The example below is designed to help you initiate sharing of school experiences in the group. This could be done during a session, with parents verbally sharing their stories with others i n the group. Or parents could participate in a forum, writing down some 'stories', telling us some stories and audio-recording those, or sharing some photos. 

This is a photo of me when I was seven, on my first school day in Austria. I did not wear a school uniform in school. I am carrying a 'Schultüte', like so many German speaking children do on their first school day. It is filled with presents – things to take to school like pencils and pens, and sweets! I don't think I had entered the school building or met my teacher before my first day. But then – that day we only stayed for an hour!

The other photo was taken on my younger boy's first school day in England. This was the first time they were  both wearing their school uniforms. My older boy had been in school for two years by then, and most mornings the three of us had walked to school together, entered the school building and spent a few minutes in his classroom. Both boys had induction days before starting school - they had visited the school and classroom and met their teachers.