With the buzz of the new school year just around the corner, we explore the excitement and challenges students and their parents face as they embark on the first year of school at Sunshine Coast Grammar School.
From the first day of Prep, eager footsteps echo through the undercroft, curiosity dancing in their eyes as they absorb the wonders of the new environment—the playground, the classroom, and the sprawling campus. They quickly learn to navigate the alphabet jungle, discovering the magic of letters and sounds that unlock a world of stories and knowledge. With pencils and paintbrushes in hand, they craft their first masterpieces, each stroke a testament to their budding creativity. Through songs and rhymes, they embrace the rhythm of learning, laughter echoing in the air like melodies of joy. Amidst it all, our youngest students embark on a journey of socialization, forging friendships that shape their social landscape, bonds formed over shared adventures on the playground and whispered conversations during story time.
As parents, you witness the unfolding of your child’s development with pride, knowing that each day brings new discoveries and milestones achieved. It’s only natural to feel a mixture of excitement and apprehension as your child embarks on their first year of school. This pivotal year marks a milestone, the beginning of their schooling journey, filled with newfound experiences and opportunities for growth.
Starting school is a big moment, especially if it is the first ‘starting school’ experience as a family. Parents have likely been preparing for this moment for a while, seeking the school that aligns with their values and imagining how the day will go. Their child, adorned in their uniform, heads off to school with confidence and wearing a smile from ear to ear.
As adults, we can have grand expectations for our 4-5-year-olds as they enter the school classroom for the first time. You’ve researched and chosen the best school with the right fit. Surely, they will flourish academically and socially, be popular, meet that best friend you desperately want for them, and be invited to attend the extension program. It might feel like it is of great importance that your child is the next budding Einstein, can recite and write the alphabet, count to 20, 50, or 100, and move through their readers quickly.
As well-meaning, proud parents, we can get caught up in the keenness of wanting our child to excel academically, musically, or on the sporting field. The truth is, in 13 years, when they near the end of their Grammar education, you will reflect on the other things they have developed: kindness, humility, hard work, being a team player, supporting their peers, honesty, being responsible for their behaviour, having a love for learning, and building trust and respect for themselves and others. And where does this begin? Now, in Prep.
So what happens when the day, weeks, and year don’t go as planned? Observing the journey of a young child in the early years of school can be likened to watching a butterfly emerge from the cocoon. Adults are constantly tempted to jump in and make the journey easier. Friendships are often in a state of flux, independence and emotional development are in full swing and boundaries are relentlessly tested.
This can be difficult to view from the sidelines, as children need to experience challenges and setbacks to learn how to navigate difficulties, manage frustration, and build emotional strength. By avoiding discomfort, children may miss out on essential life lessons, creativity, and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances, ultimately hindering their readiness for the future.
Our highly skilled teachers know the importance of developing the whole child, through routines, nurturing a growth mindset, setting expectations, and fostering Grammar Grit. Our teachers support opportunities to connect with learning from the U R Strong Program, supporting healthy friendships; Bravehearts; the Kimochis, for developing emotional intelligence and managing emotions with kindness; and using the Grammar Wellbeing Journals. These resources help create a meta-language for us to use with our students, however, with all things social, it is only through lived experience where children have opportunities for independence, free play, and responsibility, that they get to try and test their social learnings.
We cannot predict how each child will take to starting school and the chances are it will be a bumpy but very rewarding road ahead.
Our staff are excited in anticipation of welcoming our new cubs to the Grammar Pride, with a focus on connection, meaningful experiences, and a safe environment that fosters growth and resilience in a wonderfully supportive learning environment.
Rachelle Brutnell
Dean Prep – Year 2
22 January 2025
