Starting school or beginning at a new school can be daunting. Your child might be ready to charge full steam ahead, or may be apprehensive and concerned about the unknown.

If it’s the latter, rest assured that we’ve got you covered. Here are some tips we thought to share if your child is commencing their journey here with us at AvÐÔ°® Christi College.

Here are some common questions your child may be asking:

• ‘Will I have any friends?’

• ‘Where will I put my bag?’

• ‘Are the teachers nice?’

• ‘What time is lunch and recess?’

• ‘Where do I get my food?’

• ‘What if I get lost and am late to class?’ 

• ‘Will I get in trouble?’

• ‘What if I forget my locker code?’

• ‘What if I don’t have any friends in my classes?’

• ‘What if the work is too hard/easy?’

• ‘What if I forget something?’

• ‘Do I really have to get changed for sport in front of everyone else?’

These are common concerns and questions that new students (and sometimes their parents) will often worry about before starting at a new school, so it’s no wonder the prospect of walking in on the first day can create some butterflies.

It can end up becoming a time of nervousness for students, parents… and even teachers! While any period of transition and change can take some time to adjust to, there are some things you as a parent can do to ensure the transition into schooling goes smoothly and is a positive start to this new chapter in your child’s life. 

How Parents Can Help

Keep calm yourself. By now it is likely you have noticed that your child will pick up on your feelings and moods and often take these on board. Therefore, it is really important that your child sees that you are feeling calm and confident in their ability to handle the transition successfully. If you have doubts, please contact one of our College Psychologists who will be able to meet with you for a confidential discussion about your concerns.  

Listen to your child’s concerns and try to encourage them to articulate their feelings. Listening is particularly important when emotions are heightened. Trying to give advice and talking to your child when their emotions are high is likely to be ineffective and may even increase their reactions. Perhaps ask them, ‘what do you need right now?’

Set clear boundaries and expectations for behaviour. Children are likely to feel less anxious when they have fair and firm boundaries and are clear about what is expected of them, both at home and at school.

Obtain information. Help your child find out the information they need to ensure they know what to expect when they start school. It is often the ‘unknowns’ that cause the most stress and anxiety. Read email correspondence from the College and attend orientation days and meetings, as this is where a lot of this information will be shared. As well as your child’s Head of Year, our College Psychologists can be contacted prior to commencing at AvÐÔ°® to help alleviate some of your child’s concerns, as well as assist with a positive transition into life at school.

Assist your child to think of their own solutions to problems that come up. While our natural instinct as parents is to want to try to fix things for them, really encourage your child to come up with solutions to problems themselves.  It is important that young people are given the opportunity to develop their problem-solving skills. Coming up with a solution, trying it out and then learning from the outcome is likely to improve a child’s resilience far better than having their parents step in to solve the problem for them.

Adopt a growth mindset, where challenges and/or failures are viewed as an opportunity for growth and a chance to develop resilience. Making mistakes is a normal part of life.

School-life balance. Encourage your child to join one of the many extra-curricular opportunities offered by the College. It can help to develop other friendships outside of their usual peer group and provide balance in their lives.

Communicate with the College. Please advise the College of any physical, emotional or learning difficulties your child may have that is likely to impact on their well-being so that we can ensure the appropriate supports are put in to place prior to commencement of the school year.