There’s nothing quite like new school year excitement — unless you’re overwhelmed by all of the back-to-school prepping and hype.

Whether it’s being on time, dealing with first-day nerves or making sure your student has a happy return to class, area educators, parents and school officials share their tried-and-true back-to-school hacks for a smooth return to class.

The Scott family of Harrison always bids farewell to summer in a big way.

“We call it the last hooray before school starts,” said Amanda Scott, a busy mother of four.

The family chooses an activity such as mini-golf, going to the movies, bowling or laser tag to say goodbye to summer and hello to school.

Her three sons are enrolled in middle and high school in the Highlands School District (her fourth child is 2).

Leechburg Area School District guidance counselor Corrin Linkes said consistency and routines top the back-to-school list when it comes to transitioning from summer to school.

“Try to stick with a plan as best as you can to make the evenings and mornings stress-free,” Linkes said.

Linkes recommends parents and students prepare as much as possible the night before school.

To make school mornings hassle-free, Linkes recommends choosing next-day outfits, charging laptops, packing lunches and prepping breakfast items.

“Put an ‘out the door’ checklist on the back of the door or refrigerator with important things to remember before leaving the house,” Linkes said.

Jen Zatko Atchison of New Kensington said if she didn’t have major organizing skills in place, she would never get out of the house on time during the school year.

“I always prepare the night before,” Atchison said.

Atchison’s three young children attend preschool and elementary school, and she has a shoe hack that keeps everyone laced up and on time in the morning:

“I have a shoe shelf, and the kids put them (shoes) on it immediately when they get home,” Atchison said.

Technology helps Atchison and her husband stay in sync with daily school and activity schedules.

“I like to use a shared calendar app to put all the million important things into it, so we can both see what’s going on — since we’re all so busy,” Atchison said.

After school, Atchison has her children go through their backpacks and planner right away — handing over important papers and completing homework — before playing outside or pursuing other activities.

“Setting expectations ahead of time for them helps the routine go better,” Atchison said.

Amanda Ehrman of Gilpin includes her son, Blake, in the school lunchtime meal process.

“My hack is preparing lunches. The lunches are done the night before. We check the school monthly menu, and if Blake likes what’s on the menu, he orders. Otherwise, we get ideas together for a packed lunch,” Ehrman said.

Traci Ramey of Murrysville had a two-step back-to-school plan for her three now-adult children, all graduates of Franklin Regional High School.

“The week prior, we’d walk the hallways — or when they got older, they walked the hallways by themselves — to find their classes,” said Ramey, who is a Franklin Regional school director. “I never worried about them adjusting because their teachers always eased them in, gave them grace and kindness. They all went above and beyond to make them feel welcomed and did their best not to overwhelm them the first week.”

Another way to avoid the jitters was to take a family outing on the last day of summer vacation.

“The day before the first day of school, we always went to Ohiopyle for the day to hike, slide, jump off the ledges and get away from the chaos and anxiety of going back to school,” Ramey said. “We did this all the way into their senior year. They were exhausted, slept great and any jitters dissipated with fun memories.”

Bedtime routines often go out the window during the summer, so it’s good to get one reestablished as school time approaches, said Mindy Vickers of Hempfield.

“Start backing up bedtime, or, if there is no bedtime routine, start one,” said Vickers, a mother of three who teaches third grade at Fort Allen Elementary School in the Hempfield Area School District. “If you are sleeper-inners, maybe start gradually getting up earlier.”

Getting enough sleep can be especially challenging for older students.

“The older they get, the earlier they have to wake up; but the older they get, the later they want to stay up,” said Vickers, who has one child in college, one in high school and one in middle school.

The bedtime routine can include reading together before lights out.

“Kids love this together time, and it’s OK to read to them, even if they know how to read,” she said.

Vickers also recommends cutting back on screen time as school approaches. A family board game session is a good way to distract kids from what they think they might be missing online.

Board games also give kids practice in following rules, problem-solving and communication, all components of success at school, she said.

O’Hara mom Cherie Lauric River is preparing to send her daughter, Rosie, 5, off to kindergarten in the Fox Chapel Area School District.

River is choosing jewelry and using creative artistic approaches to stay connected to Rosie while she’s at school.

For Rosie’s first day of kindergarten at Hartwood Elementary, River is going to draw a heart on her hand and her daughter’s.

“Whenever we feel like we miss each other, we push the heart and we will get refilled with an imaginary hug,” River said.

Additionally, River purchased matching friendship bracelets for them.

“When she is feeling lonely, she can touch her bracelet. And I’ll tell her when I miss her, I will touch my bracelet. When we get home, we’ll make our bracelets touch each other,” River said.

Lisa Bonello Brunermer of Leechburg taught preschool for 14 years at Kiddie’s Korner Nursery School in Apollo.

A mother of two, Brunermer said it’s important to involve students in the back-to-school process.

“Let the child pick out their own school supplies and clothes,” Brunermer said. “Pick your battles. If they want to wear plaid and tie-dye, let them.”

A visit to the school and meeting the teacher before school begins can help calm back-to-school nerves, Brunermer said.

She suggests families begin practicing “school night” routines a week before the actual start date of school.

Lastly, making sure kiddos have fuel for learning is sometimes a commonly overlooked component to a busy school morning.

“Make sure there’s time for breakfast,” Brunermer said.