Beginning Year One at School

Beginning Year One at School

Tomorrow Monkey you will be starting a new chapter, beginning Year One at School. It only seems a moment ago that we were looking at your first day at school.  That year really did fly past so quickly.  What will this year hold for you my son? A lot of happiness I hope, new and old friendships strengthened, new opportunities and discoveries to be made. Lots of muddy, scuffed shoes and worn out trousers too I’m sure.

I won’t lie, I’m apprehensive about you beginning Year One at School, I know how you struggle with change and a different routine.  You have so much to take on board – a new part of school, a new teacher, new key worker, you won’t have your best friend with you in class any more either.  They’ll be a mix of Year One and Year Two in your class, I hope this will be good for you, only time will tell, but you do have one of your second cousins in your class.  I hope Miss L will take you under her wing if you need some reassurance.

You will need to become more independent this year, not a bad thing.  I won’t be able to hold your hand right through to the listening mat in class. I doubt there even is a mat in your new class.  You will have to make sure your coat and PE kit are safely stored on your peg, your water bottle and snack pot put in the correct places along with your book bag.  You will have to walk into your class by yourself.  This will be daunting for you, I know that, I’ll be hoping that the teachers have taken on board my advice that you will need some guidance to get you heading in the right direction.  But it will be a good thing Monkey, being able to get yourself where you need to go.  Learning to ask for help from others, not from me.  I’m not sure how this will go tomorrow, I have my fears, but maybe you will surprise me (I hope you do), maybe you will realise that it will all be ok, and walk in with your classmates.

Beginning Year One at School

This year will be more about structured learning, you may not like the ‘lesson’ aspect to it, but the routine will be good for you.  You will know exactly what you will be doing, who with and when.  There will be challenges along the way, you’ve shown me over the summer that you can write, but this will have to come more frequently in class.  But you can do it and it will open up a whole new world for you.  I promise.

Reading, hopefully this year you will turn your love of being read to, to reading for yourself, more willingly.  Your love of books fills me with joy, and I know that one day you will see how much more wonderful books are when you can read them yourself.  It will come, I know it will.

Trying new things is always a challenge for you, but every day you surprise me by what you are willing to try. You take your time, you always have, being cautious is fine, but being prepared to have a go, can be fun too. I’ve seen your face when you’ve taken that leap of faith and loved every minute of it, I’ve seen the tears when you’ve been very unsure and then the look of surprise when actually the experience was actually ok.  There will be lots of new things in Year One, some you will love, some you will like and I’m pretty sure some you will hate.  But this year is all about working through your fears and expressing your feelings to your teacher and key worker.  Your Spirals sessions are going to help you I’m sure.  I will always be there at the start and end of the day to listen, to understand and to help you find a way forward.

You won’t be with your best buddy G, the first time in 3 years and I know how hard this will be for you.  But you are a kind, loyal and loving little boy, and I hope others will see you would be a very good friend to have and that you can learn to let them into your world. A life full of friendships is something special and I hope you develop many over the coming year.

Remembering to come home with everything you went to school with may also be a challenge!  Especially if you have to go back into class to find the items that are bound to be ‘missing’ on a daily basis without me holding your hand.  I can see this being work in progress.

I hope you warm to your new teacher and key worker and feel comfortable enough to tell them all about your adventures over the summer.  I hope you trust them enough to let them in to your world, so they can see what a wonderful imagination you have.  Yes you are quiet, timid, shy when you don’t feel comfortable, but boy do you know how to talk when you are!  You never cease to amaze me with your stories and the information that you absorb on a daily basis. I hope this comes out in school and that this is the year that others get to see more of you, the funny, cheeky, bossy, clever, happy child that I see every day.

But remember my wonderful son, I will always be there to guide you through whatever you face this year.  We start Year One together, and we will face each day as it comes, together.

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