Teachers’ tips for parents and Preps before the first day of school
PARENTS of Prep starters usually fit into two categories: the tissue parents or the champagne parents. No matter the category, teachers have all the tips you need to wave off your youngster.
Education
Don't miss out on the headlines from Education . Followed categories will be added to My News.
PREPARING preppies for school starts at home, but its practical skills not academic ones that will give them a flying start.
With more than 50,000 Victorian children preparing for their first day, teachers have given the Sunday Herald Sun their top tips for getting themselves and their little ones ready.
And they all agree a confident parent makes an assured school starter.
Birralee Primary School leading teacher Tanya Burton said parents of prep students usually fit into two categories.
“There’s the tissue parents and the champagne parents,” she said.
“Tissue is your first child is going to school — you don’t want to let go, champagne is ‘It’s the third child, take them, I’m ready to celebrate’.”
“It's either a celebration or a loss,” Mrs Burton said of the day a child pulls on their school uniform for the first time.
“But don’t let your child see that (emotion) — tell them it’s going to be great.”
The child who struggles is usually the one whose parent cries at the gate, holds the bear hug for far too long and tells their little one how much they’re going to miss them.
A tip for tissue parents: untangle that death grip and consider the example of the airline host.
When a plane jolts but the airline host appears unconcerned, passengers are unconcerned.
“You are the airline host — the transition will go smoothly if you keep calm,” Mrs Burton said.
“It’s the child who sees an upset or worried parent who carries that with them.”
So, your new school starter is strapped in for the ride and they’re ready for take off.
But before heading for the runway, there are a few things parents can do during the holidays to help avoid turbulence.
“Practise walking to school and if it’s open, have a little play on the grounds,” Keilor Heights Primary School leading teacher Seir Holley said.
“Practise packing the school bag and unpacking it, opening containers, and have a lunch box day.
“Talk about school and what to expect, that in class they might read a story or write their name.”
And encourage independence, problem solving and talking in full sentences.
“They need the ability to problem solve — if they’re feeling hot, can they identify that they can take their jumper off?” Ms Holley said.
“They’re so used to adults prompting them, but if they’re thirsty, they need to have the confidence to go to the bubble taps and get a drink for themselves because parents won’t be there to do it for them.”
What parents shouldn’t do during these few weeks before school starts is stress that their child is academically unprepared for school.
Mrs Burton said there was “a lot of misconception” that a school starter should have a level of reading and writing.
“Going in reading and writing has no impact (on a child’s academic future),” she said.
“I prefer a child who can’t read and write — if they come to us with no skills, there’s no undoing of bad habits.”
And be prepared for the novelty to wear off.
“In the first week or two kids will bound out of bed, they’re keen, then there’s a dip when the novelty wears off,” Ms Holley said.
“Parents often freak out but most of the time they’re just tired. That’s why the bedtime routine and getting enough sleep is so important.”
But above all, over the remaining weeks of school holidays, Merri Creek Primary School teacher Anthony Atkinson urges families to enjoy their time together.
“Kids should have a lovely summer holiday,” he said.
“I wouldn’t overdo the talk — asking how they’re feeling about starting school works against kids, it can build it up as a big thing.
“You don’t want to burden them with academics before they start. Spend quality time with your family and have a nice break.”
Education Minister James Merlino encouraged parents “to be part of their child’s education”.
“Stay engaged and find out what they are learning, read with them, and be part of the school community,” he said.
“For our kids, the beginning of school is the start of a big adventure — one that will inspire, nurture, and shape their future as a new world of discoveries and possibilities opens before them,” he said.
The Department of Education has advice for Preps and parents, which can be found here.
TILLY FOLLOWS IN HER MUM’S FOOTSTEPS
NEW parents know better than Bek Young what awaits her little girl on the first day of school.
Not only does she teach at daughter Tilly’s new school, Baden Powell College, but she went there too when the Derrimut Heath Campus opened in the early 1990s.
“I started school there the day it opened and I got my first job at that school so I never really left,” Mrs Young said.
“Now with Tilly starting it’s kind of like full circle.”
Tilly, 5, is well prepared for her first day, spending the holidays trying on her uniform and visiting the Hoppers Crossing school to play on the equipment.
“I’ve tried on my school uniform, I did the buckles on the shoes,” she said.
“My bag is very heavy, even when it’s got nothing in it.”
Mrs Young even found an old photo of her on her first day of school and took a snap of Tilly in the exact same spot.
“I remember the first day, it had only just been built, the concrete was brand new and there was mud everywhere,” Mrs Young said.
“Where the original photo was taken you can see everything, now there’s just trees.”
Tilly couldn’t see too many similarities between her and her mum two decades on: “We just have the same dress.”
And while Mrs Young will keep an eye out for her daughter at school, there’s a few others willing to lend a hand.
“I teach grade 5/6, (the students) know Tilly is starting prep and they say, ‘That’s all right Mrs Young, we’ll all look out for her’.”
TIPS FROM THE TEACHERS
- Practise walking to school and identify a pick-up point
- If the school grounds are open during holidays, go to the playground
- Have a lunch box day and talk about what to eat when, making sure they can open everything on their own
- Get into a routine and discuss how mornings before school will work
- Set a routine so they get plenty of sleep, bedtime should be no later than 8pm
- Have a playdate with another prep starter from school
- Ensure they can take their school jumper and shoes on and off independently
- Make sure they can recognise their own name, even if they can’t write it
- Don’t overdo “the talk“ to avoid anxiety over the first day of school
Which unis give you best odds of finding a job?
Nine out of 10 graduates from Victorian universities are working full-time three years after finishing their studies. See which are the top-ranked institutions for higher education in Victoria.
Your guide to schools around Dandenong
As more people move to Dandenong and Endeavour Hills, the need for secondary schools in the area grows. Here’s a comprehensive guide of each school you can send your child to, including the VCE scores, subjects and public transport options.