Preparing You and Your Child for a Wonderful Year in Prep

The start of the Prep year can not only be daunting for children, but for their parents too. For parents, there are healthy lunchboxes to plan, car park drop-offs to coordinate, uniforms to organise and stationery orders to process.

Many parents may worry: Will their child make friends? Will they grasp the knack of reading? And even, will they stay awake for the entire school day?

At Pacific – where there are three Prep classes, each with a teacher and teacher-aide – parents are reminded that the Prep teachers “have got this”. We want parents to feel completely confident in our ability to handle their child’s big feelings.

Our teachers make our new Preppies feel comfortable and show them how to make new friends. We have a whole bag of tricks to help create a sense of family and unity from day one. Prep is so much fun! Parents can trust that we will support their child to manage all their emotions, from exhilaration to excitement, and even a little nervousness. By morning tea on the first day, it is smiles galore and we love to see each of our students embracing the adventure of learning.

The primary focus of Term One in Prep at Pacific is building relationships, establishing values of kindness and respect, and developing core early literacy and numeracy skills. This conscientious approach ensures that each child is known and appreciated as a whole person who is very important to the Pacific family.

Some things to consider:

•          Believe that your children will make the transition well and build their excitement about starting Prep, rather than focusing on their concerns.

•          Read, read, read and then read some more. A rich vocabulary is the best advantage in starting school.

•          Ask lots of “why’” questions as this helps prepare them to think, justify and to consider alternatives; use play as the basis for these questions.

•          Assist with building your child’s organisation and independence. They are so very capable and simply require the encouragement, support and belief in them that they can carry their own bag, unpack their lunch and change their shoes.

Prep is a wonderful year! It is full of fun, friends, warmth and connections, as well as an incredible amount of learning. Children are encouraged to thrive and embrace every opportunity to be independent and grow.  You will be amazed at the leaps and bounds they take in their learning and social skills over the year. We encourage families to enjoy this exciting time. It flies!

Mrs Sue Zweck, Head of Teaching and Learning K-5