Although we're only half way through the summer school break, a
few parents have already contacted me with concerns about the
upcoming school year and what sorts of services are available to
kids who are starting kindergarten and/or those with exceptional
learning needs. This might be a good time to share a little
information about what parents can expect, and what needs to be
done before September rolls around.
First of all, if you are in a position where you find it
difficult to purchase the necessary school supplies for your
child(ren), you might be interested to know that the Thames Valley
District School Board Education Foundation provides school
supplies, including back packs, lunch bags, pencil crayons,
erasers, etc., to families in need through its
Supplies for Students program. Items
supplied are based on the grade level of the student, and even
include things such as USB memory sticks and scientific
calculators for students in higher grades. For more
information on how to access this program, visit their website
at: http://www.tvdsb.ca/EFoundation.cfm?subpage=88300.
This program is open to students of both the Thames Valley District
School Board and the London Catholic District School Board.
If your child is entering kindergarten this September, the
Thames Valley Board offers a picture book for children as well as a
parent guide that outlines what to expect, and should help ease the
transition to school. The TVDSB webpage also has details on
other early learning programs, and can be viewed at: http://www.tvdsb.ca/parents.cfm?subpage=78914.
Parents can find out which schools offer full day kindergarten
programs at: http://www.tvdsb.ca/welcome.cfm?subpage=78343.
For parents of children with special needs, I recommend
they make sure that the school is aware of the child's
diagnosis/special need before the beginning of the school
year. This is especially important if staff changes
(principals, secretaries, support staff or teachers) have occurred
since school ended in June. When my son was in elementary
school, I would make up a little booklet for the teacher similar to
the "all about me" books the kids make in kindergarten, in which I
would outline his diagnosis, the challenges he faced and
suggestions for helping him deal with them, including strategies we
used successfully at home. If she was available, I
would generally try to meet with the classroom teacher the week
before school started to give her this information and to open the
lines of communication. I also found it helpful to take my
son in to the school a few days before the start of classes, to
familiarize him with the location of his new classroom, meet the
secretary and principal, etc., to help ease the transition back to
school and lessen his anxiety.
Sometimes the school will recommend that a special needs child
not attend school on opening day when things are pretty chaotic,
and instead come the next day or later in the week after classes
are settled and the student will not feel overwhelmed. Such
decisions should be made in conjunction with the parent, and should
be clearly in the child's best interests and not solely for the
convenience of the school. The same is true for
students on "modified days" (i.e., those who attend school for part
of the day or come in late/go home early).
If the child is identified as an exceptional learner and is on
an individual education plan (IEP), it's a good idea to be sure
that the classroom teacher is aware of this and has had an
opportunity to review it. Often there are several students in
a class on IEPs, and it is important that your child not be lost in
the shuffle.
If you have any questions or concerns, principals are generally
in the schools from about the 20th of the month onward,
and can be contacted at the school office. Teachers are not
required to be at school before the first of September although
many are setting up their classrooms the week before.
It's important for parents to try to start the school year off
on a positive note, even if past years the relationship with the
school hasn't been so cordial. It's never a good strategy to
go in with guns blazing on day one, and you risk being branded as a
problem parent who lacks credibility. Look at September
as a clean start, and don't anticipate problems that haven't arisen
yet. You might be pleasantly surprised!
Lastly, if you need help advocating for your child, don't
hesitate to seek out the support of other parents through the HOPE
program. We meet regularly throughout the school year, and
have a lot of insight and support to share. We can be reached
at any time through Vanier Children's Services (bmontmin@vanier.com or at
519-433-3101, ext. 179).
Enjoy the rest of the summer and see you in September!!!
