Starting School

There are a number of opportunities for your child to become familiar with the Prep classroom and school environment prior to starting. The children will be involved in a variety of play and more formal activities during these times.

All children undertake a Prep assessment at the commencement of the school year.  Assessments will be held on Wednesday 28 January and Thursday 29 January, 2026. The first day of school will be Friday 30 January, 2026.

The school day starts at 8:55 am and finishes at 3:15 pm.

Drop Off and Pick Up

While the children are adjusting to school they will be closely supervised at recess and lunch by their teachers. You can farewell your child at 8:55 am at the door to the classroom and leave when the teacher takes the students into the room. It is advisable to arrive at least 5-minutes before the bell to ensure that your child is not feeling rushed when the bell rings.

All children need to be collected from the classroom at 3:15 pm by an adult or older sibling in Term One, and it is good practice that they know who this will be.

Rest Days

In order to help students transition to life at school, Prep students will attend only four days each week during February, staying home on Wednesdays. It is highly recommended that Prep students use their Wednesdays off for rest. Avoid scheduling outings, lessons, or events on these days to allow them time to recharge.

Full-time Prep classes commence in Week 7 (the first Wednesday Prep classes will run is Wednesday 11 March), as Wednesday 4 March is a Student-Free Day due to Parent-Teacher conferences.

Preparing your Child

Together, parents and teachers can provide the support and encouragement needed to make your child’s introduction to school a positive and enjoyable experience. Encourage your child to do as many of the following as possible:

• Know their full name, address and if able, their telephone number, and be able to state these clearly when asked.
• Be able to take off and put on clothing unaided and to manage zips and buttons, and pack these clothes away. Shoelace tying requires perseverance – your child does not need to have mastered this skill yet.
• To visit the toilet independently, to flush after use, wash their hands properly and adjust clothing as necessary.
• Be able to use tissues or handkerchiefs and understand the importance of covering their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
• Be able to pack away playthings, books and materials neatly after use.
• Recognise their own name on possessions, clothing, lunchboxes etc. It is a good idea to attach something recognisable to their school bag, such as a special key ring.
• Be able to eat from a lunch box, without surrounding themselves with scraps.
• Be able to open containers in their lunchbox and place it back into their school bag.
• Be able to share things, take turns and cooperate with others.
• Listen to others, to instructions and to stories.

Starting school is an enormous and exhausting experience for small children. Try to assist your child adjust by ensuring that regular and suitable sleeping hours are observed. A quiet time on return from school is also beneficial.

Parent/Teacher Information

Parents and teachers are partners in your child’s education and need to communicate honestly and regularly. Please feel free to arrange meetings with teachers at a mutually convenient time. Teachers can be contacted by either telephone or email. Teachers may not be able to speak with parents immediately due to teaching commitments and scheduled meetings, however they will respond to phone messages in a timely manner. One of the most efficient ways to contact a teacher is email.

Reading & Writing

As well as developing an interest in print and a desire to read, a major proportion of the Prep reading program (especially Term One) is aimed at developing the necessary physical skills, for example, left-right eye movement. Children in Prep will be taught the writing style called Sassoon. A laminated card of the alphabet will be included in your child’s Orientation Day pack to familiarise you and your child with this style, and the correct formation and starting points. Help your child to write his/her name with an uppercase first letter, followed by lower case i.e. Sarah, not SARAH. Label any items brought to school like this too.

Take Home Books

From Term One, your child will bring home books in a special reading folder. Please take the time to share the books with your child each night and return promptly on the class allocated return day. A record of your child’s reading is to be recorded in the Home Reading Diary. Do not expect your child to know words and sentences straight away. They are ‘reading’ for enjoyment and for familiarisation with print and language.

Mathematics

Prep Mathematics study is related to understanding basic number concepts and developing the appropriate mathematical language from a wide range of experiences. During the year your child will:

• Learn to count in sequence and develop an understanding of pattern and order in number (emphasis will be on the numbers 1- 20),
• Gain an understanding of the concept of grouping,
• Gain an understanding of equality and addition, and
• Understand the meanings of such terms as between, before, after, under, over, first, last.

Playground Boundaries

For safety reasons, Prep students must spend their recess and lunchtimes in the following play areas:

• Primary playground (In front of the Prep-Year 2 classrooms)
• Primary Gym (G-Block)
• Library and Oval (during lunchtime from the start of Term Two)

Perceptual Motor Program

During the year your child will participate in regular Perceptual Motor Program (PMP) sessions as part of their PE lessons. This is a motor and movement-based program that helps develop coordination and confidence. Children are given challenging activities which develop their ability to perceive, interpret and respond to information.

Canteen

Prep students are not permitted to buy items from the canteen in February. Lunch orders for Prep students are available using the class canteen bag system from March. Please see the Primary Handbook for further details.