Spotlight Magazines Spotlight on Sinfin & Stenson Fields Derby | Page 20

Spotlight Magazine Reinvent Yourself! How to change for the better this school year Growing up, I lived within throwing distance of the local primary school, yet every morning I arrived late and was greeted with a chant from other children: “You’re late, you’re late, your dinner’s on your plate!” I hated being singled out in this way and it has taken me years to shake off the ‘late’ label. I’m sure I’m not the only child to be labelled for a particular habit or behaviour. For others it might be “lazy”, “quiet”, “disruptive”, “noisy” or “disorganised”. But whatever the past may have held, the start of a new school year brings with it a clean slate and the chance to start anew. Defeat and discouragement should be left where they belong – in the past – while children take the chance to reinvent themselves and work towards a brighter future. Education experts say that getting a new school year off to a good start can influence a child’s attitude, confidence and performance both socially and academically. So how do we give our children the best chance of making a positive new start? First and foremost, our children need to want to change for the better and adopt the right attitude for achieving this. They need to accept responsibility for their own conduct and make a commitment to change. Having the corr X