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Jamie is having a hard time adjusting to all the changes just acting out and hurting his sister that was improving but now I guess we just wait to see if he settles down again or if we need to go back to the psych he seems ok today I think the meltdowns were from being tired and having to adjust to his new environment we shall see how he goes
Hugs, I must admit we have had similar tantrums here, the fights that the girls have been having are intense, but I'm putting that down to the changes and been overtired.:
Hopefully he settles for you and no need to return to the psych x
Meltdown central here too! Doesn't help that Blake won't got to bed any earlier than 8:30pm. He soooo needed a nap today but it was too hot to try to get him to sleep (probably would have gone for a drive with success for both boys but was too hot)
Glad to hear our new starters have mostly got off to a good start.
We haven't had any meltdowns yet, DD1 is definitely more tired and more prone to behaving obnoxiously but that is easier to deal with than a meltdown! She is still very keen about school and got to go to the library and borrow books during the week which was highlight for her!
First call from the school today had to pick my boy up sick he wasn't feeling the best this morning but he just had a cough came home with a fever but a bit of nurofen and actually eating something and he's feeling better
We are going pretty well, my son is autistic so I am really surprised at how well he has settled into school, but very happy of course too :D He can't get into his classroom quick enough! He is feeling a little lonely as he doesn't know one child at the school due to going to a different kinder. I'm sure he will start becoming more social when he is ready, there is so much to remember for them that I think friends can take often take a back seat!
We are having a picnic dinner at the school on Wednesday. Moo is very much looking forward to it!
I certainly don't have the tired child going to bed early every night! Moo seems to have even more energy and has a lot of trouble winding down and going to sleep. He is up until 9:30pm most nights and I am pulling my hair out as then my 3 year old won't go to bed either and I am usually alone at night to deal with it.
Ds1 is going well. He's also mentioned that he hasn't made any new friends and I think that's making him a bit sad. I think I caught him wiping his eyes as he went in to class today but am not sure if he was crying or he had just yawned. Made me a little sad but I didn't want to go and grab him to see if he was OK cause he was already heading in and he would have come to me if he needed to.
DD seems to be enjoying it - keeps coming home with French words. I feel quite disconnected from it all as I only get to pick up and drop off at regular school time on a Tuesday - so I am looking forward to tomorrow. Assembly is on Wednesday and they encourage parents to go and even have a coffee van - but is at 9:00 so I will only be able to make that if there is a special event going on. She is really tired though as expected (and more obnoxious than usual - good description Sagres!). Still isn't eating that much which I didn't expect as is all stuff she likes, and usually eats like a horse at home. We had some tears one day when we went to childcare to pick up DS and she saw her old teachers, and she says she misses them.
Jamie got his reader today I'm a little lost as to wat to do there was like instructions like get them to try and read first and then help them im used to just reading to them and he got words he needs to learn but he has some trouble concentrating but I guess they learn and it's only the second week so I should probably give it some time
They have photo day next week I didn't realise it was going to be so soon and it's only the preps getting photos done
I tend to read first, then i get them to repeat each word as i say it.
Then i get them to read it & i point to pictures etc if they get stuck.
As they get better, i let them read first & just help where needed.
Just do what it works for you :)
DD is settling in well. This week will be interesting as it is the first week of full hours (8.45am-3.30pm), 5 days. No meltdowns yet, but definitely a lot of attitude and obnoxiousness! We have a parent morning tea tommorrow where we they'll talk about some of the "new" behaviours we may be experiencing with our kids and watching a video calls *Kids Matter*... should be interesting!
With the reading, look through the book with him first and talk about the pictures, the pictures describe the book.
Going well here, we've had some meltdowns, but she loves going, hates having Wednesdays off lol.
We have her English assessment on Monday morning.
Dd loves reading eggs too, we have apps on the iPad, we also get login details from the school to the full version. They also use mathletics as well.
We're the same as Olive. Dd prep Teacher said to look at the pics first and let her tell the story using them first, then go back and read the words together 😊
We have already lost one hat. I say we because I think it was me. It got lost on Tuesday the only day I do pick up - we played in the playground, went to library and then to art class but I don't have a clue where we last had it. Have also got first school party invite which caused some confusion as arrived in post and didn't have child's surname, and DD said could have been from school or from childcare as knew two of that name - so had to work out who it was from.
She is still eating very little at school - plenty at home but I would prefer a more even spread over the day. She has seen some kids do lunch orders - so I said once I can be confident she will eat them (not paying to have it not eaten) she can have one every now and again - but still hasn't seemed to improve her eating.
My mum is here helping out now as DH is away and she thinks DD has really grown up since they last saw her (was only Christmas) - is harder I think to see when you are with them all the time - I expect DH will notice when he is back.
I got my working with children check through, now just have to attend the 'education' sessions before can go in and help. Do schools normally let you take siblings if going in or not? I think would be better not to take DS but on the one day I don't work he is with me, and would prefer not to have to take time off work if possible.
After all my moaning about lack of info from the school - since actually starting they have been pretty good I think.
Jamie has lost a pair of shorts and now has a hole in the other pair
Their hats stay at school in their chair bags so it's helpful to not lose them lol
Second book heaps better already and recognising his sight words already I think his concentration has improved just in the first 2 weeks and he's settled down I really thought it would take longer but I think it might just be from being tired lol
So cool to hear how all these kindy kids are going! Vic, how awesome that they're bilingual! One of our friends goes to a bilingual too, they speak Japanese most afternoons.
Both my kids have been difficult in the afternoons/evenings - I really think the structure and routine are exhausting for them & once they get into the groove it'll get better.
Oh, Phoebe is really not liking school :( I can't say I'm really surprised. She's always been a homebody. But this morning there were tears when I dropped her off and she was trying so hard to be brave while we walked down to assembly... Broke my heart :( I remember just hating school and even though of my two children Phoebe is most like me, I really wanted things to be different for her. I wanted her to like it. I'm so hopeful that over the next few weeks she'll get into it, make a couple of mates that we can have play dates with and feel more confident and happy.
Another week done! Sorry to hear some kids aren't enjoying it at the moment, that would be tough on them and you :hug:
Moo is still keen which is such a surprise. We had a picnic dinner at the school this week, was such a fun evening! When we left Moo says that he didn't see his girlfriend there, DH and I were like 'uh...' This is the child who didn't make a friend in 2 years of kinder! Apparently they spend lots of time together and he has made a couple of other friends too :D
I nominated myself for the school council today. Have no idea how these things work but am hoping to be as involved as I can.
Jamie cut a hole in his only remaining shorts luckily u patched them had to use the hair straightener coz I don't have an iron lol but apparently he was busted trying to cut another boys hair >.< so scissors have been removed for a few days till he can use them properly she said he's doing fine with school work just needed a couple of reminders to not push and to use the scissors properly but he started the day badly he was tired from last night coz we go to my mums for dinner and its a later bedtime might need to try and leave her place earlier which sucks coz I like being at mums
Must come back in the morning off the computer & catch up.
Just briefly though Miss Z is loving school, bags to go over the weekend and is doing so much better than I thought she would (concentration& being in the same class as her sister etc)
Is it normal for parents association meetings to be in the daytime? When I was a kid they were always in the evening - seems a bit unfair having them in the daytime.
Yes it's alot more common now.
Both our Kinder & School committee run during the day now.
Going well so far, she is loving Japanese & looks forward to it every week.
They are learning numbers & she is really enjoying class time.
She has a reader & a alaphet booklet that we do every morning & night
She is starting to remember what letter makes what sound now :)
What is the rational behind having meetings in the daytime? Do they just expect people to be able to get the time off work?:
I would find difficulty attending night meetings. Probably other parents do too.
Our kinder meetings last year were night ones, this year have been moved to days because that's when committee members could meet.
Contact one of them and let them know you are interested in being involved
With our school most of the things we need help with are during school hours.
So having the meetings during school hours just makes more sense.
We always put a note in the newsletter when we need help so even if you can't make a meeting you can still help :)
Same for Kinder we had night meetings & we had a lot less people turn up because nights can be hard.
Honestly when it comes down to it, we find it so hard to get parent helpers we tend to do what works best for the current members.
I agree with Hotl let them know your interested in helping & get them to e-mail you a copy of the minutes etc :)
No time works for everyone with school committees! During the day doesn't work for those that keep office hours and evening gets hard with dinner and bed routines, especially for those with younger kids. Can't win!
I have emailed to ask whether is always daytime meetings.
I understand doing what is best for the current members thing if is a meeting for people on the committee - but this one on Friday is meant to be a welcome to new foundation parents, one with updates from principal and all sorts of other info - is hardly very welcoming.
I do think kinder is slightly different (everyone has at least one young child) but with school as children progress through school, the likelihood of having very small siblings decreases - so surely nights get easier? It isn't like people who work don't have to juggle dinner and bedtimes too, but you don't have another option - I can't give up half a days wages just like that. All the other committees I have been involved in (Playgroup, ABA) have meetings in the evenings.
Not wanting to have meetings in the daytime, doesn't mean that I wouldn't take time off to help out at specific things that have to happen during school hours.
I was talking to my mum and she said that back then it would have been classed as sexist to have daytime meetings as it would have been deemed too exclusionary for dads.
Headteacher is leaving end of Term 1, have found out today. A bit unnerving as I believe a head and the teachers are the biggest factor in how good a school is - but given how long has been there etc is not that surprising. A new head is hoped to be in place by Term 3.
Both kinder and school council have their meetings in the evening. I wouldn't like daytime meetings as I have 3 year old. The school runs fitness 3 times per week at 9am which parents are encouraged to join in with, lately it has been run/walk around the oval. There is also a mid term breakfast every term that parents are invited to. So lots of ways to be a part of the school besides the council.
See if your school needs new school board members, that is also a great way to to be a part of the school & their meetings are usually at night :)
If I wasn't working I would still prefer evenings due to having a younger one also.:
It seems school councils always seem to be at night - why is that, why would they be at night but parents association stuff in the day?
All the nominations for school council have already closed apparently (I got an email today - with the nominations - but everything is written like you already understand how everything works) - so what is the deal do parents who are not 'on' the council still go to meetings?
There is meant to be some new parent coordinator to help new parents but they are not in place yet to my knowledge.
Our parents association meetings alternate, one month it's during the day, next month it's a night, that way it caters to all.
Committees are night, our kinder is too big to do during the day, no place to hold it!
My partner is a shift worker, and I don't have family living close by, so no one to watch my kids at night. There are many different circumstances for why different times work better for different families. A mum at my school brought up the same issue (initial committee meeting for the year was held during the day), and the secretary of the committee was also present and took her email address so she could get the minutes.
dd is still going really well. my 3 year old was getting ready for kinder this morning, and dd said wistfully "oh, I remember kinder. such a lovely place, you just get to play all day" cos foundation is pretty hard, ya know
I understand about the different circumstances e.g. shift work, family not being around to babysit in the evenings etc. etc. These things also apply to people who work in the daytime.**Alternating seems like a reasonable idea.
I suppose I am just surprised at how many things are scheduled during the school day (3 so far) (things that are supposed to be about people getting to know each other, giving out information and fostering as sense of community – not things that obviously have to be during school hours – like tuck shops etc)* - is like there is an expectation that work is a thing that people can easily come and go from as they please, which can’t be normal surely? (certainly isn’t the experience of DH or I – or friends of ours (teachers being a prime example)).* **Is far easier for me to find a friend who can come and sit with my kids in the evening while I go to a session if DH is away for example – than get time off.* **
Receiving stuff by email just isn’t the same – especially when you need most of it translating by someone who has had a few years experience at the school to understand what it really means.
DD is really enjoying it, but still not eating much. She seems to love before and after care, they had their first assembly yesterday so now it is "why can't you come to assembly mummy - they have a coffee cart !!"
Got a login to Mathletics today (it isn't our login as due to the mix up at beginning of term they don't have one for DD yet) - DD seemed to enjoy playing around with it, but moaned that she couldn't get the avatar to look enough like her :-)
Our parent participation sessions start next week (two evenings) which will be interesting - as the school is bilingual it teaches maths in French and when we were doing Mathletics DD wants to do all the counting in French, which is ok but for some bits the words are written in English so was getting frustrated as she doesn't appear to be able to translate between 'dix' and 'ten' for example so has to count again. So would be good to know what is the best way to deal with that.
Got my working with children card today (I look like a criminal in the photo).
It's pretty cool that your little one goes to a bilingual school. Is that why you choose it?
DD2 seems to of settled right in now, always so happy when i pick her up & she tells me she loooooves school.
She loves Japanese & music & gets so excited on those school days.
Her buddy is really nice & she always says hi & has a chat to her when she sees her.
We have school pictures next week. There goes $90.
No while I think the bilingual aspect is great, we chose it because it happens to be the closest school to us, so it is where we are zoned to go, and as has a good reputation then just went with it (we didn't look at any other school - with jobs and daycare anywhere else would have made life too painful):
We might not be able to stay at that school for the whole of her schooling (our flat is too small and bigger places in zone are too expensive) but from what I have read about bilingual teaching and the way it develops pathways in the brain, we figured that it was worth going to that school even if end up having to move somewhere without a bilingual program.
DD really likes her buddy too, although I don't really quite understand the buddy foundation relationship. Today DD was a bit grumpy and when I asked her what was wrong she said that her and her friends buddy wanted them to sing some song for the teacher but she didn't want to, she just wanted to watch but the buddies said that if she wouldn't sing then she couldn't watch - so not really sure what was going on there - haven't not ever had a buddy myself I suppose I am just surprised at how much time the buddies want to spend with the little ones, and a few times DD has said things where it sounds like she is having to do stuff she doesn't really want to but thinks she has to because her buddy says so.
Not sure about other school but our but all our foundation, 1 & 2's get buddies, 3, 4, 5 & sometimes 6's become the buddies.
Sometimes they have lunch or snack with their buddy, sometimes it's just doing reading, writing or class activity.
Sometimes i think some of the kids really don't want to be buddies so they kinda fob them off, which is sad because the little ones really look up to them.
DD1 is so excited that she gets to be a buddy next year, she keeps telling me all the fun things she will do with her buddy lol
How do others find the school is at communicating with them? DD loves school - and the teaching side of things seems great - but man they drive me bonkers with the communication. They seem to miss key stuff out (a letter about an excursion asking if anyone can help failing to mention the date is one example), get dates wrong all the time, miss key bits of info out of newsletters and emails etc. etc. All things on their own would not be so bad and mistakes can always be made, but it just seems like they are completely incapable of proof reading something from the perspective of a parent - which must lead to so much more work for them because parents have to follow up with additional questions all the time.
Our school provides a weekly school letter each Tuesday, a dedicated prep newsletter on Thursdays as well as communication via the "skoolbag" app. I'm really happy with their communication, although it can be overload sometimes Lol!
Our school communication is pretty good.
We get weekly newsletter, skoolbag app updates & they will email you newsletters etc if you ask.
They have a FB group which they give information on as well.
The prep trachers put all important info in reader cases & then they check it the next day to make sure you got it.
I can't really complain.