Getting ready for your first day

Preparing for your child's first day of school is always an exciting and scary time. Even if you have been through the first days of school before with older children, there is always something special about the first day of school, not just for the student, but for families, too. 

Below you will find a short social story (social stories are a tool to explain information in a clear and meaningful way ) about starting at school, and some of the things you can expect on your first day!

What to have in your school bag.

It is really important that anything your child brings to school is clearly labeled with their name on it. It's a good idea to put first and last name as often there are several students with the same name. 

Typically, the following items should be in your child's bag each day:

• Lunch box with enough food for a healthy snack at 10am, recess and lunch. It's a great idea to have containers/wrappings that your child can easily open and close independently.
• A drink bottle with a secure lid. Leakproof ones are awesome!
• A school hat.
• A spare pair of socks and underwear in case of accidents or puddles!
• Sunscreen that your child can apply on their own.
• A piece of equipment or game (nothing valuable) that they can play with or share with a friend, for example a ball or skipping rope.

Often, students like to have a special keyring or charm on their bag. This is a great idea as it makes their bag easier to identify at line up times, and when there are lots of bags in the same place. 

Over the holidays, it is a great idea to get your child to practise packing and unpacking their own bag, and learning where all the different zips and pockets are. Often, when Preps are starting school, their bags are almost as big as they are! Making sure that there are no chords or straps hanging down that they could trip on is beneficial, too!