We are so excited to welcome our students to school in the fall! With so many new experiences and protocols that we all face, the work to help transition children back into the school environment starts at home.
Here’s how you can help prepare your child for their upcoming return to school:
Be curious. Ask open questions and actively listen to understand more about your child’s thoughts and feelings.
Validate their feelings. Let your child know what they are feeling is normal, and there is nothing wrong with their emotions. Be understanding of the anxiety that your child may be facing.
Be aware of your behavior. It is essential to understand how our actions can affect our children. If you react in a way that suggests you are worried about your child returning to school, your child may begin to worry. It is best to remain calm and positive when speaking to your child about returning to school.
Help them limit their exposure to media. This may include reducing exposure to the news. If your child is older, it might mean helping them think critically about media messages they are exposed to or ensuring they are accessing reputable sources.
Create a plan around transitioning. Planning can help alleviate some anxiety. Talk about this plan often, so nothing is a surprise for your child.
Explain to your child some of the new rules they will have to follow at school, such as stopping at the door to get their temperature taken, wearing masks, wiping their shoes, and not sharing items such as pencils or library books. Practice our new welcoming “handshake” at home so your child can greet their teacher and friends when they return. Just put your hand on your heart, and warmly say, “Good morning!”
Practice wearing masks at home before returning to school. We will require our staff to wear masks while in the building. This may make a child nervous at first. Show your child what you look like wearing a mask, so they can adjust to their caregivers wearing them.
Revisit social distancing rules and acceptable hygiene practices. Your teachers will help with this as well, but having reassurance from parents will ensure success.
Get back into a routine. Routines are safe and familiar, which can help children adjust to the return to school. Get back into the habit of waking up, having breakfast, and going to bed at a regular hour. Try to follow the school schedule for mealtimes and naptime.
Build up some excitement about returning. If possible, allow your child to order a new lunchbox or other needed school item. Children become more comfortable if they feel that they have ownership or some control of the situation.
Most importantly, please explore the positives. Seeing your favorite teachers, working with friends, and learning with favorite classroom materials are wonderful things to look forward to.
We hope these suggestions help you and your family prepare for the return to school, whether you join us in-person or virtually through our At Home with Apple Montessori program.
We are excited to welcome you to the 2020-21 school year with our Apple Community. No matter how different it may appear, it is still the Apple your child will love.
Due to current health guidelines, class sizes are limited, so please do not hesitate to secure your child’s spot for the upcoming school year by scheduling a virtual or in-person tour today!
If you wish to review our health and safety protocols, please click here.
We are here to support you and hope to see your child in our classrooms soon.
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