Eager to go on a school trip as Covid rules fade !

By Mabi Azefor Fominyen, My son's year group is planning a school trip and he is so excited about it. This is coming at a time when the number of Covid -19 cases has drastically reduced and the rules and regulations relaxed. Huuuuuuh! It feels like life is gradually returning to normal for most people the world over compared to the last two years. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, most schools worldwide had been forced to embrace online learning or hybrid learning eventhough some schools in other parts of the world, remained closed for several months ( for example in Uganda), as the pandemic took an ugly turn killing thousands of people across different ages worldwide. It has been such a relief therefore to see school children and students return to school and to effectively carry on with on-campus learning for the most part of the 2021/2022 academic year. Students have been able to learn , interact with others and also taken part in several co-curricular activities. School authorities have also been able to plan a number of school events and trips for their students; like what obtained prior to the Covid-19 era! On a whole, most countries, governments, schools, offices, businesses etc; have begun easing various restrictions and protocols that were put in place to help control the spread of the pandemic. My prayer is that we all continue to be safe as we look ahead to better days. See Italy's new Covid rules -summer 2022 https://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/italy-to-phase-out-all-covid-rules-by-summer-2022

Getting your children set for a new school year!

 By Mabi Azefor Fominyen

It is that time of the year when parents, teachers, education managers and  school officials are looking ahead to the start of another school year.  With the start of the 2016/2017 academic year  just a few hours away, a lot comes to mind.

• How will the children feel on day one of back- to -school especially after spending a long holiday?
• A new class, a new environment, new rules; how will things play out ?
• How will he/she fair in school this year? 
• How will he/she interact with the rest of the children or students and teachers in school?
• How will my child's teacher be able to quickly understand and get along well with him/her and vice versa?
• How well prepared is the school management and staff, for the new school year?
• What are some of the activities that will be carried out this year?
• What will be the role of the parent towards ensuring his/her child's success?

 The questions could be as many and as varied as the situation may be.

 However, the questions and  issues raised above often constitute some of the major concerns  some parents have, as they look forward to sending their children to start a new school year.

Perhaps even more important to mention is the fact that the start of every academic year also comes with a huge financial burden on the shoulders of  parents and caregivers.
Some parents and caregivers are  more concerned about  raising money for school fees, money to buy books, money to buy school uniforms , transport allocation among other needs.This has hardly ever been an easy ride for parents and caregivers.

Perhaps planning and saving some  money early enough, would reduce the last minute stress often associated with  the back -to school moment.

Non- the- less, for tips and guidance on how to tackle some of the other issues and questions  as mentioned in this post please click and follow this link-thread to read further on how best to get children start off a new school year.

As basic as some of the things might seem, if well followed  and  better handled, they would help enormously in getting children kick start the new academic year on a rather confident and more successful note thus making it easier to sail through the year, coupled with hard work and  determination.

Good luck to All and Sundry!