Settling Into Prep
February 26, 2021
From the very start of the year, we begin to embed many opportunities for the children to learn new skills and knowledge through play, intentional teaching strategies, routines and transitions. This provides an insight into the children’s interests and their own individual identity, which will help to create purposeful learning environments throughout the year.
The educators at TIGS Prep are excited to get the new year started, with many opportunities for learning and discovery planned for 2021. The educators worked collaboratively in the days leading up to the start of school, exchanging knowledge, ideas and provocations to plan many wonderfully creative ways to encourage the children to explore their abilities and to learn more about the fascinating world in which we live.
Learning and discovery are not just about knowledge acquisition or gaining new skills. The developing relationships between individual students as well as with their educators provide considerable richness. We are sure that many meaningful relationships emerge this year. As an educator, it is deeply rewarding watching the initial reaching out finding common interests through organic connectedness with other children, that often become very real and deep friendships. We will help the children to navigate their way through dealing with social connections and relationships with other people and understanding their varying emotional regulation.
Emotional regulation involves recognising emotions, using language to express feelings, learning to calm oneself down in the face of overwhelming emotions, and learning to treat others with kindness and empathy. Learning to master big emotions and the associated social skills of emotional regulation helps children to succeed not just in childhood but right through to adulthood.
In early childhood settings, children develop a sense of belonging when they feel accepted, develop attachments and trust those that care for them. As children are developing their sense of identity, they explore these different aspects when they encompass physical, social, emotional, spiritual, cognitive and language growth and development through play and their relationships. When children feel safe, secure and supported they grow in confidence to explore and learn.
The settling in period is an important stage, as we support your child to feel secure and confident in their new settings and the children start building strong attachments to their new teachers. We understand that the settling in period is different for each child and our teachers spend considerable time in these early weeks getting to know your child’s individual interests, needs, likes and dislikes to ensure the children feel safe and secure. This allows the educators to know and understand the children well, establishing special bonds and a real sense of belonging to the TIGS community.
We recognise this time may also be difficult for our parents as well. Please be reassured that your child’s Educators will contact you with any questions or issues that may arise, you are most welcome to ring us at any time to check how they are progressing.
All the staff are looking forward to getting to know you better in the coming weeks and months and we trust that you and your child will have a truly memorable, happy year at TIGS Prep