Back to School; what does this mean for your child?

I remember being on holidays as a child with my family and having a wonderful time of beach and ocean waves.  In particular, I remember going into a shopping centre in a coastal town and seeing signs everywhere that said ‘Back To School’.  It was a bubble bursting moment; the idea of returning to school clouded my time of carefree fun.

What does ‘Back to School’ mean for your child?

• Having to do school work that will be more difficult than the year before?
• Having to be somewhere at a certain time every day? (One may say ‘that’s part of life’, but this is more about the loss of autonomy.)
• Navigating the social quagmire that is the classroom dynamic?
• Learning the expectations of their new teachers?
• Being back with school friends?
• No longer ‘being bored’?

I remember a ‘first day back’ moment.  I saw a group of girls that I knew, and walked up to them and said hello.  They responded with derogative remarks about my socks.  Apparently over the summer it had become uncool to have your socks pulled up (it was the 70s). With haste, I left, found a quiet spot and pushed my socks down around my ankles.  I felt humiliated and embarrassed.

As an adult, I couldn’t care what somebody says about my socks.  However, back then the opinions (that I believed) others held of me were so terribly important, and I was being ridiculed by the female hierarchy because of my socks.

The collective that is the classroom, is organic and dynamic where children explore who they are in relation to others.  They may be encouraged not to compare themselves to each other, but they will do it anyway.  When children are put into groups, they will decide which is the ‘smart’ group and which is not.  For example, one of the first things that primary students often want to know is, which team do you barrack for – this is about differentiation and hierarchy.  They will determine who they are, and where they belong, by determining who everybody else is, and where everybody else belongs. I have seen this repeated in many different groups.

Other Primary Transitions

Other primary year transitions that can demand a bit more, are the moves from junior to middle primary (year 2 to year 3), middle to senior primary, (year 4 to year 5) and of course, year 6 to year 7.

Year 7

For the student entering Year 7, the transition can be a difficult one as they are required to be much more organised than in the past.  They will now have many more teachers as well as new subjects.  Homework will be coming home on different nights of the week and due back at different times.  Many of the subjects may have text books which they are required to care for. (I acknowledge that much homework and texts are now digital – though this does not change the responsibility).  Do not be surprised if near the end of Term One, your new Year 7 is feeling overwhelmed.  For some, going to Year 7 means moving from a small primary school into a considerably larger secondary school.  The transition may be less demanding in a P to 12 campus, but the organisational requirements and work demands will still be a noticeable jump.

Like the primary school, there are some bigger transitions for secondary students.  Some students will be heading into their senior years – the equivalent of Years 11 and 12,  (which they most likely started at the end of last year).  If students have not established their work ethic by the time they get to year 11, then the next two years may be a challenge for them.  I encourage you to keep in communication with their teachers.  It is important that the students know what outcomes they are required to demonstrate, when their School Assessed Coursework (SAC) dates are, and what is required for exams.  Find what information you need to know from their teachers.

The point is, ‘Back to School’ is so much more than a phrase for an advertising campaign.  Some children, will take it in their stride, while for others, their stride might look more like a stagger.  Are you aware of what your child’s stride is like and what ‘Back to School’ means to them?