Foundation (Prep/Kinder) 2014 Chat

[MummyNaomi]

We have only had one piece of homework so far, and it is just to bring two pictures if her family and write where everyone was born. Ie what country.

Same Bella - Bailz loved filling in the Family tree We have a little Jolly Phonics book supplied by the school, we just revise that weeks letters before bed, takes 5 mins and DS enjoys it. Teachers told us we dont start with any readers until Term 2 at the earliest. Term 1 is all about learning school and settling in, getting used to the 5 days. They would prefer us ensuring the kids have an early bed time and are acclimatising to the 5 day school week. I'm pleased with this philosophy, its such a big change to their lives.

In fact when we were researching schools I was keen to find a school with a homework philosophy that suits us. Frankly I think homework should be revision time only, I expect that the bulk of school 'learning' will be done at school, and home is more for teaching 'life skills' etc ITMS. I don't want our evenings filled with too much homework. As working parents we are busy and want to spend some down time with the kids too. So I am pleased that the homework is very age appropriate and minimal in junior primary here. DS wont even be 5 until late April, there is plenty of time ahead for homework......

[MummyNaomi]

DS has been very tired this week. When DH picked him up on Tues his Teacher gave DH a heads up that he almost fell asleep and had no energy from lunch onwards, Wednesday was similar although he tired earlier She said she'll keep an eye on him and its not unusual but thought it wise to give us a heads up. I've given DS an early night the last two nights (6pm instead of 7pm) but he's such an early waker - his body clock is set early, always has been, he's up between 545-6 normally. Such a long morning before he even gets to school. We'll just try to slow things down a bit for a few weeks until he adjusts. He goes to OHSC two mornings also which isn't ideal from a tired perspective, but not much we can do about that as have stretched our work flexibility to the absolute maximum already. Hoping he adjusts soon. I feel so bad, he is doing well in every other area (socially, behaviour, academically) but he's just so little he needs more stamina

[Olive]

Maybe look at some high protein foods for morning tea

[feeb]

This week has sucked and I have cried for poor DS1. Tuesday he came out if class sad as 2 kids had given out party invites and he didn't get any. Some kids had 2 some 1 and some none but this broke DS1 heart as to him it was everyone had one but him. 1 of the kids is someone he plays with a lot and this kid always find him as soon as we arrive at school, and wed when I picked him up from ASC he was playing with this kid!!

Today he comes out of class sad as said another friend wouldn't play with him so he played on his own :-(. This child lives across back fence from us and we walk to and from school often together, I was VERY proud when DS1 went up to his mum and said "excuse me ...... wouldn't play with me today" she was horrified and had words with her son on way home about always including everyone at all times.

My heart breaks for him as he has been loving school but today not so much :-(

[Lenny]

Aww Feeb, poor DS. This is one of the reasons why I am so pleased we waited for DS1 to go to school - his resilience for these things is so much better than it would have been one year ago, and he has suffered a few missed birthdays at kinder last year and a few 'you're not my friend anymore' etc. Not saying its not still upsetting, but its easier at 5 years old (nearly 6) than 4 years old (nearly 5). For us.

MN - my DS wakes before 6 too. And has done since forever. We put him to bed at 7.30 but its rare these days he is asleep before 8. He is still awake now and it's nearly 8.15.
He has 3 hours before school. Breakfast is inhaled before 6.30, so he gets so engrossed in his play at home that school is a bit of a nuisance interruption.

[BlackCat]

Oh Feeb your poor DS I hope tomorrow is much better for him.

As for us, I made the teachers aid cry. *sigh* I swear I didn't mean to, I wasn't mean, I didn't yell, I was just matter of fact in the situation. I don't suppose its a good sign if you put the teachers aid off side before term one is even over? *sigh* Sums up the start to our year really.

[feeb]

Lenny definatly agree DS1 is 5 and 1/2 and would not have coped younger (not that we had choice being July) last year at kinder the party invites were done on the sly and he had none from kinder but that was ok as he didn't know about them. My personal thought is either invite all kids in grade OR hand out invites to parents when waiting for pick up or get teacher to put in bags!! As kids handing them out at school is terrible!

Another reason glad DS2 will start school at 6 and not 5.

Black cat ohh dear hope you can get back on track and things with aid work out.

[Astrid]

Feeb: Hugs to your lil man. The birthday party thing is hard.

I was so paranoid with DD1 in prep about the lack of invites, I blamed myself as we were still newish to the area and had not made many connections, found out though that it was due to most of the birthdays being in the last half of the year With DD's birthday we invited the whole class (I think/I hope). It gave us an opportunity to meet other school families and we made a few more connections. We will do the same with DD2's birthday this year.
Thankfully it seems to get easier as they get older. There seems to be more understanding about missing out on a party. I try to make sure I don't project my concerns and take it personally like my mother did, often I would be unaware of the lack of invite, but my mother would bring it up and make a big deal of it

Black Cat: Oh dear, hope things look up for you from now on with school.

[~Kim~]

Oh Blackcat what happened?

Feeb that sucks doesn't it?

[OceanPrincess]

Feeb I am the same with birthday paranoia... I'm sure there's been a few DD has missed but fortunately she doesn't seem to care or notice so I'm trying not to stress about it.

DD's birthday was a few weeks ago and we didn't have a party. Did I say this already? She kept saying she wanted to invite kids from kinder because she didn't really know anyone at school yet so I decided we'd put it off until maybe term 2, to give her a chance to invite some actual friends from school. She's been to two parties so far, where they invited the whole class.

BlackCat: big hugs, what happened??

Today I was able to spend some time at school doing reading. As I've said, I can't plan to do reading because of the boys, but DH has been home this week as I've been sick and he's had a light load at work so I thought I'd see if they needed anyone to do reading today. Turned out the two mums on the roster were both unable to do it so it was great that I was there!

It was really interesting. Huge, huge variety of aptitudes and skill level. Some kids are streets ahead, some didn't even want to read at all, and the rest are in the middle. Dd is in the middle, pretty much average which is ok by me!

[black_rose]

Blackcat I hope things improve for you.

Dd2's birthday is in a few weeks and we have decided to go with a class party as it's just too hard any other way as she plays with boys and girls but doesn't have any she would call besties yet as she is in another class so yep she is invited too. All up it's sitting on 24 hope a few can't make it! There has been one other class party and another that dd hasn't been asked to but she isn't worried, she is focusing on her birthday for now. She is settling in well but is forgetting to go to the toilet and having small accidents at the end of the day so I need to ask her teacher to make sure she goes.

[~Kim~]

OP DS' birthday was last week and I didn't do a party either. I'll just do one next year when I know who his friends are.birthdays in the first part of the new year are a bit hard like that. Dd2 will be the same.

[MummyNaomi]

DS has his first Birthday Party this weekend, its just a 90 min Macca's party. I rang the Mum's number on the invite to RSVP as I wanted to introduce myself etc and let her know I'd be hanging about (not about to do the drop'n'run when I dont know her) but the phone rang out, sent a sms to which she immediately replied. I would really like to get to know some of the other Mums, especially the ones of the kids DS considers his friends.
DS's birthday is in the April school holidays - as we have the 'learning conversations' (old parent/teacher interviews) a few weeks before I'll suss out from DSs teacher the most appropriate way of giving out the invites and suss out who DS is hanging out with at school.

Had a nice note from DSs teacher in his communication book tonight telling us that she'd sent out revision sheets for the class today to help the parents encourage the kids to keep learning their word sounds (from the jolly phonics program), however she said we should be proud as DS knows all of his and has none to revise. So pleased for him as he is such a sponge is is constantly spelling and sounding out works and letters on street signs/in the supermarket/from our mail etc - he hears words and tells me what letters they start with and have in them, he loves it Today he surprised me be writing out most of the kids names in his class and then writing todays date down and telling me what tomorrows date would be - he's 4! I feel like I have seriously underestimated him and should have been encouraging him more, no wonder he was getting a bit bored at home late last year!

Clearly he takes after his awesome mother

[Bella29]

Oh bravo! Well done lovely boy .

[BlackCat]

How is everyone going now? Are your little ones as tired as mine?

After a very rough start things are finally starting to settle down for us. DS took to school like a duck to water (after the initial separation issues and realisation that this is a week long gig passed). Our biggest hurdle has been dealing with school policy, DS is the only allergy kid in his class. Which has also made the 4 birthday parties he has been invited to a bit interesting. Apart from cost and not having much time together, I declined the one that was a back yard and not playcentre/maccas etc as it's all just too hard to monitor with uni, work, school and then parties :P Yeah I know, I suck according to DS. Oh well.

The good part is the other parents are starting to open up their group a little more. So although I spent the beginning of the last social gathering wanting the ground to eat me alive, by the end, people were actually more open. Maybe it helped that they all wanted to know why DS had his own little cake again, who knows, I'll take it. haha.

He seems to have made lots of friends, there is one boy who has taken to shadowing him around everywhere. Speaking with his mum he is a little excited, DS is all he talks about. Sweet but I can see it ending badly too.

We have Parent Teacher interviews next week. Im not really sure what to expect from those. Wait and see I guess.

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

I am having one of THOSE days today, not feeling crash hot then I posted this in the wrong thread

I've got a bit of catching up to do.

How is everyone now that they are all full time (I think) and nearing the end of their first term?
DD1 is still loving school, her teachers and asking for homework etc.

She had a walkathon last week and raised $230 in a week to go towards our local CFA for all their help during the fires, the school leaders chose to do the walkathon and organised it so it was very cute.

She is loving her readers and has gone up another level to level 3, she has also gotten her 4th certificate on Study Ladder - does anyone else have their LO using this program?

This school is the best decision we have ever made for her I think, she is improving daily and is apparently doing some grade 1/2 work every now and then.
The teachers are fantastic and so easy to talk to, I really need to ask about going in for a day and helping out but it doesn't seem such an issue in such a tiny school.

What does everyone have planned for the first big kids school holidays?

I am still having issue with her not eating everything she's sent to school with, even if I limit what she takes - no reason for it at the end of the day either, just that she didn't want it.... how is everyone else going with this?

[Lenny]

My DS is six today. Happy birthday my big school boy

He is doing so wonderfully. I am so proud. His anxiety is almost nonexistent. I would have thought school would have made it worse, but it seems to have made it better. I think he likes the framework and the distinct expectations.
He reads, writes, does maths, sounds out words brilliantly. I think finding his abilities is helping his confidence.

Oh and his teacher is the nicest person on earth! Prep teachers are a bit special. She sends the 'fallen out teeth' home in a little glad bag, she rings if we forget their hats, she is so kind.

He idolises the older brother of one of the boys in his class. And he has stopped telling stories of children always chasing and hitting and tagging and throwing bark at one another. Now his day is spent with the kids who love their monster trucks and hot wheels. He has found like-minds, and is content.

I am so pleased we waited for school. I watch the sad mums with children having trouble separating, and I know what difference one year can make to the whole experience.

We are a happy family, I hope school stays such a positive place for my boy.

[black_rose]

Dd seems to have hit a bit of a wall the last few weeks, she outright refused to eat anything last week and came home starving and cranky. She loves being read to but hates to sit and do her letters but will do reading eggs and can recognise a few more words. Having to pick my battles as she is getting upset easily. It's her birthday so hoping that a fun day at school will cheer her up. Glad it's only a week and a half until the end of term.