Have you ever caught yourself of the last few months pondering, “If someone had said this would be happening in 2020 I would not have believed them…”? It seems almost inconceivable to see how much what we took for granted in 2019 has changed. Some of it has been difficult, some of it has been puzzling, a lot of it has been down right annoying, and yet in amidst the challenges, some really awesome benefits have emerged. One of these is the independence that all of our students demonstrate on a daily basis as they know they have to walk onto the school site independently. Very few are still unsure or teary in the morning, and everyone is settled and happy when starting each day in class.

The one thing that has been on the rise is the number of hats, jackets, jumpers, drink bottles or lunches that are being asked to be passed onto the students via the Student Desk because the child has forgotten to pack the item/s in the morning.

What a great opportunity to help our children to develop self-managed routines that build independent personal organization. Building healthy routines to promote independent organization gives them life-long skills. So, how do we go about supporting them to build these routines?

Plan ahead – voice aloud what needs to be organized ahead of time. If it is Sunday, begin talking about what your child will need for a successful start to the school week. Do they have their uniform ready for Monday morning? Where will they leave their school shoes? What do they need to pack in their bags? Look at the weather forecast. If it will be cold, remind them to pack their jumper. Remind them to pack their hats. What will they be eating for recess and lunch? Is it packed and ready to go on Sunday night, or will they need to do that early on Monday?

Model – Your children watch you whether you know it or not! Try making your thinking visible by talking about how to prepare in advance and be organized.   Talk about what they will need and when they need to pack it. Rather than asking, “where is your uniform?” try, “It is Monday tomorrow. You will need to get your uniform ready. Where will we hang it so that you can find it easily in the morning?”  Time management is a skill that needs to be taught. If you need to leave the house by 8am, then think aloud so that your children hear that they will need to get up earlier to allow enough time to get dressed and eat breakfast before going to school. 

Scaffold- To help your child to become successful at managing themselves, they’ll need a little help in the beginning. A visual chart with pictures for younger children or words for older children can provide the reminder needed. You may add times things need to be completed. This gives children the opportunity to manage their own belongings and to stay aware of how long things take to be ready on time.Be careful not to take over! If they forget their hat, jumper, school diary or their drink bottle, don’t panic! If you bring it to school, you are just giving them the idea that when they forget to pack something, someone will drop it off to school for them. At school, we can manage whatever has been forgotten, so there is no need to worry and race to the school to rescue your child. They probably don’t even need rescuing! The inconvenience of forgetting that item may be the very reinforcement needed to encourage them to remember next time. Remember, we all learn from making mistakes.

Praise! - Remember to celebrate the success of your child for when they do remember to pack their belongings. Positive reinforcement is a powerful tool. Your child’s feelings of success and achievement will cement positive life long-habits. 

Working With Children Checks (WWCC)

Last year, on July 1^st the Government introduced the new Working With Children Checks (WWCC), replacing the DCSI. This year, from the 1^st of July, no adult will be allowed on site to work or volunteer at Bethany without a valid WWCC. If you are currently a volunteer at Bethany and you do not yet have a WWCC, please see our Administration staff at the front desk to get the free WWCC process started for you. When the school gets clearance from SA Health, parents will once again be allowed on site to volunteer. 

I wish you all a safe and healthy week!

God bless you,

Deb Clifford
Deputy Principal