Prepping for a new year, new teacher, and new needs
If there’s one thing that can reduce stress, it’s a helpful list!
We’ve put together a checklist of things to do to help you adjust to a new school year and set you and your child up for a successful transition into a new
classroom. Some of the things on this list can be done as the school term starts, and others can wait.
Know your and your child’s educational rights (or remind yourself of them).
- Click to read this short article called Right to Education from Inclusive Education Canada (available at www.inclusiveeducation.ca/learn/right-to-education).
Make a one-page profile about your child for the education team.
“Wait—didn’t I do this last year? Do I have to do it again?” Yes, it’s always a good idea! A lot can change in a year when you’re a kid. Here are a few examples and templates:
- myBooklet BC is a free online resource created by a parent.
- A Day In Our Shoes blog has free printable one-page profiles you can fill out.
Find the names and contact information for members of the school team.
Ask your school (school administration is back at work the last two weeks of August), or these details might be on your school’s website. Find info for the teacher, education assistant, resource teacher or learning support teacher, and principal or vice-principal.
Learn what an individualized education plan (IEP) is, or refresh your memory!
This plan will shape your child’s learning for the year, and the first meeting with the education team is usually in October or November. You can connect with your school district to learn about the specific format they use for this plan. Here are some resources on individualized education plans:
- POPARD video explaining individualized education plans
- Parent guide from BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils
- Plan template example from a school district
- Video about individualized education plan goals by Shelley Moore
Catch up with short articles and videos.
There are so many resources that detail what school might be like for your child, how you can help, or get more information. We picked a few of our favourites for you:
- Exercising Self Determination in our Schools is a short film from our Inclusive Education series
- Strategies for a Successful Kindergarten Year is a short film about a parent helping their child successfully transition into their first year at school. Parent guide from BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils
- Social-Emotional Health from BC Centre for Ability shares information and a video about promoting social-emotional health in school-aged children
Reach out when you need support!
We’re including this as a “thing to do” because finding time, the right words or questions, or the courage to ask for support can be hard. This is what Inclusion BC does for parents and caregivers just like you. If your child and your family’s experience during this back-toschool is challenging, you have many options.
- Explore our Inclusion BC federation members list to find support and advocacy organizations in your community or;
- Click here to fill in the BCEDAccess Exclusion Tracker. They are collecting data to document experiences of exclusion in our province.
Get family support.
Here are some peer networks you can connect with:
- Family Support Institute of BC: A provincial volunteer parent network.
- The parent group for BCEdAccess: A Facebook group
- BC Complex Kids: A Facebook group
There will always be things to learn and do, but this checklist is a great start! Make it manageable to you and remember: take it one step at a time. If you found this information helpful, please consider sharing it with your networks.
