Dear Prep Families,

How quickly time flies! We are already heading into our fourth week of school. The Prep Team is thrilled to see the growth in our classrooms as students build confidence each day. We have loved getting to know our students and their families. We are excited to share what we have been learning at school so far.

Learning to Learn

We have been focusing on learning our school values, understanding classroom expectations, and setting up our daily routines throughout the first few weeks of school. To contribute to the development of a safe, respectful, and positive learning environment, the students have been putting a lot of effort into practicing these routines every day.

We have been working on our active listening skills, moving carefully between tables and the carpet, and navigating around the school safely with our Zero Heroes. We sit with our legs crossed, hands in our laps, eyes on the teacher, lips shut, and ears open as we actively listen.

We are very proud of how quickly the students are settling into Prep and how responsibly they are following our classroom expectations.

Reading

We have been learning rhymes and syllables in Reading Weeks 3 and 4. A rhyme is when words sound the same at the end, for example, m-at and c-at, f-ish and d-ish. The students have been enjoying listening to rhyming stories, singing nursery rhymes, and playing fun matching games to find words that rhyme.

We have also been learning about syllables. Syllables are the beats we hear in words. For example, cat has one beat, ap-ple has two beats, and ba-na-na has three beats. The students have been tapping, and counting the beats in different words to help build their phonological awareness skills.

You can support your child at home by reading rhyming books together, playing “I spy” with rhyming words (e.g., “I spy something that rhymes with cat”), or tapping out the beats in family members’ names.

Maths

The students have been learning directions in Maths. As they explore the ideas of forward and back, students have been pointing, moving, and even drawing lines that curve forward and back with their bodies. Our great friend Direction Duck has been assisting us in practising and understanding these new directional phrases in a fun and interesting way.

We have also been learning about times of the day, including morning, afternoon, and night. Students have been categorising different daily routines and activities into the appropriate time of day. For example, we know that eating breakfast occurs in the morning and sleeping occurs at night. This has assisted students in making connections between their learning and their daily lives.

Next, we'll look at shapes, specifically straight and curved lines. We learned that a ruler is straight because it does not bend, whereas a rainbow is curved because it does bend. As we progress through the early geometry concepts, students will continue to recognise straight and curved lines in their environment.

Writing

In Weeks 3 and 4, we have been learning about creating 5-Star Illustrations. When drawing, students are encouraged to:

Draw clearly using a grey lead pencil.
Make their drawing big and detailed.
Choose colours carefully
Colour neatly inside the lines
Colour the background (leaving no white spaces)

We are working hard to take pride in our work and add as much detail as possible to our pictures.

We've also started using Story Champs icons and pictures to help us grasp the stories. These prompts assist students in recognising the character, problem, character's feelings, actions, and solution. With this support, students are gaining confidence in retelling familiar stories. They also use story strips to sequence and order events from the beginning, middle, and end of a narrative.

In addition, students practice writing their names individually or tracing their names on lines in their writing books. We're learning basic writing abilities, including writing from left to right and creating letters neatly on the line.

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

The Fortnight Ahead