Whilst the summer months provide a welcome break for both students and parents with weeks of freedom and adventure, by the last few weeks the routine and stimulation of school can start to become very appealing! With the end of the summer holidays creeping up on us, Fiona McKenzie, Director at Gabbitas Middle East shares her advice about how to start preparing for the next school term.
Getting Back into the Swing of Things
After the long lazy days of the summer holidays, it can be tricky getting back into the swing of things, especially after spending time with family and friends back in your home country. This is often a time when you start questioning things, whether you are new to the region or an old hand. Is the education in the UAE good enough? Are your children falling behind their peer group? Should you think of moving the children back home for their schooling? How well will they transition back in the future and when do you need to start thinking about this? Add to this a new class teacher and a fresh intake of children and the seeds of doubt can begin to grow.
The most important thing is not to panic! A new term is a fresh start for everyone and a great opportunity for new and exciting opportunities. New students, new staff and new experiences are something to be celebrated and get your child excited about the new term. Let the dust settle and everyone find their feet and if you still have concerns then talk to an objective expert and think about taking an independent assessment such as the Ukiset test to see how your children compare with their international peer group.
Advice for Settling into a New Term
Our biggest piece of advice is that the grass is always greener where you water it! So give your child and their school here your full support, get involved in parent activities and encourage your child to integrate fully with the wonderful diversity of children in their class. Preparing your children well before the start of term can mean it will get off to a flying start.
Our advice for settling into a new term:
- Get them back into a routine
- Pull back bedtime by a bit each day and get them up slightly earlier – your children will hardly notice and it will definitely ease the shock of the Sunday morning 6am alarm clock!
- Get the brain reengaged
- Start waking up those brain cells by cutting down screen time and introducing activities that get those cogs turning. Word games like Boggle or Scrabble, mental maths challenges, reading books.
- Get them organised
- Make sure you leave plenty of time to get new uniform, stationary, sports kit, lunch boxes…there is nothing worse than leaving this to the last minute
- Get them excited
- Whether it’s reminding them they will see all of their friends every day or the fun new activities on offer at the school, getting them in the right frame of mind to start the new term is vital for success!
Get Kids in the Mood With a Good Book!
Our favourite books and films to get them in the mood:
- The Harry Potter Series by J K Rowling
- The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy
- The Mighty Ducks
- St Trinian’s
- Dead Poet’s Society
