Written by Melanie Loxton, Primary School Teacher
We have a reading book in Grade 2 about a class going on an outing to the museum on a bus. As each unfortunate incident happens, the wise old driver chimes, “There’s always one”, because he has had the (mis)fortune of driving many classes on outings. One child is late, one child eats his lunch on the bus and then gets sick in someone’s hat, one child needs the loo as soon as the trip starts even though they all had a chance to go before they left.
My question to you: “Is your child always the one?”.
I’ve given some advice on how you can prevent your child being the one, however, I wish to stress that teachers understand that at some point in the year, you will forget to send or sign or return or buy the notice/book/stationery/lunchbox etc. It is only when it becomes a HABIT that it is a problem. Certain parents get it right MOST of the time, and certain parents are LIKELY to have not done what is expected. Which one are you?
There is always one that comes in the wrong clothes
The notice or homework book said it was photo day, but one child has come in their P.T. clothes or doesn’t have a tie. Our choice is to leave them out of the photo, which would be a shame, or make some other child give out their clothes, for which I have personally been moaned at because the mom understandably thought it unhygenic to swap outfits. Next time I will leave the child out of the photo.
Again I stress this point: if it was a first-time, genuine slip up, it is far easier to rush around and make a plan for that child than if you were expecting the disorganised parents (and hence child) to have ignored or not read the notice anyway. Please read notices! In a busy school there are MANY notices, so have some sort of calendar or organiser in a visible place like on the fridge or in your diary with notes such as “pack picnic lunch”, “send flowers for Spring Day”, “full uniform for Photo day”, “haircut before photo day” etc.
There is always one that does not return the reply slip
We know that there are millions of notices bombarding you with information, but some households seem to be like black holes from which nothing ever returns. Set aside some time during homework in which you address all school issues, or if a reply slip needs some consideration first, put it on your pillow – that way you will not be able to go to sleep until you have dealt with it. Loose papers get lost very easily.
A lack of reply might mean your child misses a chance to join an activity which is filled on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, or that the school under-caters for an event to which you have been invited, etc. It is also our way of ensuring that your child is actually delivering notices to you.
There is always one who does not return fundraiser or photograph money on time
If money is tight we fully understand. Just return the photo’s or the envelope with a brief note saying you will not be participating. Then it is dealt with.
It is frustrating and embarrassing for us and for your child to have to beg for their money to be returned way past the cut-off date. I have two children in my class whom I asked, wrote twice in their homework books, and phoned over two weeks in order to get their fundraiser money back. If you have lost it or cannot pay, please just state that and we can work from there. It is the lack of response or broken promises of a return the following day that are most frustrating, not the lack of the money itself.
In Part II next month, I’ll be focusing on ‘the one’ that always does not bring lunch to school.
