With the start of the school year upon us, or at most just around the corner, all those last details can make a manageable situation seem overwhelming. Relax, and take a deep breath! You can take back control and have a great (and stress-free) beginning of the year.

First, try to get everything you still need to do down on one list. This can be done electronically or on paper, or even a mix of both. Don’t be daunted if it ends up being a long list—instead, let it ease your anxiety because you won’t be struggling to remember what you need to do. Plus, there is nothing more satisfying than crossing things off that list!

Find a few tasks that can be done (relatively) quickly and easily. Fill out the forms to reserve school space for your group’s meetings for the entire school year, for example. Send updates to the webmaster so your website is ready to go.

Don’t try to power through everything on the list at once; break it up into a few things you can tackle each day. If you need help, have a quick, last-minute meeting with the rest of the board and see whether there are tasks that can be shared among the group. Divide and conquer, and you’ll soon be ready to go.

Here are a few of our favorite resources for back-to-school planning and organization:

• 2014-15 Parent Group Planning Calendar


• Back-to-School Teacher Survey


• Social Media Tips for Back-to-School

Have a great beginning of the school year!