Getting To School On Time
School Times
Parents/Carers are requested to ensure their child/ren arrive on time to school each day. Lateness can be upsetting for the child involved, unsettling for the teacher and the whole class, and instils negative habits for the child as they miss valuable learning time. The time before school starts is essential in the social development of your child. It provides a time to share stories and events with peers and the teacher that have occurred since their last meeting. This means that when a child goes into class they are settled and ready to work. Students are encouraged to arrive at least 10 minutes before school commences at 8.50am.If lateness is unavoidable (after 8:50am), parents/carers must accompany their child/ren to the main office where their arrival will be entered onto Compass with a reason for the lateness. Each child will be given a late pass in the system. Again, if your child/ren arrives from 8:50am onwards they MUST come through the office and get a late pass.
The morning school run doesn't always have to be a mad dash. Here's 10 handy tips to help get your child through the school gates on time...
1. Lay out school clothes the night before. Set out your child's clothes next to their bed, including pants and socks. You'll have an early warning that stocks of clean underwear are running low if you organise clothes in the evening.
2. Keep shoes in one place. Avoid tearing round the house, turning out wardrobes, peering under beds and behind sofas in search of your child's shoes. Find a spot where shoes always live, perhaps next to the front door. Get your child into the habit of putting their shoes there every time they take them off. If you do only one thing to prepare ahead, make it this.
3. Get your child to bed on time. This may be easier said than done, but you'll be glad in the morning that your child was bathed and tucked up in good time. If your child is in bed at a sensible hour, they should wake up the next morning cheerful and sprightly.
4. Prepare the night before. You'll breeze through the morning routine if you think ahead. When your child or children are asleep, make lunches, put homework in backpacks, and check there's enough milk for the morning. If you drive your child to school, consider topping up the car with petrol in the afternoon or evening.
5. Alarm clock. When your child starts school, let them pick out their own alarm clock. They'll probably choose the biggest, brightest clock you've ever seen. But, hopefully, they may feel a sense of duty to get up when it goes off in the morning.
6. Encourage your child to get themselves ready. Help your child to get as far as they can with dressing themselves and brushing their hair. Not only will they feel a sense of accomplishment, it'll save you valuable time – once they get the hang of it.
7. Keep breakfast simple. Don't feel guilty if breakfast isn't an elaborate affair. A breakfast of healthy cereal, a yoghurt and a piece of fruit is fine. Make it easy for your child to have fruit by slicing a banana or chopping strawberries into their cereal. Instant porridge is easy and gives a great start to a cold day.
8. Put together an emergency pack. Assemble a just-in-case pack to keep in the car's glove compartment, or by the front door, for easy grabbing. Pack a muesli bar, hairbrush, hairband, tissues, Band-Aids, a bottle of water etc.
9. Take breaks. Give the weekday routine a rest at weekends. And, occasionally, allow for a variation to your school-day schedule. There will be times during the school week that your child has a late night. A family party celebrating grandma's birthday is worth a rest from the routine.
10. Make time for cuddles. On rushed mornings, it's easy to skip the hugs and kisses. A few cuddles in the midst of the morning chaos will remind you all about what matters most in life!
