School is back in session. Here’s how MetroWest families can start strong and stay strong all year long.
The crossing guards are back, the car line has found its rhythm, and somewhere in your kitchen a brand-new lunch box is already missing its lid. These first few weeks set the tone for the whole school year. Here’s how to start strong, whichever school your child calls home.
The Best School Supply Is Free
Here’s one item that never makes the supply list: a library card. An Orange County Library System card is free and unlocks thousands of books, eBooks, audiobooks, homework help, tutoring, and family programs. September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month, so there is no better time. OCPS students get a head start: a Virtual Library Card is built right into LaunchPad, the district’s one-login portal for the digital tools students use every day.
Twenty Minutes That Change Everything
If you do just one new thing this school year, make it this: read together for twenty minutes a day. One chapter at bedtime, a picture book after dinner, the sports page over Saturday pancakes. That small daily habit builds vocabulary, strengthens comprehension, and does more for a young reader than almost anything else. Twenty minutes. Every day. Watch what happens.
The Little Things Are the Big Things
Every August, school Lost & Found bins fill up fast, so label everything: water bottles, lunch boxes, jackets, backpacks. Then take five minutes to make sure your emergency contacts, dismissal instructions, and transportation plans are current with your school. Bus questions? OCPS’s Find My Bus tool (ocps.net) shows routes and stops, and your school’s front office can help with the rest.
Two Schools, One Community
MetroWest has two neighborhood elementary schools, and both are worth getting to know.
At MetroWest Elementary, home of the Orcas, early birds can join Westly’s Mile, a before-school walking and running club, and families needing afternoon coverage have the Dramatic Education After School Program. New uniform polos are just $10.99 this year; supply lists and details are at metrowestes.ocps.net.
Down the road, A-rated Westpointe Elementary (go Dolphins!) offers Extended Day care through Champions, adult ESOL classes for parents and neighbors, and keeps families connected through the ParentSquare app. Learn more at westpointees.ocps.net.
And the best-kept secret of both campuses? They want you there. Through OCPS’s ADDitions School Volunteers program, parents, grandparents, and neighbors can help in classrooms, media centers, book fairs, and field trips. Local businesses can open doors for students through Partners in Education.
Here’s to a Great Year
Whether it’s been smooth sailing or you’re still hunting that lunch box lid, the recipe for a great year is simple: read together, stay connected, and lean on your neighborhood schools. They’re two of the best reasons to call MetroWest home.
