Welcome back to school after the school break. It has been so great to have such a settled beginning after what can seem like a long summer break from school.

It has been especially great to see how well our brand-new Reception students, and the students new to our school, have settled in to our school routines.

Your child may have come back to school without a worry at all and have just slotted back into the school routine as comfortable as a duck is in water. However, I know that for some other students, coming back to school can be quite daunting, and the mild anticipation of coming back to school can blow out to full anxiety.

Some tips to help them are;  

Check yourself!  Are you feeling worried or anxious about the start of a new year? Stress and worry can be contagious. Try to work out why you might be feeling uneasy and check that you don’t take on too many commitments that might put an additional, unmanageable load on you. It’s okay to ask for help.

Listen actively.  When your child verbalises their anxiety, rather than dismissing them with a, “you’ll be okay!”, validate their feelings (“I know it’s hard …”) and show them that you are confident that they will be able to work it out for themselves. Resist the urge to ‘fix’ their problems. Sometimes, just allowing them to verbalise their feelings is all that they really need.

Practice and establish routines.  You may need to walk with your child for the first few days or help them establish a helpful routine such as helping them pack their bags or make their lunches. Repetition is the key to success, as the more the child independently does something, the more successful they become and feel less anxious.

Communicate. Let your child’s teacher know about their anxiety. If it continues, get in contact with the Wellbeing Team. Together, let us become a team to help your child come to school confidently.

Hand over. Sometimes it is super tricky for a child to say goodbye to their parent/caregiver. That’s okay. After you have made contact with your child’s teacher or the Wellbeing Team, you might feel like organising a safe drop off zone at school and allow one of the Wellbeing Team members to help walk your child to class. Again, repetition of success is key. Distraction is also a great tool to help a child to refocus on something other than their anxious feelings. You could give your child a job to do in the morning on the way into school, so that the focus is on their job, not how they are feeling. 

What happens if my child continues to feel anxious? Most children with lots of praise and reassurance get through their anxiety. Remember, hovering and not letting go of your child subconsciously communicates that you feel that your child is in danger, and your child will pick that up. Moving off having said, ‘goodbye, I love you and I’ll see you after school’ communicates that you are feeling secure in leaving your child and they are safe. If your child still feels unsettled and worried, then seek support from the Wellbeing Team. 

If your child develops stomach aches and headaches, this can be a sign that your child’s anxiety may need the support from a healthcare professional. Agreeing to keep your child home again reinforces the child’s perception that avoiding situations that create anxiety are indeed scary and dangerous.

If you find that you need additional support, one of the Wellbeing Team members can help you seek the most appropriate support for your circumstance.

To make an appointment with a member of the Wellbeing Team (consisting of Joy Starling, our school counsellor, Elise Ottens, our social worker and Priya Wilson, our school nurse) simply give the school a call on 8283 0000 and book an appointment or leave a message and a team member will speak to you at a mutually convenient time.

If you wanted to read more, I found the article by Caroline Miller of the Child Mind Institute quite good. You can read the article at https://childmind.org/article/back-school-anxiety/ . 

I wish you all well for the start of the new school year!

God bless you,

Deb Clifford
Deputy Principal