Starting kindergarten is a stage that can be stressful for many children… and their parents. The Charlevoix Family Table once again offers several activities and tools to prepare for it with complete peace of mind.
“If a child ate a whole cake at once, he would feel sick. We want him to take lots of small bites to get him to school,” image Cynthia Jacques, educational advisor at the Charlevoix School Service Center.
To help parents prepare their child for the long term, the Family Table offers meetings and activities spread over several months, starting at the end of January. “We start with two virtual parent meetings, on January 28 for 4-year-old kindergarten and January 29 for 5-year-old kindergarten,” says Sandra Fortin, general director of CPE La Goélette Enchantée.
The choice of these dates is not accidental: they precede school registration by a few weeks and are intended to enlighten parents in their choices or questions. For the rest of the proposed activities, you can consult a timeline and other information on the transitionscolairecharlevoix.ca website.
“It takes place over several months. You can read a virtual book about your school in April. A reading activity at school is organized in the spring. Other activities may be offered depending on the establishment,” explains Cynthia Jacques.
-The two members of the Family Table insist on the fact that the school transition is “a partnership between the family, the early childhood environment and the school environment”.
“Every child has their own little baggage. The presence of the parent is important to promote a smooth transition. It helps reduce stress in the child, but also in the parent,” adds Sandra Fortin.
More than just preparation for school, the goal of the school transition is to “give a taste for going there,” explains Cynthia Jacques, who advises parents to “talk positively about school, to move around close to the building or going to play in the yard on the weekend.”
According to the two members of the Family Table, all these actions have “made a difference” since they have been in place. “We have some nice comments from parents,” they say in conclusion.
