It's the Principal. 

Special Guest Speaker - Alison Bortoli: Leading Teacher Early Years.

My role as the leading teacher of the early years is designed to support continuity of learning across the early years of our school. We know that early childhood, birth – 8, is a vital time in a child’s life for learning, a time when their brains are developing rapidly and they need to be exposed to high-quality stimulation. As educators it is our job to ensure we create the best possible learning environments and experiences; this is something that I am really excited to be part of.

Both EEP and lower junior have wonderful purpose-built buildings and we have been creating areas in each section to encourage greater interaction and opportunities to extend learning outside of the traditional classroom. In EEP we have been working hard this year on developing our outdoor area, we held a Bunnings’ sausage sizzle and raised funds for equipment including a roller slide and large outdoor blocks. Bunnings donated some great mature deciduous trees for natural shade in summer and light in winter, we developed a large bark area and in the near future will create a mud pit complete with a kitchen and a small veggie patch.

In lower junior, we have developed a reading nook for shared reading times, a home corner, and a sensory room, the next area for development is our STEM wet area. Recently we have been looking at options for outdoor playtimes and activities/resources we can provide to stimulate positive interactions and build on play skills. Building play into the program has been a focus this year and will be a continuous thread between the two sections. 

It is all systems go at the moment for transitions- we have just finalised enrolments for the early education program for 2022, with only a few spaces left across the four groups and we will be holding orientation sessions with families in the last week of this term.

Our new preps will begin their transition program in week seven, this is a gradual process of visiting various areas in the lower junior school, culminating in a session with their teacher for 2022 in their new classroom. This year our preps will receive a Yarrabah buddy bear from their teacher to help them connect to school and provide them with a transition item. The bear will go home with them on their last transition day, be with them over the holidays, and can even bring them back to school when they start.

This year’s preps and grade ones will be making their transition into their new class or section over the final weeks of the term. They will be spending time becoming familiar with new staff and rooms. It is going to be an exciting and busy term for all!