12 Essential Tips for Concerts & End of Year Celebrations

End of Year

TERM 4 = Change, Concerts, Excursions, Holidays and MORE!

For Schools: Concerts, Exams, Tests, Excursions, Transition to New Class/School, Orientation days and more.

For Families: Holidays, Preparing for new teachers, Family Visitors, Christmas, New Year and more.


12 Essential Tips Concerts & End of Year Celebrations

To DOWNLOAD easy to READ/PRINT VERSION >> EndofYearConcerts

1.    Use Schedules, Calendars, Diaries to forewarn about upcoming events

2.    Photos: Take Photographs or find pictures of people, places. Take Photos of teacher for next year AND the students in their class. (Likewise: Take Photos of relatives coming to stay)

Give the child a Job!    camera

Taking photos for the newsletter is effective or videoing the concerts for the class to watch. 

3.    Use Timers: Letting them know how long the Assembly, Concert or Activity will go for will make a huge difference to their anxiety levels. (If activities run overtime allow them to leave if they have stayed for the set time)

Sue Larkey Timers

4.    Give a JOB. In the concert let them be the stage hand, the door keeper. The school photographer. The more focused and clear their JOB the less stress.

 

5.    Limit their choices and be very specific with choices. (ie: sit at end of row, not anywhere in hall!)

6.    Give something in their hands as usually calm best when have something in their hands. Fidget Tools ACTUALLY CALM THE CHILD and may improve concentration and focus

Something in hands or to fit in a pocket for long sitting periods can be wonderful

Fidget Tools

For More great Fidget toys  suelarkey.com.au/fidget-tools/

7.    Avoid verbal overload. Use visuals to support verbal and give only one instruction at a time

8.    Set up clear rules and boundaries (especially for “special events”)

9.    Make social stories of upcoming events, books about holidays, change 

of teachers etc. Let them refer back to them and reread to prepare for.

10. Avoid verbal arguments by redirecting them to what they should be doing. For Example: “Sit Down”, “Start your work”, “ Pack away”

11. Give them a “buddy” make sure you pre-warn buddy and reward them for their help

12. Keep the drinks up and ensure go to the toilet. Once they are in busy hall, on bus could have meltdown as forgot to drink or go to toilet.


When the above fails what will you do?

Essential have a Meltdown Plan & everyone knows it.:

This could include: Pre-warning Signs, Non-Threatening Withdrawal, Quiet area strategy or families taking two cars so you can make a fast exit.

FAMILIES: You might like to think how to adapt the above!

Pre-warn about visitors family visitors: “When Grandma comes she will huge you like this!”

Put labels on outside of present, what is in the inside? This is great! No surprise is a good surprise.

Find out if favourite TV shows are OFF over Xmas Break? (I have called ABC before!)

Use a Calendar to mark on all events

Don’t forget to include “go home” from holidays, as they might think they are on holidays FOREVER!