It’s a nervous time of year for parents with young children ready to start the school year as the 2025 Prep cohort.
Across Queensland, well over 40,000 four and five-year-olds will join the ranks of a local primary school for the first time next week.
Brisbane Catholic Education, which operates 146 schools throughout South-East Queensland, has put together some tips for parents with children starting prep, courtesy of two of their educators, St John Vianney’s Primary School Manly Assistant Principal Religious Education Carmel Smith and St Agatha’s Primary School Clayfield Principal Anne-Marie Maw.
Top Tips:
- Promote independence: Encourage your child to dress themselves and handle personal tasks, like putting on shoes and zipping jackets, to boost confidence. Get them to practice opening lunchboxes and packing school bags.
- Establish a goodbye routine: Create a comforting and consistent goodbye ritual, like a hug or special phrase, to ease separation anxiety. Keep parting words short and cheerful.
- Introduce the teacher: Talk about the teacher’s role in helping, keeping them safe and making learning fun to build familiarity.
- Engage with the school community: Attend school events, organise playdates and participate in parish activities to foster comfort and friendships.
- Normalise emotions: Discuss feelings about starting school, reassuring your child it’s normal to feel nervous or excited and encouraging open communication.
- Talk about the excitement: Highlight the fun activities, new friends, and opportunities to learn at school. Build anticipation for the exciting times ahead.
