PARENTS will probably be breathing a sigh of relief next week as children return to school after nearly two months of holidays.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
For the kindergarten students who will be starting their school journey, it will be a whole new world of learning. Over the next 13 years they will learn not just their ABCs but also how to work with others, sort out disagreements and fit their life into timetables.
One mother who feels both happy and sad at the prospect of her daughter starting school is Ashleigh Varty, mother of Jayleigh Varty-Fenton, who starts at Berry Public School.
“She is ready to start school. She has been going to daycare so she is used to not being with me. I think I’ll be the one getting a bit teary,” Ms Varty said.
Koby Wellington will be heading off to Nowra East Public School and at age four is bucking the trend for parents to keep their children back a year before starting school.
“Koby turns five in April but he is ready to go to school,” his grandmother Kim Smith said.
“He picks things up really quickly. His mum was exactly the same,” Ms Smith said.
Gloria Latu is home schooled and will join her two older brothers and sister in their school day run by their mother Adele Latu.
More than 3000 children are registered for home education in NSW, with a 40 per cent increase in registrations over the past five years.
Mrs Latu said that the biggest challenge in home schooling was having to accommodate four different learning levels for each of her children; kindergarten, year 3, year 6 and year 8.
“The best thing about it is that we get to learn as a family,” she said.
Tobias McPherson-Behrens will be starting his first day of kindergarten at Bomaderry Public School next week. Thanks to an innovative program he already knows all of the teachers and many of the students.
He participated in the school’s HeadStart program which helps new students gain confidence and feel comfortable in the school’s environment.
Tameka Giddings is the mother of Mackenzie who will be heading off to Nowra Christian School. With an older sister already there Tameka said that Mackenzie is more than ready to start school.
“She is really excited about it,” Mrs Giddings said.
