The month of August reminds parents all over the world of the need to prepare for a new school session for their children as September approaches.
The tunes of “holiday is coming” has since been forgotten and children and parents alike will soon start to sing a new song, that might go something like “new school session is coming…”A new school session is often met with a combination of excitement and anxiety.
Children, on the one hand, think of getting to see all their friends again, catching up on all the latest gist and sharing holiday stories.
On the other hand, it also means getting back into studying, doing homework, getting out of bed early and even meeting new friends & new environments for those changing schools entirely.
For the parents, anxiety builds up because there are school fees to be paid, new books to be bought, and other plans which include shopping and commuting students back to their hostels or planning daily school runs. It’s normally helpful to prepare ahead for new sessions. Here is a checklist to make sure when the new session rolls in, you are more than ready & your daily commute to school becomes easier.
Adjust your children’s sleep routine, one week before going back.
The long holidays often mean getting up late and staying up even later!
Start to gradually get back into a ‘normal routine of getting up early, getting ready for the day’s activities. Try getting the children’s routine back to your normal sleeping pattern one week before the start of the new school term.
This means that by the time school starts, the children will already be used to getting up early and their “body clocks” would respond better.
Make sure you get everything ready for the new session
Going back to school, could mean buying new stuff! Every parent strives to give their children the best to make them comfortable to perform well. A new set of books and stationery, a new schoolbag and a new wardrobe of uniforms, shoes/sandals, lunch boxes, writing materials, provisions, etc would certainly top your shopping list.
If your children/wards are boarders or schooling away from home, get them ready in good time. When returning to school, sort through your child’s wardrobe and make sure all their school uniforms or school outfits still fit.
Even if the uniforms and shoes were fine at the end of the last term, they may have had a growth spurt, over the long holidays. If
Go over ground rules.
Decide when and where the children will do their homework.
TV time, video game-time and other after school activities needs to be planned.
Chore times and preparations for the next day of school, need to be managed.
If they are boarders or day students, time and specific reasons to ‘call home’, managing provisions and allowances and safeguarding themselves, must be re-established.
Establishing guidelines and ground rules & going over them together, will ensure everyone is on the same page once schools resume sessions.
Develop goals or a game plan- together.
Discuss goals for the upcoming school year.
Look at the triumphs from the current year and discuss new skills that would need to be acquired. New goals might include making three new friends, becoming a class captain or a games captain, becoming a spelling bee finalist or an inter-house sport participant. Parents/guardians can also have chats on what children/wards are looking forward to in the new session.
Go for a test run.
For children who may be changing schools and classes, it may be helpful to take a trip to the school environment and get familiar with the bus routes.
If you can get into the school compound check out the new class, cafeteria/eating areas, play and assembly areas. Any other facilities in the school like libraries, computer rooms, sport rooms, and sick bays can also be viewed.
Don’t forget about the toilets and bathrooms! It’s also a good time to try out lockers, and locate the storage facilities available for school bags, lunch boxes, books and provisions.
Be COVID ready.
With the global reset of 2020, you may need to make sure adequate provisions have been made to obey COVID-19 protocols.
Check out the availability of face masks, hand sanitisers, face shields, wipes, and disinfectants.
Check with the school to ensure that they are also ready and compliant with protocols. Look for hand washing points, discuss with trained staff, and check equipment like thermometers. As parents/guardians you may also want to verify the certification from regulatory authorities, (which will help confirm that the school is covid-19 compliant and ready to resume fully).
Fees and finance.
Arrangements should be made by parents/guardians, upon resumption, to provide for school fees and other financial obligations stipulated by the school, (especially if your children/wards are boarders).
For day students, the commute to school and back would need to be arranged. Some parents/guardians pool their cars and take turns to drop and pick up their children / wards. Other arrangements for school runs include school buses, public transport, walking, and in recent times, commuting with bicycles/tricycles.
Arrangements for after school late pick-ups and early drop-offs, would need to be made. For underaged children, plans for adult supervision at home after school may need to be revisited.
FirstBank remains an efficient and effective partner and contributor to the educational development of children across Africa and for children schooling in the diaspora.
Click on www.firstbanknigeria.com or visit one of our branches.
Find options available to you (and even school owners), that help facilitate
school fees payments for your children/wards.
