In a few short weeks, children will go to bed on a particular night feeling some combination of excitement, anxiety, and, in some cases, dread. When their eyes open the next morning, after all, they will face a dramatically altered reality.
Summer has reached its end, and a new school year is about to begin.
Alexa Quinn remembers what it was like, though her feelings toward the start of a new school year were mostly positive.
“I was usually that kid who was excited and a bit nervous,” she says. “The nervousness came from a lot of the unknowns—not knowing what to expect, not knowing the difference in classes or workload, wondering if I would be in the same classes with my friends. I had a great school experience throughout. By the first few weeks of every new school year, I was thinking: I’ve got this.
“Sometimes we forget what it was like,” she continues. “That’s why it’s so important to be emphatic with our own kids, not diminishing how they feel with such a big transition.”
Quinn, the associate head of school for Friends’ Central School in Wynnewood, is eager to welcome students back to campus. At the same time, she understands why some students and families might be feeling anxious after a long summer off. To help reduce any looming anxiety, she suggests a few ways parents can help their children prepare so they can start the school year on the right foot.
“As parents, we know our children well, so start thinking about what’s likely to be their biggest challenges or hurdles,” she says. “Examples could be getting back on a school sleep schedule, staying organized, or thinking about friendships and social connections. Wherever a child is feeling anxious, do some prep work with kids. Having open communication and talking it through can allay anxiety for students and give them an idea of what to expect. We assume they know what’s coming their way, and they don’t always.”
She also recommends checking in with children to make sure they have completed any required summer reading or practice work to avoid having to cram or risk starting the year off behind their peers. Easing into a modified sleep schedule one or two weeks before classes begin, not the day of, can help students have good sleep hygiene. Finally, she suggests having children reconnect with school friends before Labor Day to strengthen their on-campus support network.
At Villa Maria Academy High School, a Malvern-based Catholic college-preparatory school for girls, educators and administrators hope the summer has provided some much-needed rest and rejuvenation. They also encourage parents to help their daughters adjust from summer to school mode by helping them create a personal study space that makes learning comfortable and engaging; that space could be their bedroom or a designated study area in the home.
“Summer routines are naturally more relaxed, so preparing for a structured day is a great way to ease into the school year,” a spokesperson for the school shares by email. “Having a low-pressure conversation about how they want to track deadlines this year and reviewing a few tips that can help make organizing their priorities a priority can be helpful. We also remind students to check their email and school application notifications early, so they feel more informed about their responsibilities and can better prepare.”
Doing so will ensure that students have all the necessary textbooks and materials. If they have questions or feel uncertain about anything, school personnel can help them prepare so they can succeed in the school year ahead.
When Mark A. Devey of the Perkiomen School thinks about the start of a new school year, the word process comes to mind. Devey, head of school for the coeducational college-preparatory boarding and day school in Pennsburg, cites a welcome letter his newly hired athletic director and boys lacrosse coach, Tom Mariano, sent to lacrosse players.
“The focal point of his letter was all about the habits you create,” says. “I think that’s really what our focus is as an institution. It’s the process that’s important, not getting everything right. You’re not going to be able to control all the outcomes, but you can control your effort, attitude, discipline, and daily habits. That’s what we want the kids to focus on.”
By developing strong habits early on, he suggests, students can work their way toward exceptional outcomes in academics, athletics, and other aspects of their lives.
“You’re not going to play a beautiful piano piece without practice,” he adds. “In everything we do, as kids and as adults, our success comes from developing good habits benefit across the board.”
For Alexa Quinn of Friends’ Central School, her excitement over the new school year stems from her role as an administrator and as a parent. Both of her children go to Friends’ Central—a daughter entering fifth grade and a son starting seventh.
“With my daughter, she’ll be going into her last year of elementary school, and for my son, seventh grade is a rubber-hits-the-road year,” she says. “I’m sure there will be bumps, as there always are with young people, but I’m confident and hopeful that they’re both going to have a great year.”
Open Season
Local schools will welcome students back to campus in the coming weeks. Shortly after, schools will open their doors to prospective students and their families to provide a clearer picture of what each institution has to offer. School websites and social media will provide details about upcoming open houses and other opportunities to help families determine the best options for their children.
BUCKS & MONTGOMERY COUNTIES
Abington Friends School
abingtonfriends.net
Academy of the New Church
ancss.org
AIM Academy
aimpa.org
The Agnes Irwin School
agnesirwin.org
Archbishop Wood High School
archwood.org
The Baldwin School
baldwinschool.org
Center School
centerschoolpa.org
Conwell-Egan Catholic High School
conwell-egan.org
Dock Mennonite Academy
dock.org
Friends’ Central School
friendscentral.org
Friends School Haverford
friendshaverford.org
Germantown Academy
germantownacademy.net
Gladwyne Montessori
gladwyne.org
Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School
gmahs.org
The Haverford School
haverford.org
Holy Ghost Preparatory School
holyghostprep.org
Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy
jbha.org
La Salle College High School
lschs.org
The Meadowbrook School
themeadowbrookschool.org
Merion Mercy Academy
merion-mercy.com
Mount Saint Joseph Academy
msjacad.org
Newtown Friends School
newtownfriends.org
Perkiomen School
perkiomen.org
Solebury School
solebury.org
Villa Joseph Marie High School
vjmhs.org
The Wyndcroft School
wyndcroft.org
CHESTER & DELAWARE COUNTIES
Academy of Notre Dame de Namur
ndapa.org
Archbishop John Carroll High School
jcarroll.org
Benchmark School
benchmarkschool.org
The Concept School
theconceptschool.org
Delaware County Christian School
dccs.org
Delaware Valley Friends School
dvfriends.org
The Episcopal Academy
episcopalacademy.org
Kimberton Waldorf School
kimberton.org
Malvern Preparatory School
malvernprep.org
Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School
bonnerprendie.com
The Phelps School
thephelpsschool.org
Sacred Heart Academy Bryn Mawr
shabrynmawr.org
The Shipley School
shipleyschool.org
Woodlynde School
woodlynde.org
Villa Maria Academy High School
vmahs.org
PHILADELPHIA
The Crefeld School
crefeld.org
Father Judge High School
fatherjudge.com
Nazareth Academy High School
nazarethacademyhs.org
Roman Catholic High School
romancatholichs.com
St. Joseph’s Preparatory School
sjprep.org
West Catholic Preparatory High School
westcatholic.org
William Penn Charter School
penncharter.com
DELAWARE & NEW JERSEY
Archmere Academy
archmereacademy.com
The Bridge Academy
bridgeacademynj.org
The Hun School of Princeton
hunschool.org
The Lawrenceville School
lawrenceville.org
Notre Dame High School
ndnj.org
The Pennington School
pennington.org
Salesianum School
salesianum.org
Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart
stuartschool.org
Tatnall School
tatnall.org
Tower Hill School
towerhill.org
Ursuline Academy
ursuline.org
Villa Victoria Academy
villavictoria.org
Next month’s issue will include an encore back-to-school edition, this time focusing on the changes and renovations local schools have undertaken to improve on-campus life for students, academically and otherwise.
Image by Spike Summers from Pixabay
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, August 2026.
