D A HAPPY TRANSITION TO SECONDARY SCHOOL
Many children change schools as they move to High School. Those fortunate children who do not change
school but move from one sub-school to another have an advantage in continuity of friendship groups, knowledge of the routines and physical site. That said, much that follows might apply to them and their families to some extent. Establish a positive routine Every family is different but a routine is vital. So set up what works for your family but then stick to it! Areas to consider: • Breakfast and getting to school on time are important
• When and where homework is done
• Sharing the day’s experience over the evening meal
• Downtime, screen-free time, sport and exercise and bedtime.
• This applies to the weekend too when there will be homework.
Help them organise themselves Being in the right place, at the right time, with the right books or gear, can be quite a challenge during the first few weeks. Assist with understanding the school timetable, packing of the school bag the night before, with a copy of their timetable at hand. Assist in understanding the physical layout of the school as most high schools are bigger than primary schools and involve more student movement to and from classes. Be there to listen Keep conversing but do not grill! They may be too tired to talk some evenings, so don’t take crankiness as a sign that things aren’t going well. Let them know you are there for them; listen to them and respect their decisions. They will then be more open to accepting your advice. Nutrition and Sleep They need a nutritious breakfast and lots of healthy food for recess and lunch time. Brain work uses a lot of energy. The day may have as many of eight different lessons and thus the day can be long and demanding. Regular routines for sleep uninterrupted by digital devices is critical. Redraw parental boundaries
Moving to High School is an important symbolic step from childhood into adolescence. It is a big step on a child’s journey from parental dependence to independence, so it’s time to make sure you are letting go a bit more. The influence of peers is going to become more dominant and that your position as parents will be challenged. Let them make their case and then explain the reasons for your “yes” or your “no”. Build a relationship with the school Get to know the school and your child’s teachers. The teachers will appreciate your interest. They know that interested and engaged parents lead to better learning outcomes for students. Take each opportunity to attend information evenings, parent-teacher meetings, social events and get involved with the parents’ association. Take an interest in homework Developing independent study habits is the goal and that can take time and considerable practice as every child is different. It’s advisable to check their homework diary each night and encourage them to write their work into the dairy, and assist in making sure they know what work to do and when. Even if the detail of each subject is not your preference, conversations about what they’re learning helps to keep you in touch and reinforces its importance in your eyes for them. Get to know their friends Making clear that friends are welcome in your house is a great way to get to know who your child is hanging around with and to discreetly glean a little
information about what’s going on. However, parent-free zones will be the venue of choice for after-school gatherings, lay down some ground rules if you are both out working all day. Allow downtime Having your child involved in co- curricular activities can assist with the point above but make sure they have some down time and are not doing too much. They still need some unstructured time. Creativity tends to stem from boredom. Keep it in perspective Sometimes parents think school is everything and nothing matters more than high grades, Keep in mind that learning is now life- long and a child’s health and wellbeing, emotional and physical, must always come first. Schooling is important; learning to work hard and regularly produce a ‘personal best’ is important. The knowledge base developed is very useful; the critical thinking, public speaking, leadership skills and resilience developed at school are all important. That said, not all children will shine at school and many who do not still turn out to be outstanding and highly successful adults. Encourage them to do their personal best each day and enjoy the learning, whether it be academic learning or learning about who they are and their place in their community.
Allan Shaw Principal and Chief Executive The Knox School
9 I INDIAN MIRROR FEB 2017
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