're ready to get back at it. You know teachers are doing a great job today trying to get last-minute preparations put together. But you know what? Bring the kids and then we can prepare, as they're here because teachers are already prepared," Madison School District #321 Superintendent Randy Lords said.

"We're so excited to have our students back. We always looked forward to this. In fact, it's funny because I don't know that students realize that teachers get as nervous to get back to school as they do and are excited, even though, we miss our summers and we enjoy that too. We do our job because we care for kids. We want to be around kids. We want to help kids. We want to teach kids. That's the best part," Madison Junior High Principal Wade Carlson said.

Not only are they excited to see their students walking the halls of their schools again, they are sharing some of their best tips to make sure students have a good school year.

"Come to school rested, make sure they get fed, make sure they have a good meal before they leave, make sure that they spend time reading with their students every day as parents can, especially in the younger age, can spend those evenings reading a little bit with their child. It sure helps them, prepare for the day," Lords said.

"Probably the number one trick I have is just to be patient. Patient with your kid, patient with yourself. And new things are always a little bit scary and hard to figure out. And the reality of it is, it's new, but it won't always be new. Yeah. You know, they'll figure it out. They'll learn the routines, they'll get back into their routines. And before you know it, they're going to be, you know, begging for summer again. So just be patient, get good sleep, and have fun. Be patient with yourself. You'll be okay," Carlson said.

Both Lords and Carlson are also encouraging parents and students to be willing to have good communication with them and their teachers.

"Communication is key. Don't hesitate to reach out to your teachers, and your kid's teachers, and talk to them. Ask them some. More than likely it's just a misunderstanding or there's just a lack of love of the full picture. So communicate. Talk to your teachers. Reach out," Carlson said.

"An open line of communication with your child's school, reaching out to teachers, emailing, calling the school, visiting with administrators and just having those open lines of communication is so critical. All of our folks here in the Madison School District love to have our parents involved we like, parent involvement. And so having those open lines of communication with parents make a big a big difference," Lords said.

If your student starts at a Madison School District School and you want to check when they start school, you can find that information here, where you can find their school and their bell schedule. You will also be able to find Madison's updated bus schedule.