If this is your child’s first time attending our classroom, we encourage you to go through our online virtual tour with your child to get them familiar with the space. This helps with the anxiety of the ‘unknown’ for your child’s first day of school. The more they feel comfortable and know what to expect, the easier the transition will be and the more confident they will feel.

Here is a checklist or recommended things to do to manage your child’s transition:

• Try out our summer program during July and August
• Attend the ‘Meet and Greet Day’ as outlined in the ‘First Week of School’ section
• Attend the ‘Initial Assessment Day’ as outlined in the ‘First Week of School’ section
• Have your child attend the first week of school during staggered entry week and stay in the class for the first 15-20 minutes
• Before leaving your child in the classroom, look them in the eye and let them know to have fun and you will be back to get them after class
• Talk to your child about school and what to expect, show videos and the virtual tour of the classroom
• Share any important information about your child with your child’s teacher at the orientation or first week of school
• Create a routine around things you do before and after class
• Develop a consistent and predictable farewell routine
• If your child is experiencing extreme anxiety in class, your child’s teacher will work with you on a transition plan
  • You may need to pick up your child early from class and let them stay longer each week.  It is better to set the expectation that you will be picking them up early rather than have them experience a meltdown and then be picked up as to set the proper expectations.  

Review additional resources to prepare your child for the transition to school:

https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/78-preschool-prep-how-to-prepare-your-toddler-for-preschool

https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/adjust-to-preschool.html