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GOING BACK TO SCHOOL
Tips for Making School
Comfortable
Follow these tips to prepare
the way for a successful first day, and all the days that follow:
 Give
him enough sleep he’ll be able to stay awake in class. Serve a
balanced breakfast to give him the energy he'll need. Try to see him
off to school with a positive attitude every day
(although it's OK to have a blue funk sometimes).
Give school your best effort. Develop good work habits. That means
writing down his home work and turning it in on time. Take your time
with assignments in and out of the classroom. If he doesn't
understand something, encourage him to ask the teacher. Help him to
keep a sense of humor. One teacher we know shows his new students a
picture of himself graduating high school - a grinning ape in a red
graduation cap and gown. This usually makes the kids laugh, and it's a
good way to remind them that school is fun!
Packing the School Bag
Some teachers
mail a specific list of supplies (such as pencils, notebooks, and
erasers) to your house over the summer so that you'll
know what you need to bring with you. Start with
this list of basics and add to it whatever else you think will help
make the school day a bit easier ( e.g. a pocket dictionary to check
your spelling ) The most important tip about school bags is to pack
them the night before to prevent last-minute morning panic. It always
helps to assist him in the beginning and then leave him alone with
this job. Don’t feel bad if something gets forgotten or left behind –
the lesson in getting organized shall be the reward anyway. Check to
make sure that he'll have everything he'll need for the day,
especially the homework and sports clothes.
Packing a Lunch
Maybe the
school offers healthy lunches in the canteen, but there will always be
a day here and there when he doesn't like what's on
the menu. Packing a lunch tiffin can give you just
as many options as the canteen, and this way he’ll know for sure that
he likes the lunch. As a general guide , you may pack fruits and some
seasonal vegetables and put it in single-serving containers .He may
like some parantha, roti , bread or a sandwich with whatever he
chooses as a topping. If he thinks lunch means some pizzas , potato
wafers or all the junk that goes around at home – sorry. Some
indulgence is okay once in a while though. To find healthy lunches in
the canteen, make sure he looks for whatever falls in line with your
family’s way of thinking what is good for him.
The First Day
Most teachers kick off the school year by introducing themselves and
talking about all the great things you child will be doing that year.
Some teachers give students a chance to tell
something about themselves to the rest of the class. And of course,
lots of teachers go over classroom rules so your child shall know
what's allowed and what's not. Ask him to pay close attention to this
part to find out whether he'll have to raise his hand to ask a
question or if it's not OK to chew gum in class! Children in older
classes probably will know more people in their classes on the first
day. But even if he has already met the children sitting next to him
, remember that it's a new year and that first impressions can last.
Encourage him to say hello to both children he knows and those who are
new in his class, and be friendly. Everyone's a little nervous or
excited, so make the first move - he'll be glad he did, and so will
his new friend! Fifth or sixth classes can signal a move to middle
school where he may have lockers, and whatever and he may be taught to
move from from classroom to classroom or the system may be such that
the classroom stays the same and the teachers keep changing ( this may
vary from school to school) for each subject. The teachers know that
this is a big change from elementary school and will help him adjust.
Most teachers let him pick his own seat on the first day, but by the
second or third morning, they'll have mapped out a seating plan. It's
a good idea to write down in his notebook where his seat is so he
doesn't forget.
How Do You
Feel About School?
If he like just about every other child, you're
probably a little nervous about the first day. To help battle the
butterflies fluttering in his stomach, it
might help to bring a favorite pencil or wear a special outfit on the
first day. Lots of children feel pressure to buy a new outfit for the
start of the school year, but the real trick is just to be
comfortable. Have him wear his favourite pair of jeans or that freaky
T-shirt you got on vacation this summer ( only if the school permits “
out of uniform dresses”. Every time he looks down, it's a guaranteed
smile. What if he hates school by the end of day one? Teachers
recommend giving things some time to sort themselves out - once he
knows his way around the building and is used to the school-day
routine, he'll probably feel better. If he still have those feelings
after a couple weeks, be sure to talk to have a heart to heart chat
or speak to his teacher about how he’s feeling. It might also help to
talk to the counselor at the school to discuss your combined feelings.
It's the counselor's job to help make school a good experience for him
as well as for you all at home !.
Getting Sick at
School
Who hasn't gotten queasy at school or taken a
tumble on the playground that resulted in a bloody scrape? If this
happens to your child, talk to the teacher
or the school First Aid Incharge about what to do. He and the teacher
can handle minor injuries and headaches, but they will call the
parents or guardians if they think you need to see a doctor or go home
to bed. Most schools ask for a note from the parents if your child
misses school due to illness. Your child can usually get backlog -
notes from the teacher to cover any work he missed while he was out
sick, or he can ask a classmate to pick up an extra copy of any
handouts and take notes in class for you. If he feels up to it, he may
try to read the school books while he takes rest, but if you feel he
doesn't - that's OK. School can wait - it's more important that he
takes care of himself and you may do all that may be needed towards
a speedy and gentle recovery.
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