“Tiens-moi la main, j’embarque!” is a personalized child support initiative launched by the Conseil scolaire francophone (CSF) and the Fédération des parents.

A brand new backpack, still a little too big, shifts about on his shoulders when he climbs into the bus, and it’s with a mixture of excitement and apprehension that he’s about to make his start at the big school! While you watch the bus depart, you wonder if jumping into your car in pyjamas and slippers to follow quietly would automatically confer on you the status of hyper-parent…

Whether we experience back-to-school for the first time or as a veteran, we are all, as parents, united in our desire to see our child flourish and have a positive first experience. After all, school will be on the agenda for the next twelve years, so we might as well start on the right foot! Therefore, with the goal of seeing every child enter kindergarten successfully, the Conseil scolaire francophone (CSF) and the Fédération des parents launched the “Tiens-moi la main, j’embarque!” project, a personalized child support initiative, in November 2012.

The “Tiens-moi la main, j’embarque!” project follows two main strategies: early intervention and collaboration between home and school. Families who participate in the project are therefore invited to register their child at the school in the autumn preceding entry to kindergarten. This approach maximizes the chances for the child to successfully enter kindergarten, since the following year will be a priority intervention period during which the school is tasked with getting to know each child.

As a first step, the project aims to explore the various aspects of the child’s development, in order to get a picture of their overall development and thus better understand their strengths and needs. From this description, targeted tools and resources are given to families so that they can accompany their child on their journey towards kindergarten. Through this approach, we aim to support the parent in their role as first educator, and begin the home-school partnership which will nourish the child’s academic success.

In the second step, from January to June, parents and children are invited to the school to participate in monthly group activities. These activities, facilitated by an early childhood educator, offer parents and children the opportunity to learn while having fun in a Francophone environment. Through songs, crafts, stories, and games, friendships between children and adults are formed, and the families become familiar with the future school in a supportive and positive way.

Last year, nearly 70 children from three schools (l’école Mer-et-montagne in Campbell River, l’école Les Aiglons in Squamish and l’école Gabrielle-Roy in Surrey) participated in the project. The adventure will continue in 2013/2014 with another school, l’école Entre-lacs in Penticton, and we dream of seeing the “Tiens-moi la main, j’embarque!” project take off in the years to come.