Prep

First Day and Green Sheep Tour:

The Prep teachers are thrilled to welcome our newest members to the school family as our Prep students embark on their first day of school with excitement and curiosity! It was a joyous occasion filled with laughter, new friendships, and endless possibilities. As they stepped through the school gates, wide-eyed and eager, they began settling naturally into their new learning environments for 2024. The students spent the day becoming familiar with their new teachers, interacting with their classmates and exploring all the fun learning and play areas around the school. We are incredibly proud of our Prep students for their bravery and enthusiasm as they begin this incredible journey of learning and growth. Here's to many more adventures together in the days ahead!

Green Sheep:

 On our Prep's very first day of school, we read the story ‘Where is the Green Sheep?’ and then navigated our way through the school in search of the missing Green Sheep! Following clues, that led us to important locations throughout the school, from the toilets, to the sick bay, playground, Gymnasium, STEAM building and basketball courts. The Preps were so surprised when they stumbled upon the Green Sheep making an unexpected visit to our Principal, Luke Abdallah's office, where it was guarding his desk! The students thoroughly enjoyed exploring different areas of the school while learning about important expectations, such as walking together as a class, maintaining quiet in buildings and understanding designated play areas. 

Positive Start:  

To begin this year, Prep students have settled into their new learning environments by participating in Grayling’s annual Positive Start program. In Prep, we focus on establishing routines, social norms, and values at the beginning of the school year—key components for fostering a positive and productive classroom environment. By setting clear expectations and routines early on, students feel secure, know what to expect, and understand how to behave and interact with others. Over the past fortnight, students have been explicitly taught and have practiced the following:

• Establishing expectations, social norms, and routines for all spaces in the school
• Identifying the school’s values and understanding what they look like across the school
• Building a positive classroom community
• Recognising themselves as learners and understanding how they learn best

We are looking forward to a year filled with growth, collaboration, and positive learning experiences.

PROUD Values:

Prep students are introduced to the PROUD values—Performance, Respect, Open-mindedness, Unity, and Daring—as a foundation for their learning and personal growth. They develop Performance by striving to do their best in all tasks, whether in the classroom or on the playground. Respect is fostered through kindness and consideration for peers, teachers, and the school environment. By being Open-minded, they learn to embrace new ideas, different perspectives, and challenges with curiosity. United encourages teamwork and a sense of belonging, helping them understand the importance of supporting and uplifting one another. Lastly, they are encouraged to be Daring, taking on new experiences with courage and confidence. These values help shape them into responsible, thoughtful, and resilient individuals as they progress through their education.

It has been wonderful exploring and seeing students demonstrate these values so early on in the year. Well done to all Prep students! 

Respectful Relationships:

During our first couple of weeks of school our Preps start the Respectful Relationships Initiative where they learn about themselves and the world around them with regards to their emotions and how they express themselves. Learning about emotions and what they sound like, matching their emotions with experiences and naming emotions experienced by characters in stories all help to consolidate the Grayling Primary School PROUD values which are also taught to them explicitly during our Positive Start programs.

Developing emotional fluency through this initiative assists students to connect with their learning community and teaches them self regulation and emotional resilience. This initiative is a valuable tool that students can progress with throughout their entire lives.

It has been wonderful to see students already begin to recognise and identify their own emotions and those of others and begin to form meaningful relationships with both us and their classmates.

Welcome Circle:

Our Prep students are starting the year with a special tradition—each morning, they come into the classroom to form Welcome Circles, also known as ‘Yarn Circles.’ This tradition fosters inclusivity, connection, and respect right from the start of the school year! Students have the opportunity to engage in active listening, share with one another, and build strong relationships based on mutual respect. This Indigenous practice provides a space for the class to come together in a safe and equal environment, where everyone’s voice is heard.

Welcome Circles create a sense of belonging within the classroom, encouraging the PROUD values of respect and united, while helping students develop as active listeners. This practice also honours Indigenous cultural values and supports positive relationships, emotional growth, and a strong foundation for learning.

We can’t wait to see how these Welcome Circles will help our students grow, learn, and succeed in a welcoming and supportive environment.