Preschool 2024
Expressions of Interest
St Johns Park Public School Preschool Expressions of Interest for Preschool 2024 are now open.
Please contact the School Office if you are interested in receiving a link to the online Expression of Interest. Expressions of Interest close 3.00pm on 21st July, 2023.
Why is preschool the year before commencing Kindergarten important?
Children:
- develop independence and skills to care for themselves and their belongings.
- make friends and learn about respectful and positive relationships with other children and adults.
- build communication skills to talk and listen, express themselves to other children and adults and to begin understanding the written world.
- develop positive self esteem and confidence to act and communicate within a group.
- build skills in sharing, turn taking and being an active participant in their world.
- learn to follow a routine and develop independence in listening, following instructions and caring for their environment and belongings.
- become familiar with the school environment.
When will my child start preschool?
NSW Department of Education preschools enrol children for one year only – the year before they start Kindergarten. Therefore, it is important before filling out an expression of interest for preschool that you consider when your child will start school (Kindergarten) as this will determine which year is their year before school.
The NSW Department of Education states that:
- children can start Kindergarten at the beginning of the school year if they turn 5, on or before 31st July that year.
- children must be in compulsory schooling by their 6th birthday.
- when your child starts school is an individual decision.
(https://education.nsw.gov.au 2022)
Therefore, if your child’s birthday is between January and July you will need to make a decision in which year they start school.
Some factors to consider in making the decision about when your child will start school:
- Birth date
- Independence and willingness and ability to complete self help tasks
- Communication skills such as confidence to speak and listen with others and to express their needs and wants
- Social competency to play, share, take turns, negotiate and build relationships with others
- Emotional and social maturity
- Ability to separate happily and adapt to change
- Feedback from early childhood teachers.
Remembering that the decision you make now is not just how your child is now but how they will be when they move into primary school, start high school, when their friends are turning 18, when they get their licence, when they start university or enter the workforce. Sometimes an extra year of preschool now, builds maturity, positive mental health and benefits them throughout school and beyond.
Follow this link for further support for when your child will start school.