Starting the new school year is an emotion-filled time for any student, especially the little tackers who are embarking on their very first school experience.
Spare a thought for parents who are experiencing the same anxieties as their children as they face preparing for the first day of the new school term.
With a cool head and a steely determination, nervous parents can make this stressful time an experience to savour, while still shedding a tear as the kids embark on this new stage of their lives.
Principal of Kelly’s Plains Public School Brad Hunt is encouraging parents to get their children familiar with the school and their teacher. This is especially important for kindergarten students.
“Particularly if kindergarten children have participated in transition programs,” said Mr Hunt.
“Looking back on the experiences they had through that program will hold them in good stead for their first day.
“It is really important that children are familiar with the location of things within the school, like the toilet blocks, office, canteen, playground areas and their own classroom.
“The real key to success is maintaining that communication between students, parents and teachers.”
Kindergarten children begin the school year through the Best Start Program. This is an initiative that helps teachers identify the literacy and numeracy skills of individual students.
“Some schools within the Armidale Community of Schools stagger the starting day for kindergarten students,” he said.
“This enables kindergarten teachers to complete the New Start testing, giving teachers a really good understanding of each child’s level of ability.
“This provides the knowledge for teachers to design teaching and learning programs to cater for the students needs.”
Parents are also encouraged to develop a routine early in the school term.
“Routine is a huge factor for students, especially during first term,” he said.
“Students are learning so much in the first term about school and the routines within the school.
“Numeracy and literacy learning will usually occur from the start of school to lunch time with other Key Learning Areas (KLAs) happening in the afternoon, so it is vital that students have a routine that makes them fresh and relaxed to perform well at school.
Support and encouragement from parents especially during the first few weeks of school are extremely important to children says Mr Hunt. Ensuring that school becomes a positive experience for you and your children will give them every chance to succeed in their schooling life.
Story: Jo Harrison
