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Starting
at Richmond View School as a Five Year Old
Information
for parents of 5 year old new entrant children starting school
for the first time
Enrolment
Procedures
It
is encouraged that children are enrolled early as there are a
number of aspects of the enrolment that take some time.
These include:
·
Processing of application
·
Determining of special character status of parents which
normally involves a correspondence with the minister of the
church the family attends
·
Interview with Principal and New Entrant teacher. This
usually also involves a tour of the school
·
Arranging of pre-entry visits to assist students in their
transition into school.
·
Other paper work required, including the sighting of birth
certificate, work permit if applicable and an immunisation
certificate from your doctor.
School
Entry Visits
Children
are invited to visit the new entrant room for up to 4 times
during the morning programme. This gives the child a good
understanding of the things done at school which will greatly
assist in their developing a positive outlook on school.
Managing
at School
There
are a number of things that your child will be expected to do
for themselves.
Blow
their nose
Go
to the toilet and wash their hands. Please teach boys
how to use and where to stand at the urinal (practice this on
your school visits too)
Take
their sweatshirt off. Please ensure they can recognise
their clothing by labelling it clearly.
Dress
and undress themselves for swimming (all clothing should be
named so we can return it to its owner if lost)
Open
their lunch box and drink bottle
Open
packets of food e.g. muesli bars, chips (snipping the corner
off the packet is helpful)
Unwrap
their sandwiches (gladwrap can be tricky). You may like to
have picnics at home to practice.
Pack
their school bag. You can support this by having your child do
this at home too. Some school bags have clasps that are hard
for children to open. Check this when you are buying a new bag
for school. Always buy a larger bag as it is easier to
pack.
Take
responsibility for shoes and clothes they have taken off
during the day. If buying new shoes please choose easy
fastening options such as Velcro as laces are difficult for
young children.
Children
get very tired when they start school. We recommend that if
they are tired you collect them for the afternoon on one or two
days in the first weeks.
Adelle
Galloway would be very happy to discuss any of the above with
you if you are in some doubt.
Levels
of development
In
addition to the above practical aspects of life at school for a
5 year old, the following shows the expectation we have from a
developmental perspective. Many children when they start
school can do most of these, and it certainly provides them
with a very good start.
We
strongly believe that children need to develop independence in
packing and unpacking own bag and managing their belongings.
You can help by insisting children
Carry
their own bag
Hang
up their bag and coat
Put
their reading folder in the classroom
If
you are intending to buy a backpack for school make sure it is
big enough for a lunch box, drink bottle, reading folder,
library books, sweatshirt and swimming togs.
Please
leave children’s bags hanging so it becomes their
responsibility to pack and collect them.
Teachers
expect children to be at different stages in their development
when they start school.
Foster
a positive attitude towards trying new things and asking for
help.
It
is important that your child can recognise their name.
If
you are teaching your child to write their name, only use a
capital for the first letter. It can take a long time for
children to relearn a skill like writing their name.
When
children are using crayons, pencils or pens check that they
are using a three finger grip (you can buy special rubber
formers to go onto pencils to get them used to the correct
grip)
Children
are taught the letters of the alphabet out of order at school.
Parents often comment that their child knows the alphabet but
many know the alphabet song in order only.
Being
able to count to ten is useful to start school with.
Many
children know all their colours by the time they start school.
Children
need lots of practice using small safe scissors. Left hand
scissors are available for left-handed children.
Being
able to sit still and listen. You can help in this by
teaching your child to sit quietly while you read them a
story.
If
your child can do most of the above, the experience of school
will be much more positive than if they have to struggle with
some aspects that the other children do not find difficult.
Preparing
for the First Day
Offer
a positive attitude to school.
Be
careful not to overstress the importance of starting school.
Children can get over excited and have unrealistic
expectations.
Pre
entry visits make the transition to school easier.
Walk
around the school and let your child play on the playground at
the weekend so your child becomes familiar with the new
environment.
Please
talk to teachers about any special needs or health concerns
your child may need help with.
The
First Day
By
showing you have confidence in your child’s ability to cope
you will instil confidence in them.
Keep
calm and smile as you say goodbye
Goodbyes
shouldn’t drag out. Say goodbye and go. Use the bell as your
cue to leave.
It’s
OK for your child to cry. It’s their way of expressing how
they are feeling.
Never
sneak away. Your child may feel you are abandoning them.
The
teacher will take good care of your child in your absence.
We
will phone you if there is a problem with your child settling.
We
look forward to partnering with you as your child makes this
milestone move to school. We want your child to enjoy
school in all its aspects as then success will be much more
assured.
PLEASE
NOTE: There is a good web site hosted by the Ministry
of Education which gives lots of information to help parents
with pre-schoolers. Much is just good practical advise,
and I suggest you have a good look at it. It can be found
at http://www.teamup.co.nz/earlyyears/default.htm
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