The first week of school can be scary and exciting for a lot of people, including parents and teachers. But it's especially scary and exciting for those small, lovable people we call kids.

The trepidation that typically surrounds the first week of school is no joke, considering how important that week is. It might just be the most important week of the year, many educators say, because it sets the pattern for the rest of the year--and maybe even for all the school years that follow. No wonder kids get so excited.

Let's face it, though: Most kids don't get excited about school because of the math problems. It's the people at school who count, and who can make or break the learning experience. Back-to-school time is about connecting--with other kids, and with the teacher.

Just as parents can help their kids get ready to make friends, parents can also help their kids make a solid connection with their teachers.

Believe it or not, that old "apple for the teacher" idea is a pretty good one, after all.

But before we get started on apples, let me tell you about a really bad first day of school: my own.

My mom, who was very busy with her four other kids, accidentally put me on the wrong bus--one that took me to another elementary school two miles away. I knew where the right school--my school--was, and set out for it on foot. A friend's mother saw me and offered a ride, but I declined. I wanted to solve the problem myself. However, she finally persuaded me of the wisdom in getting to school before the first day ended.

I changed my mind just in time for a police officer to notice me reluctantly slip into the nice lady's car. So, not only was I late for school, I also had a police escort. (Don't worry, no one got arrested, not even my mother.) When my teacher invited me to sit anywhere, I chose the table with all the books.

"Anywhere but there," she said.

Twenty-five years later, I still remember feeling as though I wanted to melt into the linoleum floor. The thing that saved me, the thing that turned me into a happy, successful student, was the powerful connection I ended up making with my teacher, Mrs. Taylor. She adopted one of our cat's kittens. She even bought me milk for my lunch because I was so skinny and small. I loved her. She made going to school great fun.

You can help your kids have as great an experience as I did by doing a few pretty easy, very straightforward things--besides putting them on the right school bus.