Back to School Checklist

Update your contact information.

Make sure your child's school can reach you! Log in to your NYC Schools Account (NYCSA), our parent portal, to update your phone number, mailing address, and email. You may also fill out the emergency contact form provided by your school. Don't have a NYCSA yet? Visit NYCSA to sign up.

Schedule a physical exam for your child.

Is your child starting school or childcare for the first time? They will need a physical exam from a health care provider, who will also have to complete a Child and Adolescent Health Examination Form (CH-205). Download a CH-205 at Health Requirements to Attend School.

Make sure your child is up to date on required immunizations.

New York State Public Health Law requires students to get certain vaccines to attend childcare or school. You can find more information about required immunizations for students at Immunizations. Visit NYC Vaccine Finder or call 877-829-4692 to find a location to receive required and recommended vaccinations near you.

Check the 2025–26 NYC public school calendar.

Keep track of important dates like upcoming holiday closures, parent-teacher conferences, and more! Visit Calendar to view and print the calendar for this school year in multiple languages.

Understand your child's transportation options and eligibility.

Do you know how your child will be getting to and from school? Visit Transportation Overview for more information about available transportation services.

• Learn about free Student OMNY cards at OMNY Cards.
• If your child is assigned school bus service, you can check their route, pick-up, and drop-off times with the official NYC School Bus app! Log in using your NYC Schools Account.

Talk to your child about not using electronic devices in school.

Per New York State law, NYCPS students may not use personal, internet-enabled electronic devices such as cell phones on school grounds during the school day. Your school will share its own policy on device use and storage with you—go over the policy with your child so they understand these rules before the school year begins. For more information, visit Cell Phone and Electronic Devices Policy.

Prepare your child's school supplies.

Your child's school or teacher may send you a list of school supplies they will need this year. Talk to your child about what to expect on their first day, and ensure they have their supplies packed and ready to go. Label their belongings (clothing, water bottles, pencil cases, etc.) so they can be returned to you if misplaced!

Help your child get ready for their school year schedule.

Before the first day of school, set a consistent bedtime to ease your children into a regular and healthy sleep schedule. A few days before school starts, practice your family's expected morning routine for this school year, including getting ready and traveling to your child's school. Be sure to review your school's start time, end time, and lateness policy.

Reach out to your school's parent coordinator.

Parent coordinators can help answer many of your questions! Find their contact information with the "Find a School" tool or by calling your child's school.

Ask your school about translation and interpretation services.

NYCPS translates our official documents into 12 languages: Arabic, Bangla, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Urdu, and—new this school year—Albanian, Ukrainian, and Uzbek.

If you need additional support, your school can provide translation and interpretation services for free. Ask your school's principal or parent coordinator, or visit NYC Public Schools Speak Your Language! for more information. For American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation services, visit the Office of Sign-Language Interpreting Services (OSLIS).

Be ready for remote learning if needed.

If there is a weather-related or emergency school closure, students will participate in remote learning at home. Make sure your child has an internet-connected device, school supplies, and a quiet place to work. Help them log in to their NYCPS Student Account to access the online tools they need for their schoolwork. Find resources to prepare for remote learning at Digital Learning.