Helping Students settle back into school

The start of the new school year brings a variety of challenges – from teacher and class changes, through to the transition from holiday mode back into the routine of school. This can make settling back into school difficult for some children and young people, especially after the extended summer break. Naturally, as a parent, you want to help your child settle back into school as seamlessly as possible, but it can often be hard to know where to start.

Below are some top tips:

Get kids involved in the organisation process - Shona Hendley

This is taken from parentingideas.com.au

Shona Hendley s a freelance writer and a former secondary school teacher. Her work appears in Kidspot, ABC Everyday, The Guardian, and Body + Soul magazine.

Being organised for school isnʼt a parent-only activity. Involve your kids as fully as practical in the process. By doing this, you will be encouraging them to take responsibility for and ownership of their schooling, not to mention reducing your workload. Specific tasks include:

preparing their uniform for each day
packing their school bag
helping organise their lunch
ensuring they have the correct school resources for each day

Use positive language

Itʼs important to use positive language when discussing school because children who hear their parents discuss education in a negative way typically model that behaviour. This is especially important in the first few weeks back. Sharing your own positive school memories is an authentic and relatable way to do this.

Add a personal touch

If your child is struggling being away from you, consider giving them a bit of you to take with them can help the transition. Whether itʼs a personal item of yours that they carry with them, or even a positive note that you leave in their lunchbox, a personal touch is a helpful way for your child to stay connected with you throughout the school day. Itʼs a great reminder that it will be okay.

Trust and communicate with your childʼs teacher

Trust your childʼs teachers as they have their best interest at heart and know children well! Couple this trust with regular communication, which is particularly helpful at the start of the year when back to school worries are identified and addressed. Continue this communication throughout the year, especially if any issues or concerns arise.

It may be beneficial to arrange a meeting between you and the current teacher to enable a smooth transition, particularly if problems emerge. Itʼs a team effort, so working together is key.

Talk about how they are feeling

It is important to discuss with your child how they are feeling about being back at school. So be prepared to listen and be guided by your childʼs responses. Avoid shutting them down if they are feeling unsettled, nervous or scared and validate their emotions and work through them. This is especially important with the added complexity of the pandemic. Ensure you offer problem-solving advice about what they can control, such as washing their hands regularly, or wearing a mask if this is a school requirement. Provide some time after school for your kids to talk with you about their day. This also provides an opportunity for them to decompress.

Maintain a consistent routine at home

Moving from holiday mode into a more structured school mode is one of the biggest struggles for many kids. One way to reduce the impact of this transition is the maintenance of consistent routines at home over the weekends, especially in the first term. Some specific ways include:

Regular reading
Limiting screen time
Keeping mealtimes and bedtimes consistent
Using a visual ʻback to schoolʼ schedule board or weekly planner can also assist in reminding kids what is coming up each week.

Limit after school activities in Term 1

As kids readjust to being back at school, they will probably be tired. So, limiting after school activities such as sport and music, at least in the first term, helps them maintain a sense of balance. Avoid overloading the weekends with activities so they can really use that time to relax and prepare for the week ahead.

In closing

It is normal for every child to settle back into school differently. Some kids will be excited, and some may feel unmotivated or even anxious. As parents, there is a variety of ways you can support your child as they transition back into the school routine. A critical first step is to work with your child and their teacher as a team and to keep those lines of communication open. This will also be beneficial throughout the school year as well, especially if any issues arise.

Tips to help a child when completing a Rapid Antigen Test

The struggle is real. The RAT tests have been a useful tool in screening children across our school and identifying positive cases early, however, administering RAT tests to children isn’t easy.

These tips are taken from the Autism Spectrum Australia website.

Choose a type of Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) that avoids sensory triggers (eg. some participants might prefer an oral fluid test to a nasal swab). Please note that St Mary’s only has access to nasal swab testing kits.
Download and print the relevant visual schedule from the Autism Spectrum Australia website.
Pick the right time. Find a moment when you and the child are calm, in an environment that limits the child’s sensory triggers.
Read them the visual schedule slowly. Explain that is about staying healthy. Allow your child time to ask questions or provide more information as you go through the visual schedule if you think they are not understanding.
Offer insights on what’s next. Discuss what you will do after the test and prepare for this activity. Use a First/Then board, as needed. Whenever possible, allow the child to choose what they would like to do following the RAT test.
Demonstrate the test on a preferred object or person, such as a stuffed animal, a doll, or a family member. Let the child practice on their own toy, with a cotton bud.
Check resources online. Some manufacturers include video demonstrations - watch them in advance and, if helpful, with your child.
Don’t rush things. Look at the visual schedule and the testing kit instructions a number of times before undertaking a test. This will help you as the tester feel more confident and comfortable with carrying out the test.
Use supports. Allow the child to hold their favourite toys or self soothing items during the test.
Reassure the child that they are going to be okay.
Give them choice and control. If using a nasal swab test, ask them which side of the nose they would like swabbed first.
Be supportive. Praise all attempts and provide reinforcement for all efforts. This could be access to a preferred activity or a special treat.

Parenting Children with ADHD - Virtual Event (My Spirited Child)

Kids with ADHD can try really hard and still struggle.

Parents of children with ADHD face extra challenges they meet with extraordinary effort every day.

It often feels like a lonely journey, made more difficult at the mercy of Google search algorithms while you sacrifice your own precious downtime researching.

My Spirited Child is offering a virtual event to pass on specific tools and strategies from top experts who have supported thousands of kids with ADHD so that you could know: how to succeed in life, effective ADHD treatment, natural symptom reduction, how to build self-regulation, and keys to improving academic success.

Designed by Veronica Hunter – scientist turned dedicated mother to multiple neurodiverse kids – this free virtual event was created by selecting parents’ frequently asked questions and pairing each with an expert and strategy or resource as a solution.

ADHD – What Now? airs from February 15 - 25, with new speaker interviews released each day. It addresses questions such as:

Thriving with ADHD:

What is an effective ADHD treatment? (taught by a leading world ADHD authority)
How will they learn to manage so they can be a successful adult? (taught by a Harvard psychologist with ADHD)
What is ADHD and what is ‘normal’ kid stuff?
Is it really ADHD? Is there something else making symptoms worse?

Support Options

Natural strategies for symptom reduction.
Specific resources to improve self-regulation and emotional regulation.
Tools to support common challenges with sensory, language, and visual skills.

Parenting

How and when to discipline.
Dealing with emotional roller-coasters.
Tools for managing defiance, negativity, and reactivity in kids with ADHD.

School Success

How to help your bright child thrive, even with ADHD.
How to prepare for IEPs and what are school accommodations for ADHD?
Kids can become self-advocates; here’s how…

Click here to see the line-up and claim your virtual seat.

Wellbeing Week

In the previous edition of the school newsletter, I shared Year 5 and Year 1 examples of class agreements created collaboratively by each class during Wellbeing Week. This week, I’m sharing another two samples with our community.

Below is the agreement authored by Year 3 K:

Class agreement 3K 2022

We feel safe in 3K when we:

-Help our classmates when they need learning or friendship support

-We encourage one another (no put-downs)

-Follow our class motto to ‘Be Kind’

-Make good choices in all that we do

-Respect our own and others belongings.

-Tidy up after ourselves.

-Use our manners

-Are understanding of other people's feelings.

-Follow our St. Mary’s RICH values

-Use a Growth Mindset to help our learning, friendships and self talk.

-Listen to our teachers and classmates

And another created by Year 4S:

4S Classroom agreement

In 4S we demonstrate the St Mary’s RICH values by…

RESPECT

We listen to teachers and our peers without interrupting
We speak appropriately and do not put people down
We keep our hands, feet and objects to ourselves
We clean up after ourselves and others

INCLUSION

We work collaboratively with everyone
We value everyone’s ideas

COMPASSION

We offer to help each other
We encourage each other to do their best
We allow everyone their personal space
We give friendly reminders and stand up for each other

HONESTY

We speak the truth and act truthfully
We take responsibility for our mistakes

Signed by…………..

Enjoy the upcoming weekend!

Nathan Eddy

Deputy Principal and Student Wellbeing Leader

neddy@smhampton.catholic.edu.au

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