Prep News
Prep A
Congratulations Preps!
The Prep students have had a wonderful start to school! We are so proud of the confidence they have displayed by coming into the Prep Learning Centre independently and joining their teachers and classmates.
Prep B
It has been wonderful to see the children play happily, form new friendships and start to settle into the daily routines of school life.
We are looking forward to sharing an exciting Prep year with you and your children.
Prep C
Our Learning and Celebrations
Wellbeing
Developmental Play
Prep B
Prep C
In Prep, we are focusing on wellbeing and building positive relationships. Through developmental play, children are learning to make new friends, get to know their teacher, and feel comfortable in the classroom. Play-based activities help students practise sharing, taking turns, listening to others and solving small problems together. Below are some photos of the students enjoying developmental play in their classroom. So many big smiles and happy faces!
Buddies
Our Preps are loving their time with their Year 5 Buddies. They have been meeting at recess, eating together and spending time getting to know each other. The Year 5 students are doing a wonderful job helping the Preps pack away their lunchboxes and get settled before heading off to play. Buddy time has quickly become a highlight each day.
These positive connections support our preps’ wellbeing by helping them feel safe, supported and confident in the playground, while building a strong sense of belonging within our school community.
Literacy
Phonics Plus
In Prep, the children have begun their phonics learning at school. Phonics helps children understand how letters make sounds and how these sounds can be blended together to read words or pulled apart to help with spelling. This is an exciting step in their reading and writing journey!
Sounds we are learning
We are currently focusing on these letters and their sounds: s, a, t, p, i, n
Your child is learning to:
Say the sound each letter makes (rather than the letter name)
Blend sounds together to read simple words (e.g. sat, pin, tap)
Break words into sounds to help with spelling
Begin reading and writing simple three-letter words using SATPIN sounds
High-frequency words: and, for, the
We are also working on
Correct letter formation and early handwriting skills
Listening for sounds at the beginning, middle, and end of words
Building confidence and a love of reading and writing
How you can help at home
You don’t need to do anything complicated — short, fun practice is best!
Practise saying the sounds together (e.g. /s/ instead of “ess”)
Play sound games like I Spy, using sounds instead of letter names
Read together every day and talk about the pictures and story
Praise effort and keep learning positive and relaxed
Little and often makes a big difference. Thank you for supporting your child as they build strong foundations in literacy.
Maths
Prep students have been building strong foundations in early number through structured, explicit lessons and daily review.
Our focus has been on recognising, reading and writing numbers 0–10, as well as accurately forming numerals. Students have been practising counting forwards and backwards within 10, developing fluency and confidence with number sequences. A strong emphasis has been placed on one-to-one correspondence when counting collections to ensure students understand that the last number counted represents the total.
Prep students have also been introduced to the concept of time, focusing on understanding the different parts of a day.
Students are learning to identify and describe morning, afternoon and night, and discussed activities that typically happen during each part of the day. They practised sequencing events in order and using time-related language such as before, after and first.
Unit of Inquiry
Transdisciplinary Theme
How we organise ourselves
Central Idea
Schools are organised to help us learn and play together
In our PYP Unit of Inquiry, the Preps have been exploring the different ways we need to be organised for school. They have been learning about following daily routines, what they need to bring each day, and choosing appropriate foods for recess, fruit break and lunch.
Students have also discussed the rules that help make our school a happy and safe place for everyone. As part of our learning, the children enjoyed a tour of the school, visiting different areas and discovering how each space is organised and used. They particularly enjoyed visiting the lovely office ladies and having a peek in the staffroom!
What We Are Learning Next
Literacy
Phonics Plus
The next letters and sounds we will be focusing on are:
m, d, g, o, c, f