We are excited for the 2015-2016 school year! This year at Port Wentworth, we have changed from a Pre-K through 5th grade to Pre-K through 2nd grade. We are now the "Land of the Little People!". We look forward to seeing our returning babies and our new babies! We will certainly miss our students who are now attending the new Rice Creek school. We anticipate a busy and productive year with lots of fun.
And, oh my! The first day for Kindergarten students! Some are so excited and cannot wait for their parents to leave (like me when I was in Kindergarten) and others.......well, look like they have permanently super glued themselves to either mom or dad's leg (like my oldest child last year!). Parents, I know! The struggle is real! Here's some information from Fred Rogers-you now, MR. ROGERS, the one we grew up watching his show.
Children’s Misconceptions about School
Some children are afraid to go to school because they don't know how to read and work with numbers, and they think they have to know all those things before they even arrive at school. Other children worry that there won't be any time for play once they get to school, or that they won't know when it's time to go home. They may worry about what could happen if they don't listen to the teacher or what they should do if they have to go to the bathroom. It’s helpful to encourage our children to talk about their concerns or fears so we can answer their questions, correct their misconceptions and give them more realistic expectations.
We can let them know that going to school is like discovering a new world, but not a world that's not completely unfamiliar. The more we help them recognize how much school is like home, the easier the transition can be. Like home, school has places to sit, places to play, a kitchen and bathrooms, and grownups (teachers) who care about children.
A Step Forward, a Step Back
When children feel uncertain about a new experience like kindergarten, it's common for them to behave in ways that they did when they were much younger --.clinging to their caregivers more closely than usual, thumb-sucking again, or even forgetting toilet training now and then. It helps to remember that such steps backward often come before big strides forward in a child's development.
Letting Go Can Be Hard for Parents
Parents, too, confront major milestones when their children enter kindergarten. It can be hard to face the fact that "my baby" is growing up. Many parents find it very difficult to "let go" those first days of school. They may even be remembering their own first days of separation from their own parents! No wonder there are so many teary-eyed mothers and fathers each year when school begins.
No matter how well things are going for your child at school, it can be very helpful to take the time to get to know your child's teacher and principal. Your child can sense when you're all working together "on the same team." If you have a good relationship with the teacher, you will probably feel more comfortable talking with him or her about your child's progress or special concerns.
Asking and Listening
As children deal with the different challenges of school, it can help them to know that we adults will gladly listen to what their day was like. Children need to know that their parents care about what happens at school and that their family is proud of the ways they're learning. There may be days, of course, when children won't want to talk at all about school, but if you've listened before, your child can trust that you will want to again when he or she is ready.
Share Your Own Experiences
Helping a child get ready for school often brings back feelings we adults had when we began school. No matter what those feelings are, if we can accept them truthfully and share them with our children, we can each have another important opportunity to grow. "I felt that way, too, when I was a child. Tell me more about what your day was like” is a wonderful way to begin to work on any new kind of growing.
- See more at: http://www.fredrogers.org/parents/first-experiences/kindergarten.php#sthash.qNU0TAYA.dpuf
And, oh my! The first day for Kindergarten students! Some are so excited and cannot wait for their parents to leave (like me when I was in Kindergarten) and others.......well, look like they have permanently super glued themselves to either mom or dad's leg (like my oldest child last year!). Parents, I know! The struggle is real! Here's some information from Fred Rogers-you now, MR. ROGERS, the one we grew up watching his show.
Children’s Misconceptions about School
Some children are afraid to go to school because they don't know how to read and work with numbers, and they think they have to know all those things before they even arrive at school. Other children worry that there won't be any time for play once they get to school, or that they won't know when it's time to go home. They may worry about what could happen if they don't listen to the teacher or what they should do if they have to go to the bathroom. It’s helpful to encourage our children to talk about their concerns or fears so we can answer their questions, correct their misconceptions and give them more realistic expectations.
We can let them know that going to school is like discovering a new world, but not a world that's not completely unfamiliar. The more we help them recognize how much school is like home, the easier the transition can be. Like home, school has places to sit, places to play, a kitchen and bathrooms, and grownups (teachers) who care about children.
A Step Forward, a Step Back
When children feel uncertain about a new experience like kindergarten, it's common for them to behave in ways that they did when they were much younger --.clinging to their caregivers more closely than usual, thumb-sucking again, or even forgetting toilet training now and then. It helps to remember that such steps backward often come before big strides forward in a child's development.
Letting Go Can Be Hard for Parents
Parents, too, confront major milestones when their children enter kindergarten. It can be hard to face the fact that "my baby" is growing up. Many parents find it very difficult to "let go" those first days of school. They may even be remembering their own first days of separation from their own parents! No wonder there are so many teary-eyed mothers and fathers each year when school begins.
No matter how well things are going for your child at school, it can be very helpful to take the time to get to know your child's teacher and principal. Your child can sense when you're all working together "on the same team." If you have a good relationship with the teacher, you will probably feel more comfortable talking with him or her about your child's progress or special concerns.
Asking and Listening
As children deal with the different challenges of school, it can help them to know that we adults will gladly listen to what their day was like. Children need to know that their parents care about what happens at school and that their family is proud of the ways they're learning. There may be days, of course, when children won't want to talk at all about school, but if you've listened before, your child can trust that you will want to again when he or she is ready.
Share Your Own Experiences
Helping a child get ready for school often brings back feelings we adults had when we began school. No matter what those feelings are, if we can accept them truthfully and share them with our children, we can each have another important opportunity to grow. "I felt that way, too, when I was a child. Tell me more about what your day was like” is a wonderful way to begin to work on any new kind of growing.
- See more at: http://www.fredrogers.org/parents/first-experiences/kindergarten.php#sthash.qNU0TAYA.dpuf