With summer break tragically ending (as it does, sadly, every year), it is time to get back in the groove and prepare for the new school year. If you want to help your kids get over the first-day jitters and start out strong, employ these tips to make their first day back at class so successful that others will want to study it. Getting a Head Start According to research by the Center for Economic Security and Opportunity, students lose as much as 25%–30% of the knowledge they accumulated the previous school year over summer break. Reading and math skills are particularly affected and see the highest regression rate. And the higher the grade level, the more students are likely to forget. The best way to combat this summer slump is to keep learning. Reading books and practicing arithmetic at least three times a week will help kids maintain what they have previously worked so hard to learn. Shopping Spree Students also want to come to school prepared! Shopping for school supplies is a great way to get everything they need for the year ahead, including a snazzy new outfit for the first day, notebooks, organizers, and favorite brands of pens and pencils. It’s also important to write names in notebooks to make them easier to identify if they end up in the lost and found! Mental Map No one likes getting lost. Whether returning to the same school as last year or heading into a new environment, finding one’s way can be daunting. If your kids arrive at school early, they can figure out where each class is and plot a path beforehand. Getting a feel for where they need to go throughout the day can be a great way to help them feel more prepared and comfortable. Many schools also have physical maps, which can be a great resource to store in a backpack if they ever feel lost.
BACK TO SCHOOL Tips for a Successful First Day of Class
JAY LENO’S GUARDIANSHIP The King of Late Night Fights to Support His Ailing Wife
Even the king of late-night television can fall victim to the pitfalls of inadequate estate planning. Comedian and former host of NBC’s “The Tonight Show” Jay Leno’s efforts to establish a conservatorship, also known as a guardianship in Pennsylvania, over his wife, 77-year-old Mavis Leno, on account of her suffering from dementia, made headlines recently. It is tragic when someone you love is affected by such a disarming and difficult disease, but the failure to plan for this eventuality has cost Jay Leno and countless others, famous and not, a great deal. Worst Case Scenario On Jan. 26, 2024, Jay Leno filed a petition with the Los Angeles Superior Court for guardianship of his wife’s
estate to manage her affairs. According to CNN, the petition was filed because Jay believed that his wife would execute this plan if she were capable. However, despite Jay’s intentions, after a three- month wait, a judge granted Jay’s petition for guardianship. Therefore, for three long months, Jay could not independently help manage the decision- making process regarding Mavis’ finances and health care. Given the state of Mavis’ health during those months, that could have had severe implications. This Could Have Been Avoided It is stressful handling a loved one’s declining health, regardless of whether the person had a proper plan in place. We see situations like Mavis Leno’s all of the time in Pennsylvania. Assuming her state
laws were the same as Pennsylvania’s, if Mavis Leno signed an “advance health care directive,” this scenario could have been avoided. According to Pennsylvania Statutes, an advance health care directive includes a living will and health care power of attorney. A health care power of attorney allows for an individual, like Mavis, to appoint someone, in this case, Jay, to make health care decisions on behalf of her behalf. This story is a poignant reminder that even those we expect to have all possible legal remedies in place do not always have their ducks in a row. If you don’t have these measures in place or want to make updates, we encourage you to remedy that with us as soon as possible. You never know when the worst- case scenario could become your reality.
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ESTATE PLANNING | PROBATE | TRU
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