Parents' Guide To School

School isn't what it used to be. Once school began, video games, MTV and the Internet didn't distract you from studying, and no one worried about school shootings.

But today's ritual can leave families frazzled. Not only are there supplies to buy, teachers to meet, and homework routines to set up, but also more sports and art and music programs to somehow fit into the day, the fear of violence, and drugs in every community.

Our online guide is here to help.

There are handy reminders, information on enrichment programs and learning disabilities, plus a "yellow pages" of public and private schools in the Chicagoland area. We've also included tips on forging a partnership with your child's teacher and helping your son or daughter develop good study habits. And since computers are now an integral part of many homes and classrooms, we have a guide to using technology  to help your child learn better.

We'll tell you how to prevent burnout  that can arise if your child is involved in too many after school activities.

No parent relishes the idea of talking to their child about drugs, so we've got ideas to make the uncomfortable task easier. We've also put together a "safe school " primer, with ways to tell if your school is secure, ideas on how you can make it safer and warning signs that can help you determine if a child is at-risk of becoming violent.

And throughout our guide there are links to other Internet resources.

Good luck in the school year!