Your Guide to Preparing to Enter a New School

 

Worried that your child’s first days in their new school won’t go smoothly? This is all too common for expatriate families - but it doesn’t have to be! A positive attitude - and these tips - will help you ensure a successful start!

Prepare in Plenty of Time

There is so much you can do before the school year to ensure you and your student are ready! Doing these things will also help decrease anxiety and make your feel more comfortable heading into the school year.

Some ways to prepare for the coming school days include:


Ensure you have the right uniforms if required and plenty of them. Three sets is a minimum so that you have plenty of time to wash them between wears.


Check for school supply requirements. Purchase what you need in advance so you’re not rushing to buy school supplies at the last minute.


Establish daily routines at home to make school days easier.


Ask about rules and requirements for student decorum. These may be different in a international school in tokyo than they were in local schools where your family lived previously, so ensuring adherence to school dress and behavior codes will make for a smoother school year.

Know Your School

Before your student starts their first day at their new international school, take a tour together. Familiarize yourself with the campus environment, where to drop your child off and pick them up, and what their everyday routine will look like inside the halls. This will quiet any anxieties your child may be experiencing and make your entire family feel better prepared for the first day!