Prep Community News

Dear Prep Families,

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Can you believe it is the end of Week 6 already?! It has been amazing to see the continued growth in our students as they develop confidence with our school routines and with their independence. We have been working very hard in all our lessons and are excited to share what we have been learning!

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Reading

In our reading lessons, we have been learning to blend onset and rime. These are skills that will help to build your child’s ability to read and write. We have also been practising identifying the sound of the letters m and s as well as forming these letters. You can support your child at home by asking them to share the sounds that m and s make. You can also ask them what sound does ‘monkey’ start with? What sound does ‘snake’ start with?

Writing

In our writing lessons, we have begun learning about sentence structure. For these lessons, we are practising identifying the ‘who’ (the subject) and the ‘do’ (the action) of a sentence. This is a skill that we are building up orally. You can practise this skill at home by asking what a character in a book is doing.

We have also continued to work on our Story Champ stories to support with understanding the character, problem, character’s feeling, action and solution. It has been great to see the confidence the students are gaining in their story telling and their ability to sequence the events from the story. 

Maths

This week in Maths, we have been using our knowledge of Direction Duck to support us with writing the numbers 1 to 6. We have been practising tracing these numbers as well as writing them on our own! You can practise writing your numbers at home! To help write our numbers we have learnt a few chants that you can practise as well. 

We have also started to learn about 2D shapes and their properties. We learnt that a rectangle has 4 straight lines and 4 corners and that a circle is one closed curved line with no sides or corners. 

Bravehearts Incursion

On Thursday, March 12th, our Prep students will participate in the Bravehearts Incursion. The Bravehearts Education Team will provide a personal safety programme tailored specifically to young children.

This preventative education programme aims to help youngsters understand critical personal safety concepts in a simple, engaging, and age-appropriate manner. Students will meet Ditto, the Brave Lion Cub mascot, who will lead entertaining songs and actions to reinforce these vital values in a friendly and non-threatening environment.

Please provide consent and payment through Compass. The incursion costs $11, and payment is due by Thursday, March 5th. If you encounter any issues, please call the school office, and they will gladly assist you.

Take Home Reading

At Tarneit Rise, we encourage students to read every school night to practise their skills and develop a love of reading.

Each child has been allocated a specific library day, which is displayed on the door of your child’s classroom. On this day, please ensure your child brings their reading satchel, or the red Prep bag mentioned above, so that books can be safely stored and transported between home and school.

Harmony Day

On March 20th, 2026, Tarneit Rise will celebrate Harmony Day. A special day that recognises the many cultures, backgrounds, and traditions that make our school community so vibrant. Harmony Day teaches students that everyone belongs and deserves to feel safe, valued, and respected. It is a wonderful opportunity for students to dress up in their cultural attire and celebrate what makes each of us unique!

General Reminders

• In Terms 1 and 4, students are required to wear a hat when playing outside during recess and lunchtime as part of our SunSmart policy. Hats can be purchased from the school office if needed.
• Please ensure that all items your child brings to school are clearly labelled with their name and class (e.g. PA). This includes hats, jumpers, drink bottles, lunch boxes and any uniform items that may be removed throughout the day. Clearly labelled items can be quickly returned if misplaced. Unfortunately, unnamed items are often difficult to return, which can result in families needing to replace lost uniform pieces.
• The first bell rings at 8:45am, signalling students to make their way into the classroom and prepare for the day. Learning begins promptly at 8:55am. The school day finishes at 3:10pm.
• During Term 1, parents are asked to drop off and collect their children from their classroom inside the pod. If your child attends Big Childcare after school, they will be collected from their classroom and escorted to the gym.

If you have any further questions, please contact your child’s class teacher for support. We look forward to a wonderful year of growth with all the children in their first year of school!

PLC Prep