Notas del episodio
First-Day Jitters: Preparing for the Big Day
In this episode of Around the Kinder Campfire, the Chadwick School Kindergarten Team helps families prepare for the first day of school. We cover practical first-day logistics and welcome Village Counselor Ms. Marisa Ryan for a conversation about supporting children—and ourselves—through the emotions of this big transition.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
- Getting Ready for the First Day
- Preparing for the Weather
- Carpool & Dismissal
First-Day Jitters with Ms. Ryan
Village Counselor Marisa Ryan, LCSW, joins the kindergarten team to talk about the emotional side of starting school.
Drawing from her experience in schools and her background in trauma-informed care and diversity, equity, and inclusion, Ms. Ryan discusses:
- Why first-day anxiety is completely normal
- Different ways children may show anxiety, including tummy aches, headaches, and repeated questions
- The importance of parents checking in with their own anxiety
- How children can "borrow" confidence from their parents
- Preparing as much as possible the night before
- Responding to children's worries without unintentionally making the anxiety bigger
- Communicating confidence while acknowledging that something new can feel tricky
- Reminding children that there are safe, supportive adults at school
Building a Bridge Between Home & School
Ms. Ryan introduces the idea of transitional objects—small reminders that help children feel connected to home while they're at school.
The First-Day Goodbye
One of the biggest takeaways from the episode:
Keep the goodbye short, predictable, and confident.
The team discusses:
- Why lingering can sometimes increase a child's anxiety
- What to do if your child cries
- Trusting teachers to support children through difficult moments
- Giving children a confident message that they are safe and capable
- Remembering that a messy or emotional first day does not mean you've done something wrong as a parent
The team also explains an unusual feature of the first day at Chadwick: kindergarten families will have two goodbyes—one at the classroom door and another after the dolphin-hat exchange.
Coming Up Next
Episode 3: Starting Our Story in Kindergarten
The team will explore how children begin their kindergarten journey and how Camp KINDergarten sets the stage for the year ahead.
Credits
Around the Kinder Campfire is recorded on Chadwick School's beautiful 45-acre campus on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
Theme music: The Chadwick School Core Values Song, written by Jasmine Love, arranged by Charla Gae, orchestrated by Richard Babcock, and performed by Abishai Smith.
Special thanks to Abishai Smith for sound engineering assistance.
We're so glad you're part of our Camp KINDergarten journey. Until next time, keep growing your story.