Tips for Starting School 

A good night’s sleep is extremely important, therefore try to ensure that your child has a regular bedtime.

Understand that through play a child builds up his/her confidence and establishes sound social relationships with other children.

Much of the work that your child will do in the first few months of school may be seen by parents as play. However, at this time the child is being gently introduced to school routines and environment through a blend of structured and more open ended activities.

Show an interest in your child’s day when they are ready to talk about it. It is important to remember that most Prep children are very tired after school and need time to relax, especially at the beginning of the year. Encourage them to display any work that they bring home in a special place.

Children develop at different rates and parents need to be aware of comparing their child’s progress with that of older brothers or sisters or with other children of the same age. A child’s progress and behaviour may be discussed with the class teacher or Assistant Principal, or Student Wellbeing Leader by arranging an interview time. Parents may organise an interview with the class teacher at any time to discuss any aspect of progress or learning development.

Learning to read and write is an exciting time for both parents and children. Try to set aside a regular time to read with and to your child. Choose a wide variety of texts and allow the child to talk freely about what they see and how they interpret pictures from all sources.