Friday’s Fostering Blog
Today is Transition Day! This means that every one at the girls primary school gets to go up to try their new class for the day and meet their new teacher. It is a lovely way to introduce the children to their new classroom, teacher and support staff. It is particularly helpful to children like Alice who do not find change particularly easy.
Alice went to school very excited, looking forward to seeing who her new teacher would be. She had a fabulous day and was so thrilled that her new teacher is her current year three English Teacher. This is great news as it means the teacher has already worked with Alice for a year and there wont be much need for long meetings explaining all of her needs as we usually have at the beginning of every term. The only downside was trying to explain to Alice at the end of the day that she is still in year three until the end of term. She had somehow got it fixed in her mind that Transition Day meant that she had actually now moved up to year four. I’m not sure she was fully grasping the situation, but in the end I just let it be. I figure that she will soon realise when she goes back to school on Monday that she is still in year three until the end of term!!
Meanwhile Lauren got to go to High School for the day. Annie was desperate to walk Lauren and her friend to school. I gently reminded her not to be too “mumsy” with her – as this would really get on her nerves – she hates being patronised by her big sister. All went well for Lauren too. She is in a class with two good friends, she met her teacher, and most importantly found the toilets and the dining room. She came home thoroughly exhausted, but happy and definitely looking forward to starting the new school in September. Now its just a matter of taking out a second mortgage to pay for the new uniform and sports kit!!
It is great when days like this go well. It will mean that when the real transition comes in September, we have a good chance of it being positive. We now have opportunities to talk positively about the days they both had on Transition Day. We hope that they will settle well into their new class and school. Annie will have the least amount of change, she will move up to a new school year but will stay with the same class and form tutor.
A Less Ordinary Family Foster Care Blog
