T2W6 – 13 Jan 2023
Dear Parents,
Excited. Relieved. Nervous. Anxious. These are some of the feelings that our children were experiencing this week when they returned to school after a time away. I would like to applaud our children for adapting (once again) to the learning environment and as COVID-19 restrictions begin to relax and return to normal I look forward to witnessing continued growth and development in our SSIS students.
Learning from home required some adjustment for families, and it’s no doubt that the return back to school will be a (welcome) change. Here are three simple tips that will help ease you and your child back to some form of normality at school.
1. Communication from the School
In the first instance, emails, diary notes, phone calls and ManageBac and WeCom messages from the school will provide you with all the information regarding important dates and times for each grade level and any special events that may be happening within the school. Please keep an eye out for our communication. As we return to normal school life the routine of this communication will hopefully support all families to thrive at SSIS.
2. Reflect Back on What Has Happened
If you have not done so already, please make time to talk to your child about the pandemic and the next step. If there are changes that your family has made during COVID-19 that you would like to keep, then there is no pressure to make a return straight back to life before the pandemic.
Writing things down and being creative are great ways to show real feelings and emotions about this. Allow your child time to reflect and adjust when the time is right. Give your child the freedom to be involved in the process – they know how they feel and helping them to articulate their feelings and emotions gives them the ability to move forward. Also please remember that you can reach out to us here at school for support.
3. Sleep and Get Back into Your Routine
Andrew Fuller, a leading clinical psychologist often explains that sleep routines and getting back into a good sleep cycle are very important and help students function properly to improve learning and mental health. This is a very important part of a student’s daily routine and I encourage all parents to discuss this with their child, particularly older students who may have been staying up very late during this period. The home isolation routine may have seen some bedtime routines altered, with children going to bed later and therefore waking up later. After all, the home ‘classroom’ doesn’t require travel time and logging onto the computer only takes a few minutes.
As with any other new routine, it’s often easier to settle back in when you are prepared ahead of time. Try to lead by example and share with them your routine and how it helps you. I also encourage you all to review your child’s daily school timetable. This is a great way to discuss subjects and ways to organise and get ready for each day. One last very important part of a healthy routine is FUN. Our children need to relax, reflect, laugh, and feel loved. This helps them recognise that they are important, doing a good job and valued.
Finally, I must admit that I am very excited and looking forward to the next half of the school year. Restrictions are being lowered and parents will soon be able to visit the school more often. I can’t wait to see many of you at our assemblies, visiting classrooms as parent helpers and at many of the other school-wide events we have planned for this year.
Re-enrolment
Thank you to all those families who have already re-enroled for the next academic year. The enrolments are now coming in fast! This early information is vital for us as a school. It informs our teaching and learning, staff deployment, resourcing, and facility management. If you have not re-enroled already, please make sure you go to the OpenApply platform to confirm your spot and make payment for the Seat Guarantee Deposit before 1 February 2023 to enjoy the Early Bird Complimentary Uniform credits.
Thank you for making SSIS your school of choice!
Stronger Together,
