A Gentle Transition into the World of Learning

Starting first grade is always doubly exciting: for the children, of course—but also for their parents. It marks a transition from a world of play to a world of learning—and this is often accompanied by great concern on the part of parents: Will my child feel comfortable in this new environment? Will they get along with the other children? Will they be sad? And what if something unexpected happens to them?

With all these parental concerns in mind, Schulzweig Director Janine Neckenich crafted her thoughtful speech for the first-graders’ orientation ceremony at the Steinmühle Bilingual Elementary School. Her colleague Katrin Weißenborn had selected a story describing the correspondence between a “first-day-of-school mom” and the homeroom teacher. The text, read aloud in English, described the situation of a mother who was in the same situation as the parents in attendance. This empathetic approach conveyed to them that they are taken seriously.

A musical piece to start things off, a body percussion performance of “A Little Night Music,” and a rap about the first day of school dispelled any melancholy thoughts that might arise when your own child becomes a schoolchild. “We look forward to playing, reading, goofing off, and learning with you, dear first-graders,” concluded Janine Neckenich. The school branch director also emphasized the importance of collaboration with parents. She noted that it is part of the responsible and special task of being able to care for the children here at school.