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When parents are preparing their children to start school for the very first time, there are a few areas that parents can address to ensure: 1. That the children feel comfortable with a set of life skills which will allow them to learn 2. That the life skills will allow the teachers to concentrate on [...]

The topic of well-being is currently very common in the education sector along with other industries. There is a popular push for employers to look after their employees by providing well-being strategies. Education authorities are developing well-being frameworks, promoting their efforts to look after their employees. However, let me say something controversial. We don’t need […]

Homework is one of those words that instils a variety of emotions in both parents and teachers. When I talk about homework let's assume I'm talking about school work to be done at home, except reading as reading should be a daily exercise for every person, but particularly every child in a primary school because [...]

“My son is born a couple of months prior to the cut off date for them to start school. I think I will give them a second year at kindy”. As a school principal I have heard these comments many times in my 20+ year career as a primary school principal. It has prompted me [...]

In August 2019 a Brisbane newspaper article reported that toddlers are now being taken to tutors to help them get ready for school. As a primary school principal I was horrified to read this article and learn that parents are now taking their children to learn concepts that they believe will set them up for [...]

3 + 3 + 3 + 5 + 2 When a child comes home from school and shares their recollection about something that has happened during the day, the parent has the choice of three responses from which they may choose in dealing with their child’s concern. If the parent believes what their child has […]

When a parent goes to a school they usually approach the teachers or the principal for one of five reasons. When the teacher or principal asks the very first question after a parent has expressed their issue the first question should be “What do you need?” Now once that question is asked it helps the [...]

As a second half of the year arises teachers continue evaluating children's progress and it is not uncommon that during parent teacher interviews for child's readiness to take on the next year's curriculum may arise. Invariably   this leads to the conversation that parents may ask teachers “Is or should my child repeat? Now research would [...]

Some children in our schooling system have medical conditions that often require the use of medication to support their ability to attend a learning. Conditions such as ADHD, anxiety and ASD are very common in children in schools these days. It's not uncommon for families to be advised by medical experts that medicating their children [...]

One of the most emotional topics when it comes to primary school education is class size. Some parents are often concerned about the size of the class and the impact that the number of children will have on their own individual child’s learning journey. Research would suggest that the difference one or two children make [...]

Choosing a school for any child is a huge decision and comes with enormous responsibility on behalf of the parents. Let me suggest, first and foremost, it is the parents’ decision, not the child's decision as to which school they attend. So what should a parent be looking for when they are considering a school [...]

Choosing a school is one of the biggest decisions parents make for their children in their formative years. Coupled with this decision is parents’ understanding their children’s readiness for the challenges and rigour of primary school. In recent years more and more parents have been asking me, as an experienced primary school principal, Is their [...]

When a parent comes and expresses some concerns to a teacher, the teacher can easily get defensive. If we are in a position to build a culture of trust and collaboration between parents and teachers, then I believe there are only three questions that teachers need to ask parents in response to any of the [...]

When a child comes home from school and expresses their concern for something that has happened during the day, the parent has a few responses from which they may choose in dealing with their child’s concern. If the parent believes what their child has said is 100% accurate and factual, AND they are not happy […]

The term bullying is an emotive term often used to describe negative interactions between two children or two adolescents (and sometimes adults!). Let me say at the outset that true bullying can have untold harmful effects on the ‘victim’ and should not be tolerated under any circumstances. And if educators and parents have a common […]

As a result of recent events which recently saw most children learning at home, under the guidance of their parents, and the direction…

When using the English language we often use words to emphasize, exaggerate and in extreme cases castastrophize a situation…