Starting  

School 

Getting Ready for our first day - Monday 1 February

A very warm welcome back to all of our Arlington Community. We will be jumping out of our skins on Monday morning when we welcome all the children to another year together.

At this time of year we field lots of questions about what each child needs to bring, and how it all works. 

Arlington provides all stationary needs. Some children like to bring their own special pencils, and this is welcomed with the understanding that items from home can be misplaced or damaged.

We recommend that very special items from home be brought with a parent/carer at drop off, but that they go home again to avoid the sadness that can come from potential loss or damage.

All children need to bring an hat and sunscreen in Terms One and Four. If we have a very hot day, supervised water play under the sprinkler or hose is allowed, and a change of clothes is recommended. For children in the Early Years, we recommend a change of clothes is packed in the school bag each day in case of accidents. 

Kindergarten 

Poppy Woodhouse has written a piece in this newsletter especially for our new and returning Kindergarten families to help make the transition to kindergarten year smooth. The Kindergarten Handbook is here.

Fives in the Lighthouse

For the Fives, our "Lighthouse Keepers", the program begins as a full time program. For some children, a five day program is perhaps what they have already experienced at pre-school, kindergarten or day care, and for others it may be a big leap! 

At Arlington, we are flexible to the needs of each child knowing that they will transition in their own way and in their own time. If you feel that your new "Lighthouse Keeper" needs to begin the year attending shorter days or fewer days, please chat with Clinton Morgan who will have an indicative timetable drawn up so that you can ensure that your child is on site for their favourite activities. The Fives Handbook is here.

Lofties to Peppercorns

For the children from the Loft Room to the Peppercorns, a hat and sunscreen is required in Terms One and Four. Some children have a phone, and these can certainly come to school but we ask that they stay in school bags during the day. Other devices will not connect on our local area network, and we ask that these remain at home. We have class sets of iPads and laptops for the children to use on site. 

The Arlington Handbook

We have drawn up an Arlington Handbook which we hope will answer some of the questions that our parents might have. It covers information about the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, restorative practices, birthday celebrations and some of our history and traditions. We hope you enjoy this publication.  The Arlington Handbook is Here.

You might notice some changes...

Summer is a time when Rob and Greg and Emma, our maintenance team, are busy with some special jobs. We thank them for the wonderful work they do at this time. I don't want to spoil too much but, the Five's Fort has had a bit of a makeover!