How staff at this South Philadelphia school are preparing for new school year

As students prepare to return to class, teachers and school staff are preparing for more than a new school year. They're also working to improve attendance, address students' mental health needs and help children develop healthier relationships with technology.

At Fanny Jackson Coppin School in South Philadelphia, classrooms are being cleaned, organized and prepared for students.

"It's hectic. We just have a lot to do, a lot to get done, a lot to clean and organize, and get everything ready for the kids to come in next week," Francesca Galdo, a kindergarten teacher at the school, said.

For counselors, back-to-school preparations include planning for students who may face challenges with attendance, anxiety and other mental health concerns.

"Our goal is to get our students here every day because we know that attendance is correlated with academic performance," Kara Ziai, a school counselor, said.

Ziai said overall attendance has improved recently, but school staff continues to look for barriers that may keep students out of the classroom.

Mental health is another concern, particularly anxiety that social media can influence, she said.

"No one's posting days where they're just sitting around the house," Ziai said. "They're posting themselves dressed up, going to parties, things like that, and so it creates an unrealistic comparison for our middle school students."

Screen time is another issue educators are trying to manage. At Fanny Jackson Coppin School, students' phones are locked away during the school day. Teachers said the policy has helped students stay focused.

"It's so much nicer," Katie Ryan, a fourth grade teacher, said. "So it's definitely a difference, and it definitely keeps them focused in the classroom as well."

But technology remains an important part of learning. Students use laptops and tablets regularly, leaving educators to balance the benefits of technology with the potential for distraction.

"They're not distracted by their phones. They can't text. They can't be on those pages," Ziai said. "Now the tough thing is that we have to monitor what they do on the computer screens, and so now that's the challenge."

School officials also said families can help students prepare for the transition back to school by establishing consistent sleep and morning routines and setting clear expectations for phone use before classes begin.