by the Editor Getting to know your children’s friends, helping out at school and practising school-day routines with young children will help families manage the back to school period and throughout the school year, according to Australia’s first charity The Benevolent Society.  ...read more »

by Angie Wilcock Do you look at your young son or daughter and wonder who they are? Are they preparing for the big move to high school and you are wondering how they will cope with new friends, new environment, new teachers, new and different subjects, more homework....and they're not really talking to you?  ...read more »

by Paul Whitehead     Can we have an honest conversation?  I promise, I am not “representing the teaching fraternity” by writing this… I haven’t consulted with my colleagues; in fact they may well feel VERY differently from the views I express here. I do want to express some of my thoughts from my own teaching experiences over the past twenty years.  ...read more »

by Lynn Jenkins      My daughter started kindergarten this year.  As I walked her into school on her first day, I noticed all the other ‘newbies’ – chubby little hands holding onto their mums and dads hands.  Some looked confident; some were crying and most had a look of excitement mixed with a tinge of deer-caught-in-headlights.  ...read more »

by the Editor     As long summer days of fun in the sun and family holidays come to an end, families are preparing for the start of a new school year.  ‘Back to school’ is a frantic time for parents with so many things to organise, but the start of a new school year is also a great time to start afresh with healthy resolutions.   ...read more »

by Helen Davidson     At this time of year many children – and their parents - will have not only a new school year to look forward to but also perhaps starting at a new school.  Maybe the family have moved neighbourhoods, states or even country and so in December it was ‘Goodbye’ to old classmates, well known corridors and familiarity with the school rules,  ...read more »

by Angie Wilcock, High Hopes     Whether our children are moving from pre-school to 'big school', primary to secondary, or secondary to tertiary or the work place, parents ALWAYS have a role to play - significantly different in each phase, but a role nonetheless.  ...read more »