On the Coast – Families Issue 101 I August/September 2019 | Page 35

chores and tasks so they understand the
importance of working together.
Separation anxiety can also
suddenly arise when starting
school. You can prepare them for this by
leaving your child with another loved
one whilst you take some time out. When
your little one starts school, they will be
separated from you for 5 days per week
and for 6 hours each day. Use the time
now to help to prepare them for this
change.
Begin to teach your child how best
to respond to a child who may
say or do something that makes them
feel unsafe. Teach them to loudly stay
“STOP” when someone is being unkind.
Sometimes the “stop” hand signal is
also useful when combined with loudly
saying STOP as it sends a clear message
that the behaviours are unwanted. Teach
your little one to get help from a trusted
adult if the behaviours continue. In most
schools, the teachers on playground duty
or supervision will wear a Hi-vis vest to
ensure children can easily and quickly
locate them. Encourage your child to get
help when they need it.
START EARLY to avoid the
“scrambling start” - Start planning
for the change in routine that school
will bring into your life. Your chosen
school will provide some playground
supervision before school each morning.
Find out what time this starts and plan
your morning around that time. For your
child, arriving at school 5-10minutes
before the morning bell sounds is ideal.
It means your child has had time to
separate from you, put their school bag
in the appropriate place and engage with
school mates before the day’s learning
begins. This means that they are much
more likely to be relaxed and ready for
the learning challenges that they are
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about to step into. If you
have to get to work, or
drop off other children
start now to put a
plan together about
how you will do that
in a calm and relaxed
timeframe. You may
have to take the pressure
off yourself by getting
some extra help from a trusted
friend or family member. Connecting
with other parents of children at your
chosen school can sometimes result in a
carpooling arrangement, which means
the drop off and pick up load is shared
amongst a few families.
Have your child’s vision and
hearing tested to ensure there are
no physical needs which can be resolved
BEFORE starting school. Talk to your
family GP about the best way to arrange
this. If others find your child’s speech is
difficult to understand it would be wise
to consult a Speech pathologist for some
activities to practise before starting
school. If he/she cannot be understood
by peers and teachers it could create
unnecessary difficulties in the classroom
and playground.
Most schools will provide you
with some opportunities to visit
the school in the term before starting
school. These visits are often called
Orientation Days and are extremely
valuable for both yourself and your
child. Some schools also accommodate
more casual visits earlier in the year.
These visits are valuable because you
and your child can begin to learn where
the important facilities are – bubblers,
toilets, classroom, bag racks, pick up
and drop off zones, First Aid or Sick
Bay rooms, School office, playgrounds
and play equipment are just some of
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the things you both need
to be able to locate and
understand the “rules”
around them.
Meeting the
teacher is one of
the final steps towards
successful integration to
school. Your child’s teacher
will become an important
character in your child’s
development. It is not uncommon to hear
a child quote their teacher to you and
parents have often told me that their little
one has challenged or even corrected
them citing what “Mrs Jones says…..”Your
child’s teacher will instinctively share
their personal values with your child. This
is a natural component of a teacher who is
called to both lead and guide their
students. At our School we strongly
believe that our teachers are working with
parents to help build a FOUNDATION
FOR LIFE so that their child is equipped to
be a responsive and responsible citizen of
the future. Sharing their Christian values
with the students that they teach is a
critical element for this.
When you are choosing a school
for your child you are making one of
the most important decisions for both
yourself and your little one. Your chosen
school will become a part of your daily
life and will influence your social,
emotional, spiritual and intellectual
spheres. You will make friends because
of school and your child will do likewise.
We know it is important to choose our
friends wisely and good friends are those
who love, encourage and support us and
are able to challenge us when they see
us making unwise choices. You want to
surround yourself with people who will
help you, not hinder you and you will
want this for your little one as well.
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Clare Marcangelo
REGISTERED NUTRITIONIST
Caring, practical treatment
plans for your family.
Specialising in childhood behavioural
issues, learning and anxiety.
Working with families for over 20 years
COVERED BY MOST PRIVATE HEALTH FUNDS
Phone [phone] to book or go to
www.erinanutrition.com.au
FOR MORE INFORMATION
ATMS29747 ABN 89456352713
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER – ISSUE 101
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