A new trend in some local schools is helping to ease students into the often-dreaded return to class. Students are being invited to Meet the Teacher before classes officially begin to make the beginning of the year just a little easier to handle. “The advantage of moving it ahead of the beginning of school is two-fold,” said Good Shepherd School principal Wayne Lorenz. “We start our relationship earlier, which is really important. The second thing is, for some kids the first day of school can be an anxious time for them.” Coming to the school the day before classes start kicks off the year on a more personal level, he said. Teachers and students can talk about their summer and get to know each other in a casual environment without structure and school bells. For those with first-day jitters, being able to enter the school on their own terms and walk around, look at their classrooms and even see who their classmates are can make a big difference, he said. They can even bring their backpacks and school supplies a day early, so there’s less to worry about the next morning, he said. “It’s kind of a gentler beginning,” said Lorenz. “They already know where they’re going. When they get here in the morning they can go and play, they don’t have to be worrying about where their room is or what class they’re in. They already know that from the day before.” The new format was first launched last year, and was well-received by families, students and teachers alike, he said. “The kids are really excited or nervous to get to school, but so are the teachers,” said Lorenz. “They’re excited to see their kids and their class, who the kids are and who the parents are, so it’s awesome.” It worked well for Dr. Morris Gibson School last year as well, so students there are able to get a sneak-peek into their school year this week ahead of their post-Labour Day start date. Principal Kevin Newman said it breaks away from the tradition of hosting a Meet the Teacher event in mid to late September, when students and most parents already know their teachers. “We find doing it beforehand gives them the opportunity to meet the teachers and relieve some of that pre-start-up anxiety kids and parents have about who their teacher is,” said Newman. “It just sort of eases some of that tension kids have about returning to school.” When students already know who their teachers are and where their classrooms are, it makes the first day run smoothly, he said. It’s not just elementary school students who can benefit from going to school before classes begin. Holy Trinity Academy also hosts a Meet the Teacher on Aug. 29 before welcoming its students for their first day of school. “The time people are really engaged in coming to the school is before the first day of school,” said principal Carmen Ostafichuk. She said though people would still attend Meet the Teacher later in September, it would usually be a fraction of the number of people who come out the day before school starts. Just like at the elementary level, part of the reason is curiosity and angst, she said. Students can see their classrooms, talk to their teachers and choose their lockers before the big day. It’s also a different kind of meeting, she said. “When it was three or four weeks in it was almost a mini parent-teacher interview,” said Ostafichuk. “This is actually, ‘Hi, I’m your teacher. This is what you’re going to learn, this is where your classroom will be, tell me about yourself,’ as opposed to a focus on grades and learning.”
