HOT TIPS : COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS BEFORE OPENING SCHOOL BELL.

Byline: Barbara De Witt 

In the old days, parents packed their kiddos off to the first day of school with a new metal lunch box and an apple for the teacher.

But times have changed.

Instead of worrying about starting off on the right foot with the teacher, now the big deal is preparing the child so the strange, new routine, unfamiliar faces and the all-important Will anyone play with me at recess? question smooth themselves out without any major trauma.

According to an article in Crayola Kids magazine, parents are supposed to follow a week-by-week countdown (much like planning a wedding) to get their children ready for school. For instance, four weeks before S-Day, you're supposed to get eyes, teeth and little bodies checked out by doctors; make an appointment for haircuts; and request a work schedule adjustment so you can help your child make it through the first day of school.

Three weeks before school starts, you need to determine which clothes still fit and which don't. And then clean and organize the child's bedroom.

Two weeks before school starts, contact the school and get a list of needed supplies, then purchase everything on the list. And, in case junior is apprehensive, spend some time talking about the big day.

And, finally, a week before school starts, parents are to start conditioning the kiddos to get up and go to bed early, discussing lunch menus and making school visits so they'll know exactly where the classrooms, bathrooms, lunch room and lockers are. Also have a camera loaded to document that first day of school. To subscribe to Crayola Kids magazine, call [phone].

More school rules: To save money on back-to-school clothes and books, check out Once Upon a Child, a relatively new type of chain store with branches in Thousand Oaks, Northridge, Ventura and La Crescenta. It's a secondhand store where you can find Oshkosh overalls for $8, Stride Rite shoes for $9, and books and toys for only $5.

Another source is the Discovery Shop, 4454 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks. This resale store that raises money for the American Cancer Society will have a fall fashion preview at 10 a.m. Friday. For more information, call [phone].

Discovery shops also can be found in Woodland Hills, Northridge, Toluca Lake and Santa Clarita.

Do your homework: Hey, girl, looking fab isn't all there is to life. For the totally clueless, check out ``A Girl's Guide to Life: The Complete Instructions ($9.95; Real Life Publishing)'' and get the picture on how to sew on a button, brush up on world religions and other important stuff they don't teach you in school.

What the video won't tell you is the importance of carrying your stuff with style. To the rescue is Hello Kitty's new red vinyl tote that's shaped like a hat box with the Hello Kitty logo. It's $24 at Sanrio Surprise stores at malls everywhere.

For more details on how to be the hottest chick in class, Bloomingdale's at Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks will hold a runway show at 2 p.m. Aug. 22. They'll have boys' clothes, too, including the new DKNY collection.

Check your calendar: Whether you're a student or not, you'll need a calendar and bulletin board to keep your social life straight, and Miz Hot Tips has the ticket. New from DayRunner - the company that makes all those Looney Tunes planners - now has OrgBoards to make organization easy at home or in your office cubicle. It features a corkboard, erasable board and calendar, with a space for Post-It notes, too. OrgBoards are $20 to $24, depending on the design, at mass merchandising stores everywhere.

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Photo: The new Hello Kitty hatbox bag will take you to the head of the class.