Meet with your school’s nurse before the first day of school if possible, to go over what CVS is and how the school can help in the event an episode begins at school. 

Meet and discuss CVS and your child’s needs with the teacher who will have your student every day, the principal, bus driver, Art and Music teachers, coach, anyone in direct contact with your child.

Ask the principal if your student can see the classroom and meet the new teacher(s) early, before school starts.  This will allow your student to know where the classroom is and know the teacher's face, removing some of the stress from the first day of school! 

Have a plan of action ready before going to school the first day.  For example: if an episode begins at school, your child has permission to leave wherever he/she is (with or without raising a hand and asking at that moment) and go straight to the nurse's office.  There medications can be given (if appropriate), the nurse will provide as quiet and dark an office as possible and you can be phoned to come pick up your child.

Make sure the school has all the necessary phone numbers to reach you or another emergency contact in the event an episode begins during the school day.

Two or more weeks ahead of the first day of school, begin making changes in bed time, go to bed earlier, and begin waking your student up closer and closer to the time of day he/she will need to wake up to get ready for school.

Meet with the school counselor and begin the process of possibly setting up a 504 plan or an IDEA plan.  They can help you make the decision if one is needed.  If you already have a 504 or an IDEA in place, set up a time to discuss any possible changes you may need to put them into place.

Prior to school starting, ask the school to provide medical release forms for your physician to fill out and return in time for school to start so medications can be taken to school that very first day and given to the nurse. 

Have your pharmacy refill prescriptions so you can provide medication to the nurse; remember: all must be in the pharmacy-labeled bottles with instructions written on them. 

If riding the bus for the first time, ask the school if you can show your student around the bus compound, maybe even have the bus driver there to show him/her around the bus!

The night before that first morning, pick out clothes, check book bags, and maybe decide what is for breakfast in the morning.  Do as much the week or night before as possible to keep that morning calm!

If your child is uneasy and worried about beginning an episode at school, reassure him/her that you are only a phone call away, and that the nurse and even the teacher know what to do.