As the beginning of the school year approaches, it is natural for students to be nervous about coming into a new class and parents to feel nervous about sending their children off to school. I, myself, get anxious as I think of my girls being at school all day. I know they are well cared for by a very loving teachers and that they are having a great time learning, but I get nervous just the same.
The
question becomes, “How do we work around these feelings of separation and
nervousness?” The answer is a small word
that requires deep understanding. The
word is “faith”. I am able send my
children to school because I have faith that they are loved, cared for,
attended to, and safe. The same is true
for students at
As the year begins and progresses it will be important to continue to keep the faith. This is easier said than done. Here are a couple strategies to keep the faith with regard to your child going to school. You might even be able to apply it to other areas of your life.
Set Clear Expectations:
Students as students and students as children will be more likely to meet our expectations when our expectations are clear. We need to tell our children what we expect, why we expect it, what will happen when they meet our expectations, and what will happen when they don’t meet our expectations. But before we can have any discussion about meeting or not meeting expectations, we must first teach our children what the expectation looks like. Until the expectation is taught, we cannot expect the expectation to be met.
Establish Clear Lines of
Communication:
Communicating is one of the more difficult things we do as humans. It is also one of the most important. From the very beginning of the year, begin asking your child about what they did in school during the day. Talk to them about their triumphs, mistakes, fears, and joys. If you are concerned, let them know. If you have questions about what is happening at school, ask. Ask your child, your child’s teacher, a neighbor, or myself. Communicating effectively and early sets the precedent that we are all involved in the child’s education and life.
Get Involved
Studies have shown that children whose parents are
involved in the schools as volunteers, chaperones, and PTA members experience
higher levels of confidence, success, and security. The studies also link a high attendance rate
and a higher likelihood to attend post high school schooling when parents are
involved in the school they attend. We
have a wonderful PTA that has multiple opportunities for you to get involved. One example is the art docent program that
teaches you about an artist that you then present to a class along with a
project. There is training available for
free through the
I am looking forward to another
great year at Terminal Park. It’s a
great day to be a Tiger!
Mr. Carstens