Smooth transition to 2025
Schools
The start of a school year is an exciting time but walking into a school for the first time can be overwhelming for some children and parents.
At St James School, Jamestown, in regional South Australia, nine new students started in January. The Reception to Year 6 Catholic school has 72 students in total.
“We’re excited to be able to welcome these new families into our school and feel that we have a really beautiful, warm, welcoming environment for them to come into,” said APRIM and acting principal Ally Kelly.
“I think we’re lucky in a small country Catholic school to be able to have those relationships already, before we hit the ground running. I love that I can walk into a classroom and the faces are so familiar. If they’re not, you very quickly learn who they are, and you can build that relationship quickly.”
For parents Siobhan and Jarrod Curtis, the St James playgroup (Little Jimmies) and Reception transition program (Junior Jimmies) was a great way to ease their children Alfie, a pre-schooler, and Year 1 student Isla into the school environment.
“Isla was pretty excited to go back and see her friends, her new teacher and her new classroom,” Mrs Curtis said.
“She was really keen to start school when she was in Reception, but it was bit daunting because most of her friendship group went across to the community school.”
In the lead-up, the Junior Jimmies transition program allowed her to attend the school for a couple of hours each Wednesday over a term.
“It meant she got used to being at the school and got to see the other kids she might be in a class with the following year,” Siobhan said.
“It also meant she knew the teachers she’d have when she started Reception. Junior Jimmies was hugely helpful in making her feel comfortable. She wasn’t daunted, just excited.”
Ms Kelly advises parents to encourage conversation when their children return home from a day at school.
“A lot of the time, parents ask, and kids say, ‘nothing, I did nothing’,” Ms Kelly said.
“I think it’s important that we keep those conversations open and even if you don’t get a response, continue to ask.”
St James School uses the Seesaw app to help teachers, students, and families communicate. The free digital learning platform is aimed at collaboration and allows teachers to share updates about what happens during a school day.
“We try really hard to involve the families in their learning as much as possible,” Ms Kelly said.
“Avenues like this allows us to share some of that learning. We try to post things that spark conversation with the children. We don’t want it to be a closed door. We want parents to share the joy their children had throughout the day.”
Tips for new parents
Catholic Education SA shared a few tips on how to support little ones as they embark on a new chapter.
Preparing for their first day:
• Make sure your child knows who will take them to school and who will pick them up on the first day.
• The night before school starts, assist your child in organising their clothes, hat, shoes and socks.
• Help your child to pack their school bag with a snack, drink, lunch and a hat.
• Put sunscreen on your child in the morning if it’s needed.
At the end of the first day:
• Be there to greet them
• Expect your child to be tired and perhaps uncommunicative
• If they are happy to talk, ask a couple of simple open questions to encourage them to share their day. For example, ‘What was one thing you enjoyed doing today at school?’
Early days and weeks:
• Look for signs of tiredness. Tiredness is common and may show up in symptoms such as crying, reversion to ‘baby talk’, clinging, poor eating or sleeping patterns, or headaches.
• Establish routines and ensure your child gets a good night’s sleep
• If you have any concerns or questions, communicate with your child’s teacher.
Jump to next article
