TIPS & GUIDELINES

10 tips to help your child to love and be successful at school:

  1. Read aloud to your child every day! Take turns reading to your child and have your child “read” to you. Ask questions to promote comprehension skills.
  2. Ensure your child is getting plenty of sleep each night, so they are fresh for school in the morning.
  3. Teach your child to be responsible for their actions, encourage them to take responsibility for getting ready.
  4. Be positive! Always speak positively about school, learning and your child’s teacher.
  5. Model learning by playing games etc.
  6. Encourage! Praise your child for both successes as well as effort.
  7. Listen! Listen to your child.
  8. Allow playtime after school and support school friendships.
  9. Involve the entire family in school.
  10. Communicate and stay involved! Keep in regular contact with your child’s teacher , ask questions and share your concerns.

13 guidelines to ensure happy children, parents and staff:

If your child/ren are accepted at New England Pre-Primary, please take note of the following:

  1. Please mark all belongings with your child’s name.
  2. Please provide your child with a suitcase he/she knows how to open and close, and which is large enough for him/her to pack by him/herself.
  3. Please teach your child from Day 1 that the Message Book is his/her responsibility.
  4. Please dress your child in clothes he/she knows how to manage i.e. if he/she does not yet know how to do a zip, choose clothes without zips etc.
  5. Please teach your child that his/her shoes must be taken off and placed in his/her locker before climbing the outdoor structures.
  6. Please familiarise your son with the urinal in an easy-going manner before he joins us in January.
  7. Please use slops and Velcro shoes whenever possible until you have taught your child to tie his/her own shoelaces.
  8. Please send your child’s snack in a plastic lunch box. It would be a good idea to teach your child how to open and tighten a juice bottle top, and lunch box lid. Your child’s name must be on his/her lunch box and juice bottle. (A separate lunch box and juice bottle is required for aftercare.)
  9. Please teach your child that his/her shoes, socks etc., are to be put into his/her locker for safe keeping. These items will then reach home at the end of the day! THE STAFF ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR CHILD’S BELONGINGS.
  10. NO TOYS may be brought to school. This keeps the teachers and assistants happy, as it eliminates tears, search parties and annoyed parents when the toy breaks or disappears.
  11. Please pack a sun hat into his/her suitcase every day for outdoor play, remembering to mark it with your child’s name.
  12. Please pack a set of spare clothes daily.
  13. On hot days the sprinkler is switched on in the garden. Please pack a costume or spare underwear and a small towel.

These are all very simple, yet important guidelines that will make your child feel that he/she is grown-up and independent. In the past all the teachers have spent many hours pacifying a child because of a simple problem. We will continue to reassure your child when necessary, but it will certainly help if you could prepare your child incidentally by giving them suitable suitcases, snack boxes, snack etc. When new children arrive, a simple thing like not being able to open/close a suitcase can become a big problem for the child.

Let’s avoid these feelings of “I can’t do it” by preparing our children before they get here.