Year 7 Bring Your Mum to School Day
Sophia Shen
ELA teacher
KS3 Coordinator
Parents are one of a child’s best teachers and, of course, they cannot live and grow without them. Many families, especially those new to international education, are unfamiliar with the day-to-day life of a child in the school. In order to give parents, the opportunity to learn about what is involved in their day to day learning we recently organised a, ‘Bring Your Mums to School’ day. These types of events are not only a great way to showcase what happens on a typical day at the College, but they also give our parents a sense of understanding through this experience and, in turn, reduces anxiety. As pupils become more familiar with school life, we will also look to the fathers to put aside their work for a day to spend time with their Year 8 child for a wonderful and eventful day. This is because we believe that no matter how much time is spent at work, it is just as valuable to spend a day at school which both parent and child will value for the rest of their lives.
At the end of October, we held our annual year 7, ‘Bring Your Mum to School’ day, which was the first time since the epidemic that we have held a large-scale invitation to parents to be on campus and in classes. A total of 13 year 7 parents attended the event, and each one of them was enthusiastic about participating in the day. From morning registration, through to the five lessons, and then the after-school sessions, finally wrapping up with the parent feedback, a great day was had by all. The mums experienced a full day in the life of the Senior School.
As the KS3 Liaison Officer, I hosted the event and welcomed the mums in the morning and accompanied them into the classes. With their shoulders back and their children's timetable in hand, the mums also entered the classes as pupils, following their own timetable from the morning to late afternoon. Throughout the morning, parents dressed in PE kit interacted with their children on the football pitch and had fun working as a team. In the music classroom, we identified sounds and experienced the joy of listening to melodies. In the art classroom, brushes and paints were the order of the day. In the Design and Technology class, T-shirts were designed and made. In Science, experiments with various acids and alkalis were done to make dramatic rainbows. In the afternoon, mums spent time in English, ELA, Geography and History, bringing back memories of their own school days.
After the event, one parent commented, "I had no idea that my children's knowledge of languages and humanities was so deep, broad and interesting."
The parents were greeted by the Head of the Senior School, Ms Popovic, Mr Jeffrey, the Master of the College, at early check-in and lunchtime, and Mrs Arden joined later in the day to listen to their positive feedback on the day's activities.
Thanks Letter from Parents
We were very proud indeed at the unanimous praise given to the year 7 teachers who taught on the day. Most importantly we could see the pride in our pupil's faces and the confidence and enthusiasm they showed in front of their parents. The interaction between home and the College is key, and a child's growth and progress cannot be achieved without the joint efforts of all involved, from pupils to parents and teachers. We would like to thank all the mums for coming and we hope to see more parents at the next Bring a Parent to School event in the Lent term.