January blog from the Principal of Fun

Welcome to 2012, let's add the FUN back into education - take 2!

Read the latest blog from the "Principal of Fun", as she shares some great tips for parents on how to prepare your little and big ones for the new school year.

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT “JOBS” IN OUR COUNTRY, IF NOT THE WORLD….PARENTING!

I read somewhere once that ‘no one ever tells you that when you have children, it is like having your heart walk outside your body’. How incredibly true this is!

We as parents want to be and strive to be the very best parents we that we can. Some of us doubt ourselves and often feel inadequate. Guess what? No one has all the answers. We can only do our best and that is all anyone can ask for. We either raise our children the way we were raised or we tend to do exactly the opposite. I am a Mom myself and still struggle with many heart wrenching questions like: Am I doing the right thing? Have we chosen the right school? Will my child be happy at school? Should I talk to the teacher about my child and my concerns? What if my child isn’t liked and doesn’t make friends? What if my child is bullied? And so on and so forth…

Whenever I chat to new parents enrolling their children at our school I try to remind them that teachers are human too. They too have doubts and concerns and insecurities and also need to feel appreciated.

Society expects teachers to be perfect because of the position of responsibility they hold and because of this, parents often feel reluctant to voice their concerns and worries to them because they feel, the teacher will think, they are being petty or they may even think, if they raise a sensitive issue their child will be victimised.

Your responsibility is to see that your child is happy and safe and cared for. You have to have the courage to speak up as too often many problems arise due to miscommunication or misunderstanding. It does not help to tell everyone outside of the school that there is a problem and you address the problem with the parties who can actually do something about it.

With this in mind, here are a few tips for parents to consider, to help make the school year ahead less complicated:

• Give your child at least two weeks to settle in with the new teacher and class.
• Make sure that your child has everything that is needed for school – you do not want them to enter the new year at a disadvantage,
• Ensure that you initiate a good routine in your home so your child feels secure and happy to cope with the demands of school: Homework time, play time, supper time, bath time, story time and bed time at a reasonable hour. Tired children find it very difficult to learn and concentrate. Children need structure and routine to help make them feel secure.
• Try to listen and chat to your child each day about how their day has been. You can help your child cope with situations by teaching them the life skills they need.
• Teachers really appreciate parents who are interested and supportive of their child and the school – show this by responding immediately to requests sent home and comply with reading, signing and replying to all communication sent home. It is important to try to establish a good working relationship with your child’s teacher. Make sure your child does homework set everyday and sign indicating that it has been done.
• Remember that there are always two or even sometimes more sides to a story. Your child will tell you their perception of what has transpired at school and if it is a story that concerns you the best policy is to chat to the teacher about what you have heard to clarify matters. If you can’t pop in before school then write a note – but please don’t disturb teachers in the classroom when they are busy with the children.
• At Sea Point Primary School we always say to our parents: ‘If you don’t believe every story you hear coming home from school we will try not believe all the stories we hear coming from home to school.’ Tongue in cheek of course.
• Teachers do not look for problems with children they really do want the best for your child and when they chat to you or point out to you that there is an issue that needs to be sorted out, try not to take it personally. Be supportive, concerned and make sure you play your part in resolving the problem. We need parents to think of them selves of being part of a team and working with the teacher and the school in the best interest of their child.
• If there is a problem, use the age old adage: Treat your child’s teacher in the way you would like to be treated. There are always solutions to problems, if all concerned deal with each other in a respectful and calm manner. It is important that your child knows and sees that you feel positively about the teacher and the school. Try not to be negative about the school and the teacher in front of your child.
• Get involved in your child’s school, volunteer to assist where you can. Help in the library, tuck shop or offer to assistance with the sport coaching if you are able to. If you are a working parent you may want to be part of the PTA (Parent Teacher Association) or even the Governing Body. If you are not able to get involved in any of these try to attend and participate in the various fundraisers or functions to indicate your support.       It has been proven, I believe, children whose parents get involved in their school, generally tend to be more successful at school.
• Make sure you attend the days that your child’s teacher is available to discuss your child’s progress. Ask how you can help at home and then set about establishing a routine to do that.
• If you have a problem make sure you sort it out when it is a small problem. Try not to wait for it to become unmanageable before addressing it. Our school encourages parents to chat to the class teacher first and if the matter is not resolved to then chat to the principal.

Remember that you, the parents of the school, are the Brand Ambassadors of the school. What you have to say about your child’s school will either give the school a good name or a bad one. All parents want their children to be at an excellent school. This is only possible if everyone thinks of themselves as part of a team, working in the best interests of the child.

Remember: “Nothing worthwhile was ever achieved without enthusiasm” - Ralph Waldo Emerson.

If you need your child to get ready and be on time for school – here are some more tips:

• Make sure you get everything ready the night before – school uniform, bag, lunch, etc.
• Explain the routine to your child i.e. when he/she should wake up, brush teeth, eat, get dressed, etc.
• You can try a star chart – award good behavior.
• Or have a fun race with your child to see who can get ready first and let them win and they get to play ‘eye-spy’ in the car or get to choose the CD to be played in the car.

If all else fails, something that worked for me with one of my sons: I sat him down and said that the next morning if he did not get ready on time then he would have to eat his breakfast and get dressed in the car on the way to school. I only did it once, because you can only imagine the results, and he was ready on time every morning after that. Lol.

Trust your parental instincts, and remember, every child is unique and should be treated so!

A wise person one said: “Love your children and the wisdom will flow”.

Do you agree? Is love enough? Or is gaining knowledge in the interest of our children an extension of "love"? If so, then I agree with this thought.

Mrs. Almarie Mead

The Principal of Fun

Read more info about this awesome Educator and her previous blog here.

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