Set up social supports, advocacy, and go-to people
Suggestion for implementing the strategy ‘Prepare for a new student with additional needs in the classroom’
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Ways to welcome new students
Ways to welcome new students
Discuss ways to welcome and support the new student with the class.
Suggestions can include:
- sending an email or a letter from the class
- sharing food and mihi on their first day
- creating a welcome booklet
- welcoming a hearing-impaired student using NZSL
- inviting a student to be a buddy to the new student to provide social and in-class support.
Being a buddy
Being a buddy
Support students by giving them clear guidelines on how to be a good buddy.
Possible tasks for a buddy include:
- partnering with the new student for classroom activities
- introducing the new student to others, and including them in games and activities both inside the classroom and at break times
- explaining classroom and school rules, systems, and timetabled activities as they arise
- assisting with carrying any assistive technologies from one class to another
- having lunch with the new student.
Peer support
Peer support
A high school student describes how a peer provides practical support when he transitions between classes.
Use class blogs
Use class blogs
Use the class blog to introduce your new student. On this post QR codes are used to provide more information about the student.
![6968 [Room-2-blog.png]](https://inclusive-live-storagestack-assetstorages3bucket-3uty0hejzw6u.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/inclusive-education/example-images/Room-2-blog__ScaleMaxWidthWzEwODZd.png)
Useful resources
Useful resources
Springboards 2 Practice: Social Skills
A Ministry of Education resource that discusses how social skills can be fostered in schools.
Download PDF (1.7 MB)
Classroom accommodations to help students with learning and attention issues
A US website that provides "at a glance" accommodations for a range of learning needs. It includes dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and sensory processing.
Publisher: Understood
Next steps
More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Prepare for a new student with additional needs in the classroom”:
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Current page Set up social supports, advocacy, and go-to people
Return to the guide “Transitions – managing times of change”
![11455 [Transitions-managing-times-of-change-002.jpg]](https://inclusive-live-storagestack-assetstorages3bucket-3uty0hejzw6u.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/inclusive-education/guides/featured-images/Transitions-managing-times-of-change-002__FillWzIwOCwyMDhd.jpg)
How to use this site
Guide to Index of the guide: Transitions – managing times of change
Strategies for action:
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Get to know the studentShow suggestions for Get to know the student
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Partner with the family/whānauShow suggestions for Partner with the family/whānau
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Plan for successful transitions to schoolShow suggestions for Plan for successful transitions to school
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Prepare for a new student with additional needs in the classroomShow suggestions for Prepare for a new student with additional needs in the classroom
- Set up for in-class and in-school transitions
- Classroom adaptations to support learning in years 1–8
- Classroom adaptations to support learning in years 9–13
- Set up social supports, advocacy, and go-to people
