Дружба играет огромную роль в жизни ребенка. Умение находить новых друзей особенно необходимо детям, которые часто переезжают вместе с родителями в новые города или даже страны.
Пять несложных советов, которые помогут вашему ребенку найти друзей на новом месте:
- Главное – уверенность в себе
Ребенку непросто найти новых друзей, особенно когда он приходит в сложившийся коллектив, где у каждого уже есть друг или даже компания друзей. Чтобы подружиться с ребятами в классе, ребенку нужно показать свое дружелюбие и позитивное отношение к окружающим – улыбаться и быть открытым по отношению к новым людям и идеям.
- Нужно активно участвовать в жизни школы и класса
Посоветуйте ребенку присоединиться к школьному клубу, кружку или секции, которые соответствуют его интересам. Если ваш ребенок будет петь в школьном хоре или заниматься в клубе изучения французского языка, он сможет познакомиться и подружиться с ребятами, разделяющими его увлечения и интересы
- Важно уметь определять, есть ли в классе сложившиеся компании и группы
Объясните ребенку, что иногда дети объединяются в компании и группы и отказываются дружить с новичками. Детям, особенно если они еще маленькие, сложно понять, почему их не хотят принимать в компанию. Посоветуйте ребенку понаблюдать за одноклассниками и попробовать подружиться с ребятами, которые не входят в сложившиеся компании и группы.
- Нужно понять, что не с каждым можно подружиться
Иногда попытка подружиться с одноклассником заканчивается неудачей. Если это произошло, важно объяснить ребенку, что это случается со всеми – не каждый, с кем мы хотим дружить, хочет дружить с нами. Помогите ребенку поверить, важно всегда оставаться самим собой и гордиться своими хорошими качествами.
- Интересно проводите время с новыми друзьями
Посоветуйте ребенку, как интересно и весело проводить время с новыми друзьями. К примеру, можно пригласить друзей к себе в гости, позвать в кино или погулять по городу.
Дружба – одна из самых важных вещей в нашей жизни, которая дарит человеку радость и ощущение счастья. Постарайтесь убедить ребенка, что дети, которые часто переезжают с место, приобретают способность быстро находить новых друзей. Это очень полезное качество личности, которое пригодится ему в течение всей его дальнейшей жизни.
Question: What do Germaine Greer, writer; Ana Patricia Botin, Chair of Santander and Anya Hindmarsh, designer, all have in common?
Answer: They were all educated at Convent Schools.
Convent School girls can be found in a wide range of successful and prominent careers all over the world. The list above also includes Carmen Cahill, Founder of Virago Press; Anne Nightingale, news presenter); Antonia Fraser, (writer); Carey Mulligan (actress) … and this is far from exhaustive.
Convent Schools are not the same as they were in the 1940s and 1950s and since Vatican II in 1959, which heralded the dawn of a more modern Catholic church, the rules have been considerably relaxed. Gone are the days of fasting for Lent, offering it up for Purgatory or keeping holy pictures tucked into cardigan pockets. Nevertheless, Convents all over the world continue to provide a nurturing educational environment in which many girls thrive.
Why are Convent Girls often so successful?
The answers to this are many, varied and, of course, open to debate:
An all Girls’ Education
Girls educated at all girls’ schools tend to perform better academically. Many girls will ‘dumb down’ when there are boys in the classroom, to appear less intelligent. For the Convent Schools which remain all-girls, this is not an issue. All girls’ communities can also be very supportive, with teachers understanding the career and personal challenges facing girls in today’s modern world.
Nuns as Teachers
Although many convent schools today are no longer run by nuns, some still have significant religious members within their community. Nuns do not have the demands of homes to run and husbands and children of their own. So arguably, they have more time to dedicate to teaching and to the education of their young charges.
Discipline and Work Ethic
Discipline often comes naturally to a Convent Girl. Many schools have a very structured environment around homework, ensuring that work is handed in on time and any departure from this structure is not widely tolerated. So girls learn early how to structure their academic study and this enables them to manage the many demands on their time as they move into the world of work.
Spiritual life
The Catholic faith is a fundamental part of life at a Convent School. Many successful Catholic women have cited their Catholic faith as something which has inspired them and provided both solace and guidance during testing times in both their professional and personal lives.
Convent Schools Today
Convent schools in London
In North London we have the hugely popular La Sainte Union on Highgate Road. The school is not fee-paying and it is constantly over-subscribed due to its excellent results and high reputation. La Sainte Union now admits boys in the sixth form.
Convent Schools in the UK
Just outside London, Woldingham in Surrey occupies a prominent place amongst Catholic schools in the UK. It remains all girls and offers a happy and varied education.
The highly successful New Hall, in Essex, alma mater of Anya Hindmarsh and Leonora Carrington (painter) has just started taking boys. St Mary’s Ascot, the doyenne of British convents and alma mater of Marina Warner (writer), continues to top the league tables and takes girls from all over the world, all of whom are practicing Catholics.
Convent Schools internationally
New York
In New York, Manhattan there is the highly sought-after Convent of the Sacred Heart, part of the wider Sacred Heart group of schools which also includes Woldingham in the UK.
Italy
Florence boasts the excellent Instituto del Sacro Cuore (Institute of the Sacred Heart), which now also takes boys. The renowned Trinita dei Monti Convent, romantically situated on the Spanish Steps in Rome, was closed in 2005, as the Order of the Sacred Heart no longer had the nun-power to staff it.
Convent schools across the world remain popular choices for both Catholic and non-Catholic families looking for a strong educational environment for their daughters.
The GCSE exams have started and many parents will be wondering how best to support their children through this key period. The following suggestions might help:
Don’t nag
Gentle support rather than nagging is the best approach. Try to avoid the temptation to manage your son or daughter’s revision as this can make them more anxious. Parents muscling in on revision plans and trying to organise their time, can be infuriating for them. Constant questions about how revision is going can lead to arguments, which end up being detrimental to the whole process.
Instead, offer to help your child to draw up a revision timetable, or to test them on what they have learned so far. Offer encouragement and frequent snacks and drinks. It is crucial that they feel your support.
Giving your child a sense of responsibility for and ownership of their own revision, plus the feeling that you’re behind them in this, is paramount.
Avoid unhelpful comparisons
Drawing attention to the fact that their older siblings did GCSES effortlessly, or that you were much more organised in “your day” will not help. It will probably add to the pressure that your son or daughter is already feeling.
Comparing themselves to others- especially siblings who are highly academic- might make things worse.
Side-step arguments
If your teenager is looking to provoke an argument, or their behaviour becomes more challenging than usual, try not to rise to it. This is a stressful time for the whole family and the best approach is to stay as positive as you can.
Watch out for signs of stress
If your child is struggling to eat, suffering from insomnia or reluctant to socialise, they are probably over-stressed. If you see any of these signs, speak to your child and reassure them.
Take steps to alleviate the stress such as preparing their favourite foods, encouraging them to spend time with friends and to take exercise. Even a short walk in the countryside can work wonders. Talented students can fall short of their predicted grades due to stress. It is not easy, but try to help them to maintain a healthy balance between revision and living.
Offer rewards and encouragement
A series of rewards during revision time can really help your son or daughter to keep up the momentum. A trip to the cinema to see a good film, preparing their favourite foods, inviting close friends to supper- all of these may seem like small things but they can make the world of difference to your child’s sense of well- being and confidence.
Finally, remembering that there is a life beyond the GCSEs is vital, both for teenagers and for their families. This is can be very challenging for students when they are in the midst of the exam period. Try to reassure your son and daughter that the exams last only for a few weeks and that after that … they have their whole life ahead of them, bringing a series of new and exciting challenges.
Many expat parents relocating to London choose to send their children to international schools, as this allows them to continue in the same education system they followed in their home country. As well helping to reduce the stress of relocation, as your child does not have to get used to a new education system, international schools enable children to maintain literacy skills in their mother tongue. Most international schools also provide a strong ‘English as an Additional Language’ (EAL) programme.
All education systems have their advantages: the formality and frequent testing of the British and French systems contrast with a more informal approach in the US system. If you are relocating to London (or to another capital city), you will find that you have the option to choose between four main systems: British, US, German or French.
If you are relocating with your family, here are some tips to consider:
The US System
American School of London (ASL) in St John’s Wood is excellent and takes of many nationalities, although eighty percent of children have at least one parent who is a US citizen. It follows the American system of education, has superb arts and sporting facilities and excellent pastoral care.
Just outside London, in Surrey, there is the American School in England, known as TASIS, which also has a good reputation. It offers students the opportunity to study the International Baccalauréat and offers boarding, with currently 20 nationalities on the boarding programme.
The French system
The Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle in South Kensington is a real feature of this French part of London. Students are mostly French, but some come from other cultures and nationalities too. The school has a strong focus on languages and arts.
The German system
The German School is based in Richmond, Surrey, within easy commute from central London. The school aims to facilitate the social integration of German students to the UK, whilst maintaining their connection to their language and culture. The school follows the German curriculum.
The British system
Day schools: both state and independent
The majority of schools in London follow the British system of education. Competition is fierce in the capital for the best schools and application is advance is advised. However, as London is an international city, there is a lot of movement with many families leaving to relocate abroad. This means that places, even in the most popular schools, do become sometimes become available in the middle of the school year. This is good news for families coming to London mid-way through the school year. Contact an independent education consultant with an in-depth knowledge of London and UK schools to negotiate with the school on your behalf.
Boarding schools
Boarding is an option for families wanting the flexibility offered by this system. For those busy families that travel for work and may not always be at the school gates at 4pm, weekly boarding is great. Children can return home at weekends for quality family time. Most schools are very flexible- you child can weekly board or stay at the school for weekends if you are away on a longer business trip. Pastoral care at most British boarding schools is now superb- they are a world away from the traditional images of packed dormitories and inedible food. However, it is important to speak to someone who knows the individual schools well to find the one that would most suit the personality and academic needs of your own child.
Home-schooling- an additional option
Home-schooling is a valid option if you are relocating, especially at short notice. Home-schooling gives your children time to gently settle into a new city and a new home without having the added pressure of having to settle into a new school environment.
Some children relish change and enjoy meeting new people. If you have a very sensitive child, or a son or daughter who finds change difficult, home-schooling helps to smooth the period between moving and starting a new school. Many families find that the school they prefer has a waiting list. Instead of opting for another school, they choose to have their children home-schooled for a period- whether it be for a short period, for example three to six months, or for a longer time.
Specialist tutors who are experienced in home-schooling, will also be sensitive to the changes that the family are adapting to, and will create tuition programmes to fit in with your family’s specific needs. Home-schooling programmes can cater for several children in the family. In addition to academic subjects, programmes can include yoga, music and sport to provide a balanced day for your child.
Whichever system you decide on, it is important to do your research and find an option which is best suited to your child and your family. As London is such an international community, most schools are very welcoming, being accustomed to receiving enquiries and applications from international parents and families relocating to the UK. Relocating to the new city can be daunting, but with many networks in place to support new arrivals, your family should be well-supported.
Many parents worry about technology. Whilst we urge our offspring to spend less time on screens and limit their access to Facebook, we joke about relying on our children to solve our tech problems.
Whatever our own attitude to technology, we cannot ignore the fact that the ability to write code, understand the digital world and programming will be essential for our offspring. Technology is moving on at such a pace that we cannot allow our children to be left behind. Most will have their own websites and perhaps also run their own businesses. They are likely to have many careers in their lifetimes, perhaps running concurrently, and they will need the technological skills and flexibility to manage these effectively.
In response to lobbying, the UK Government launched a new computing curriculum in 2014. This requires that by age seven, pupils understand what algorithms are and that by age eleven, pupils are able to write simple programmes. This is an important step forward.
Many independent schools, whilst not following the national curriculum, are ensuring that their pupils are well- versed in computing. Coding Club is a popular option at Abingdon Prep in Oxfordshire. The basics concepts of programming are taught in the Reception class and then integrated into teaching as pupil’s progress through the school. Westwood Hay prep in Hertfordshire has a state of the art computer suite and enthusiastic IT teachers who make computing enjoyable. At Francis Holland, Sloane Square, Headmistress Lucy Elphinstone is a fan of computer coding, acknowledging the need for girls to have this skill in their future careers.
Contrary to the popular perception of stuffy, boring IT lessons, coding can be really fun and creative. Learning how to code enables children to design apps and games. It also encourages problem- solving.
So next time you have a tech problem – your iPad won’t work, or your website is down, you may breathe a sigh of relief when your children come to the rescue. And you will be grateful that they were taught computer programming at school.
