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SUMMER SCHOOL summer schools
FRIDAY MAY 20 2016
Summer school time Keeping your child safe and stimulated when regular class is over
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hether they attend private or state school for the rest of the year, children in Cyprus can look forward to long summer holidays away from the classroom. Unfortunately, these close to three months of time off are often a challenging period for their parents. Due to work and other commitments, most parents or term-time caregivers usually just cannot take on full-time responsibility for their chilParents will also be able dren during the to go off to work confident times they would their children are safe, otherwise be at happy, and will have plenty school. This is mostly to tell them when the family because, unlike in meets up later in the day the past, mothers often also work now, and even grandparents, so often a God-send, are not always as available as they may once have been to help out with much-needed child care. Teens too Most teenagers can, perhaps, be left to their own devices for some of the time, but younger children definitely need to be provided with a safe, and even better, fun and constructive environment. Even older children, who can just as easily become bored, can also benefit greatly from spending
SUMMER school can be a great place for children to learn more in a fun environment
some well-organised time with their peers. This is an even bigger plus when the summer school they attend also helps them pick up a new language or other skill or further develop an existing talent. Some venues even help prepare them for the coming academic year or future exams. This is so much more useful than getting an overdose of beauty sleep and computer games. It’s also important to remember that there are only so many times even the most loving parents or other caregivers can come up with a mutually acceptable response to the frequent complaints from a child that they are bored. Also keep in mind that, if your children have spent part of the summer engaging in some kind of constructive activity, the time you will all be able to spend together as family will become
even more special and better appreciated by all. Quality choices Fortunately for every member of the family, there are plenty of summer school choices available around Cyprus. These have something to cater for every age group and provide lots of choices for how the children can spend their time. Sometimes finding the ideal place is easy. It could be right on your doorstep if your child’s usual school has a summer programme. This would have the benefit of keeping your little, or not-so-little one, in a familiar environment and around children and even staff they already know. If not, or perhaps if you or your children, would like to try somewhere new, there are a range of other summer
school options around in most towns. Additional benefits For the most part, these venues offer so much more than simply a safe environment in which to leave your child while you’re at work. They also bring your little ones into contact with people who are, usually, trained to provide them with professional care. A wide range of interests are catered for, from sports to theatre. This means that, as well as having the opportunity to make new friends, your child is certain to return to “ordinary” school in September an even better-rounded person than they were at the start of the holidays. Parents will also be able to go off to work confident their children are safe, happy, and will have plenty to tell them when the family meets up later in the day.