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SEPTEMBER 2019



FIRST WORD
Sliding into School
P Britni Petersen
Managing Editor
bpetersen@midatlanticmedia.com Facebook
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Email us at
editor@thefamilymagazine.com encils out, pool noodles put away. The
new school year is here once again! Now
that summer is in our rearview mirrors,
it’s time to settle into a new busy schedule and an
exciting new season — fall! Are you ready?
This issue, we’re kicking off back to school with
a ton of enriching content that will help families
slide seamlessly into the new school year ahead.

To get kids prepared and on track for A+ school
success, one local writer and tutor, Ann Dolin, dis-
cusses the best practices for studying and staying
organized (page 28). She offers a list of great study
techniques like using timers, color-coding tasks,
creating designated study spaces and more.

While, of course, it’s important to get kids back
into the routine of school obligations, it’s also
important for parents to get themselves back into
the swing of things as well. We asked local parents
how they are getting ready for the new school year
and they revealed some helpful tips from planning
essentials to self-care practices (page 40).

Along with our annual “Education Guide” on
page 12, which provides detailed information on
local private schools including school open house
dates, we are also excited to feature our third
annual Teachers of the Year winners!
We all know that teachers are an integral part of
our children’s lives. And we at Washington FAM-
ILY believe they should continue to be recognized
for what they do to help our children grow and
learn. So, after asking our readers to nominate
their favorite and inspirational local teachers, five
amazing educators were chosen. Check them out
on page 22.

Lastly, as we eagerly slide into fall this month,
we couldn’t leave out some autumn-inspired fun.

Check out our list of entertaining fall festivals hap-
pening in the DMV this month on page 10. These
events are the perfect way to kick off the new season.

We hope this new school year brings families tons
of positive growth and success. As always, check out
washingtonfamily.com for all kinds of resources from
even more school-related tips and parenting advice
from local experts to a consistently-updated calendar
of fun things to do with the family.

Happy reading! ■
WashingtonFAMILY.com 7