Ready for School event returns to support students’ transition to class

As one school year winds down, preparations for the next one are ramping up, especially for families whose children with disabilities or exceptionalities are starting class for the first time this fall.

For the third straight year, Five Counties Children’s Centre is organizing Ready for School events at its sites across the region. Included is a Ready for School event taking place in Lindsay at the EarlyON Child & Family Centre (55 Mary St. W., Unit 106) in Lindsay on Saturday, June 13, from 10 a.m. to noon. Similar events will also take place in Peterborough on May 30 and Cobourg on June 6.

Event organizer Hayley Hodges says Five Counties is pleased to partner with the local EarlyON Centre on this Ready for School event in Lindsay. The event’s aim, she adds, is to help children from JK to Grade 3 more easily transition to school, especially if they face greater challenges due to physical, developmental or communication needs. For parents and caregivers, attending a Ready for School event can help them learn more about what their child can expect at school, classroom supports available to them, how Five Counties services transition to support at school, and how they can better advocate on their child’s behalf.

“Ready for School can help families ease the worry and concern about their child starting or returning to school,” said Hodges, the client and family engagement lead at Five Counties, in a press release. “The event can inform parents about how to best take advantage of Five Counties services as children transition to school. It also helps to bridge the knowledge gap about school supports and resources available to make the transition easier for everyone.”

The Ready for School event includes activities for young and old. For kids attending the event, there are supervised, play-based activities led by registered early childhood educators from the EarlyON Centre. “While adults take part in the information part of Ready for School event, children can explore and enjoy a variety of age-appropriate activities at five interactive, supervised play stations,” Hodges adds.

Families are encouraged to pre-register for the Ready for School event (www.fivecounties.on.ca/mt-event/ready-for-school/) of their choosing in Lindsay, Peterborough, or Cobourg. Attendees will be able to:

• Hear from other parents whose kids with disabilities or exceptionalities have successfully made the transition to school.
• Ask questions of Five Counties clinicians and other professionals who support students.
• Learn about school-based resources available to assist new students.
• Access resources, including the 6F’s of Child Development, that can help introduce a child with unique needs to their new school setting.
• Get on board a school bus to see what the ride entails, while learning the important role played by school bus drivers to get students safely to class.
• Enjoy snacks, lunch and welcome packages, including tools, toys and tips.

According to Hodges, the parent panel is one of the most popular parts of the event. “Hearing from other parents and caregivers whose child with a disability or exceptionality has transitioned to school can be of real benefit,” she says. “Parents’ stories and experiences about what their fears were when their child started school, and how they addressed them, can bring a sense of community and the realization that your family is not the only one going through this.”