Believe it or not, teachers and students are already looking at the wind-down of the current school year. We raced through the fall, we negotiated an interesting winter, and now we’re well into the spring. Ready or not, summer is just around the corner and with it hopes and dreams for the next year. It’s not too late to finish strong.

The school year is a marathon of sorts. Now, they have to make it across the finish line on their own two feet. We nagged our kids, and we encouraged them too; they’ve come a long way. Now it all comes down to finishing strong. So here are 5 important things to do as they round the last turn.

1. Remind them to show up.

Showing up counts. It doesn’t matter if it’s a series of missed pop quizzes in high school, a formative science field trip, or a couple of spelling tests in the second grade. Being there, participating, is 99% of the battle. Learning well is a community experience, and if our kids miss too much for whatever reason, the repercussions are developmentally real.

2. Talk with the teachers.

Learning also plays out in the context of relationships. Keep communication open with the teachers and approach education as a team. Families that talk with their kids’ teachers are seldom blindsided by end of the year surprises.

3. Keep expectations reasonable.