Not all children are too comfortable with the jump from pre-school to first grade, but the 2014 first graders appeared to be quite excited about being at big school.
As cars began to line up outside Parkhurst Primary School that morning, some little ones leaped out of the vehicles as though they could not wait to jump out of the nest, while others clenched tightly to their mothers’ knees.
Walking into the school the first graders could be picked out from the bunch with their uniform still a little stiff and quite brighter than the rest.
Head of department for the foundation phase and first grade teacher, Bridget Stoddart, welcomed all the little ones and reassured the parents that their children would be just fine.
“The hardest aspect of starting a school career comes in when children have to get into a set routine which they are unfamiliar with,” said Stoddart.
She explained how the sudden introduction of unfamiliar skills, demands and responsibilities could shake the academic confidence the new pupils had developed in pre-school.
“Another challenge we as the teachers face yearly is that of parents sending off their children to big school and not placing any identifying information on the children,” she added. With some of the children attending an English speaking school for the first time, Stoddart emphasised the importance of parents accompanying the children on their first day.
Moitumelo Motenyane, mother of Grade R pupil Thato Motenyane said seeing her little boy start school gave her a great feeling.
“Thato literally did not sleep last night and in the morning he asked when we would be leaving and whether or not we were running late,” she said.
While the children waited to be placed in their classrooms, parents watched over them as they started making friends with other pupils.
