Co-operation With the Home
- The co-operation of home and school is important. https://reykjavik.is/foreldravefurinn
- Children, parents and teachers need to talk to each other and communicate about how things are going at school. It is always possible to call or email a teacher and get information on studies, behaviour or the well-being of a child.
- It is important that parents pay close attention to their children's homework and help them with it.
- Literacy is the foundation of all education. All children must read at home, aloud to a parent, at least five times a week.
- www.mms.is and www.fraedslugatt.is have lots of free content for primary school students to practice various subjects.
- Parents choose a class representative in the class or year, who organises events for the class and parents to attend together.
- Parent associations are active in schools. They organise educational meetings for parents and neighborhood walks on weekends, among other things.
- Facebook groups of parents are common for school-related activities, e.g., invitations to classmates' birthday parties or advertisements for lost clothes or other items.
- Parents must pay close attention to emails from the school and teachers, the school's website and information on Mentor.
Leisure Centers
- All municipalities offer children in grades 1-4 a place at a leisure center after school from 13:30 (2:30pm) - 17:00 (5pm) Monday to Friday.
- An extended attendance after school is available for disabled children and adolescents from 5th grade to 18 years old. https://www.stjornarradid.is/verkefni/felags-og-fjolskyldumal/fatlad-folk/leidbeinandi-reglur-fyrir-sveitarfelog/
- It is necessary to sign your children up for the leisure center and select the time they'll be picked up or whether they should walk home.
- Sign-up is usually online on the municipality's website.
- Leisure centers are not free of charge. The fee depends on each municipality.
- Leisure centers are not mandatory, but many parents use leisure centers after school because they are at work.
What Happens in Leisure Centers?
- Leisure centers are very important for children's social development and language stimulation.
- The work in leisure centers is professional and diverse, for example, the children:
- Play cards, do crafts and seasonal projects.
- Play together, outdoors and indoors.
- Participate in group work, like yoga club, drama club, or computer club.
- The children get light meals (for example, yoghurt and muesli or bread and toppings) as well as fruits and vegetables throughout the day.
- The children go outside every day, both at school and the leisure center, and should be dressed appropriately for the weather. The children are always supervised
- In larger municipalities, there is often a leisure bus that drives children from the leisure center to sports practice or other organised leisure activities within the district. (Parents pick up their children afterwards or they go home on their own).
- There are a few staff preparation days at the leisure centers every school year. They are not open for the children on those days.
- When school is closed during summer, the leisure centers offer summer courses for children where they often go swimming and on field and adventure trips. Children must be enrolled in the summer courses and the fees paid.
- Many sports associations and other associations offer summer courses for children.
The Importance of Leisure Activities
- Studies show that children who speak Icelandic as a second language rarely participate in sports or leisure activities for children.
- Participating in leisure activities outside of school is very important for all children.
- They train skills and abilities in new areas, they practice social connections, make friends and learn and use Icelandic in a more diverse way than only at school.
- Children of foreign origin who attend leisure activities are participants in a common world of experience with their classmates, which is an important factor in integrating into a new society.
- Organised sports and leisure activities in Iceland are professional and an emphasis is placed on good communication, co-operation and healthy living.
- All districts of Reykjavík and all towns have active sports clubs. They offer sports activities for children. Football and handball are popular with both boys and girls.
- Music schools, gymnastics clubs, swim clubs, dance schools, karate clubs and scout associations are examples of associations that offer courses for children.
- Parents often take an active part in children's leisure activities and accompany them to sporting events, concerts and exhibitions.
- Diverse parent activities are often a part of children's leisure activities - and it is a good way to get to know other parents and to practice Icelandic.
- Remember the leisure activities grant!