Laying the Foundation for a Successful School Year

A Back-to-School Guide for Busy Centre Directors

Greg Dixon, Director of Business Development

Tues, Aug 6, 2024 – 4 min read

The transition from summer to school can be a hectic for both children and their families. As educational leaders, you play a pivotal role in creating a smooth and enjoyable start to the academic year. By investing a little time now, you can make a significant impact on the children in your care and build strong partnerships with their parents.

As Harry Wong famously stated, “The most important day of a person’s education is the first day of school, not graduation day.“ Let us work together to ensure that every child experiences a positive and memorable first day at your centre.

Here are some helpful resources to navigate this busy transition period:

1. Build Excitement and Trust.

A strong educator-parent connection sets the stage for a positive year. Introduce your team to families early on to foster trust and excitement.

Simple Approach: Share educator names, photos, and brief biographies via e-mail. Include information about each educator’s qualifications, experience, and their passion for early childhood education.
Extra touch: Create personalized postcards featuring a warm welcome message from each educator. Include a child-friendly photo of the educator and a brief biography.
Resource: A brief instructional guide may be found here

2. Provide August Advice to parents.

Communicating a few preparatory routines before childcare begins in September can be helpful for parents.

Gradually transition your children to an earlier bedtime routine. Start by having dinner earlier, which will naturally move all other bedtime routines up earlier in the evening.
Drive by the centre with your children. Share positive stories about how exciting their first day of school will be. Let them know that you will be picking them up at the end of their fun-filled day.

3. Send a Social Story home for parents to read to their children.

What is a social story? Social stories describe important parts of an event, including what might happen, how the child might feel, how others might feel or respond, and appropriate behaviour expectations.

Resources: Download a sample social story by <clicking here>
Customization: To customize your own social story, you may purchase for a nominal price a few templates from Educators Pay Educators.

4. Plan Professional Development for your team.

Empower your staff with the tools and knowledge they need to excel.

Targeted Workshops: Identify areas where your team could benefit from additional training, such as positive discipline, child development, or early literacy. Provide opportunities for staff to attend relevant workshops or conferences.
Book Clubs: Foster a culture of continuous learning by implementing a book club for your staff. Select books that align with your centre’s goals and values. Consider titles like:
- Cultivating Genius by Gholdy Muhammad
- The New Educator Book by Rethinking Schools
- Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves by Louise Derman-Sparks and Julie Olsen Edwards
- Teaching in the Fourth Industrial Revolution by Armand Doucet, Jelmer Evers, and others
- Powerful Interactions by Amy Laura Dombro, Judy Jablon, and Charlotte Stetson

By implementing these strategies, you will be well-prepared to create a thriving learning environment for your children.

Remember: A little planning now can lead to a significant difference in the success of your school year.

Wishing you a memorable, joyful, and fun-filled August as you rejuvenate and plan a dynamic back-to-school experience for families.

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