Welcome to Palmerston District Primary.

     Starting school is a very special time for you and your child. It is a time for your child to discover, develop, and explore. Your child will develop self-control and decision making through play. They will develop their critical thinking skills as they learn to read and write and explore numerical concepts. They’ll expand their social skills, forging friendships with their classmates and teacher. The social skills developed during Kindergarten, such as learning to share, wait, respect others, and cooperate with others, will help to develop essential skills that will benefit your child for the rest of their life.

                                                                                                                                               

Many different feelings are associated with this special occasion: a mixture of excitement and anticipation tinged with the uncertainty of a new experience.  We want your child’s introduction to school to be both nurturing and stimulating, setting the stage for a lifetime of positive learning. Please take the time to talk to your child about their feelings and discuss all the wonderful things that happen at school. This will help your child look forward to each new school day with confidence and enthusiasm.

 

Developing a successful partnership with your child’s teacher and the school will contribute greatly to the quality of your child’s experience. Together you will nurture your child’s character, confidence, natural curiosity and sense of adventure. Together you will help your child develop the skills and strategies needed to successfully manage the social, emotional, physical and academic aspects of school.

 

Always remember: you are your child’s first teacher, and everything you’ve taught them, everything you’ve done to nurture their personality, to guide and shape their understanding of the world has been important preparation for the exciting adventure of school that lies ahead.

 

As our new Kindergarten children are very tired in the first few weeks, one of the most important things you can do as a parent is to ensure that your child goes to bed early and eats well. You can also help to avoid disappointment for your child by helping them to understand that Kindergarten is an extension of preschool and they will not be able to read and write at the end of their very first day.

 

If this is the first time you have sent a child off to school, arrangements may appear a little bewildering. Please contact us if we can be of assistance. We endeavour to make the transition from our preschool to our primary school as smooth as possible for you and your child.

 

We look forward to a long and happy association with you and your family.

 

 

Vivienne Blundell                                                                            Catriona Meere

Principal                                                                                           Deputy Principal

 

Please return the following to our front office as soon as possible

• Enrolment form
• Birth certificate (we need to sight the original)
• Immunisation record following the 5-year-old booster

If your child has already completed preschool at Palmerston you do not need to go through the enrolment process again.

 

 

 

My First Day...

Children who turn five by the 30^th April can commence school at the beginning of the 2009 school year.

 

FIRST SCHOOL DAY:  MONDAY 2nd FEBRUARY 2009

 

Starting time:                       9:00am                        Finishing time:              3:00pm

 

On the first day children and their parents are requested to come to the kindergarten unit at 8:50am. Parents are invited to stay in the classroom till 9:30am at which time we will be holding our “tea and tissues” session with a scrumptious morning tea for parents in the staff room. This will also be a great opportunity for you to meet other new kindergarten parents.

 

After the first day

The normal routine is for children to assemble outside their classroom at 8:55am and they will be welcomed into the unit by their teachers.

 

Saying Goodbye...

The progression to the “big school” from the smaller pre-school environment is always awaited with anticipation and excitement by each succeeding group of 5 year olds.

 

Sometimes this excitement is also tinged with anxiety. Most of our children have attended preschool or childcare prior to starting kindergarten, and are quite comfortable with the separation from their parents and it is often our parents that are having a hard time letting go. There are a number of small things, which you can do to help your child start their primary school lives in a happy and positive way.

 

To enable your child’s teacher to quickly settle the class in the morning, it is important for you to say goodbye at the door. This also lets your child know that you are confident about their start to school.

Try to:

·         Be cheerful and positive as you approach the school and enter the classroom. Say a few encouraging words as you walk along “I am so proud of you.” “You look great in your new school uniform.”

·         Say goodbye to your child directly and with a smile. Say that you know they will have a busy day and that you will see them after school.

·         Leave quickly and calmly and resist the urge to go back.

 

Starting kindergarten can mean many changes in your child’s life – separation from home and family, first steps to independence, new feelings, new friends and new experiences.   Your child will be developing skills to cope with a more structured approach to their day, larger work and play areas, and having more children and adults around them. February is also the hottest time of year.

 

For these reasons we have found that for some of our new kindergarten children, the change from sessions at preschool to five full days at school can be extremely tiring. As our goal is to make your child’s transition into kindergarten a happy and positive experience if you feel your child is tired you may make arrangements with your child’s teacher to take them home at 1:00pm for up to two weeks.

 

Please be waiting outside your child’s classroom at 1:00pm or 3:00pm to collect your child. By waiting outside for your child, the teacher can finish the daily routines so your child can meet you on time.

I am Special...

Kindergarten children are like snowflakes – no two are alike.

 

Children learn at different rates. In the same way that children walk and crawl at different ages, AND lose their first teeth at different times, you can expect that they will accomplish different tasks at different times.

 

When you walk into your child’s classroom on the first day you will see a group of children quite different in their confidence and ability levels:

 

• a child who can deftly kick and pass a soccer ball but who doesn’t yet recognise all the letters of the alphabet
• a child who is already reading but has troubles sitting still for any length of time
• a child who can create detailed and imaginative drawings but who is painfully shy around their peers
• a social butterfly who is easily upset by changes and surprises.

 

All of these children are perfectly normal. All of these children are “ready” for kindergarten.

 

 

Our goal is for our kindergarten children to develop a love of learning in all areas of the curriculum, and to leave kindergarten with the necessary skills to begin their more formal education.

Can I do these things?

·         Recognise full name when called

·         Recognise name in writing

·         Recognise labels on lunch boxes, drink bottles, clothing

·         Put shoes and socks on the correct feet

·         Do up own shoes

·         Visit the toilet and adjust clothing

·         Dress him/her self (buttons, zips, etc)                                  

·         Wash face and hands

·         Recognise belongings

·         Say his/her name, street, suburb, telephone number                                                   

·         Understand the dangers of traffic, fire, electricity

·         Talk in sentences

·         Remember songs and rhymes

·         Enjoy listening to stories

·         Look at books with enjoyment

·         Draw or paint

·         Use scissors

·         Help with small household tasks

·         Talk about TV programs they watch

 

What I’ll be doing…

 

Many of the activities which your child will be doing at school in the first weeks and months of kindergarten closely resemble preschool activities to assist with a smooth transition into school life. 

 

The program will consist of literacy activities such as; listening to stories, telling news, becoming aware of print in the environment, talking about pictures, learning poems and rhymes and a variety of other language based activities.

 

Children will continue to develop concepts about number, sorting and counting objects and shapes, estimating size and length, using mathematical language, and playing number games.

 

Your child will continue to explore through practical and hands on activities and develop their fine motor skills and creativity through art and craft. Physical education, to develop gross motor skills is an important part of our program. There will be physical activity everyday so please ensure your child wears flexible and easily removed footwear to school.

 

I learn through purposeful play...

 

Kindergarten is a magical time, full of wonder and discovery. Yet very often parents worry that their children are “just playing”. Always remember that play is purposeful and the primary means through which young children learn.

When a child plays with:

 

Blocks, they …

·                tap into early maths skills of patterning and sorting

·                use their imagination to create something from their own thinking

·                learn about size and shape, weight and balance, height and depth, smoothness and roughness

·                experience spatial relationships in a three-dimensional way

·                use spatial relationship concepts to achieve a goal

 

Paints, they …

·               focus on the joys and textures of painting rather than on a finished product

·               learn about colours and how they can use them

·               use their imagination and transfer ideas to paper

 

Puppets, they …

·               learn to verbalise feelings using words and use their imagination

·               begin to understand the feelings of others

·               learn to role play and explore solutions to situations that concern them

 

Puzzles, they …

·                see the relationships of parts to the whole

·                learn the satisfaction of completing a project

·                improve hand eye coordination                                                                 

·                develop skills useful for learning to read

 

Cooking, they …

·                learn to take turns, share and follow directions in a team setting

·                learn to create a whole from parts

·                learn to use different tools and equipment and improve small muscle coordination

·                learn to see a project through to the final conclusion

·                discover practical applications for maths and counting skills

 

 

 

Clean up activities, they …

·           learn to be responsible and accountable for actions

·           learn how to cooperate with others

·           learn how to be organised and self disciplined

 

Outdoor playground equipment, they …

·         learn how to use their body effectively

·         learn safety and caution

·         learn about taking turns and sharing

 

Sand and water, they …

·         learn about playing alone in a relaxed, non competitive way

·         learn about size and measurement by experimenting with measuring spoons, cups and different sized containers

 

I will need...

 

Your child will need a variety of items for everyday use. Each year the school organises a stationary pack, which includes basic materials such as:

 

·         Formative lead pencils

·         Formative coloured pencils

·         Scissors

·         Exercise books

·         Scrapbook

·         Glue

·         Paint smock

The cost of the pack will cover the items listed above.

 

The book list will be sent home to you for ordering in November and will be available for collection at the school early next year. Please bring the entire book pack to the classroom on the first day and teachers will distribute supplies as they are needed during the year.

 

We encourage all parents to support this book pack scheme, which has worked very well over the last few years.

 

My School Clothes...

 

As kindergarten children commence school in the hottest month of the year it is essential that they should be as cool and comfortable as possible.

 

New school uniforms can be purchased from:

Macdonalds Childrenswear

Jamison Centre, Macquarie

Ph: 6251 2660

  Or Savvy

                             Mitchell

                             Ph: 6162 1032

 

New and good quality pre loved uniforms can be purchased from the school. Please contact Bronwen Cobcroft on 0417 075 406 to make an appointment. 

 

If you’ve purchased new footwear, please don’t save them for the first day. Let your child break them in around the house before school starts to avoid blisters on the first day.  A smock is desirable to keep paint and glue from clothes. Our paints soak out in cold water if accidents occur.  Please do not send jewellery and toys with your child to school as loss and damage may cause upset.

 

It is essential that all items of clothing are clearly labelled with iron on labels or water proof ink. Jumpers, hats, coats, school bags, lunch boxes, drink bottles etc need to be labelled if lost property is to be returned. Remember to make sure your child’s school bag is large enough to hold items like a reading folder, jumper, library book, and lunch box.  Many fashionable brand bags are too small. Chiropractic Palmerston school bags are available from the school. It is a good idea to put a bright ribbon or special tag on your child’s school bag to help them identify their own bag.

 

What Will I bring?

As February is the hottest time of year we encourage all children to bring a plastic bottle with water to school. Children are permitted to keep these on their desks and are encouraged to keep well hydrated throughout the day for optimum learning.

 

The children take their recess snack outside to eat. As the children are very keen to play we encourage a small snack at this time: a piece of fruit, dried fruit or a muesli bar.

 

Please pack only a small lunch, unless you know your child is very hungry. A single sandwich, a piece of fruit and perhaps a yoghurt or muesli bar is more than enough.

It’s a good idea to teach your child how to unwrap sandwiches and snacks.

 

Our kindy children also have a daily fruit break as part of their health and fitness time. This helps them maintain their energy levels throughout the day for optimum learning. Please pack an extra piece of fruit for your child each day. The fruit is shared by the children so we are always very appreciative of parent volunteers to cut up the fruit.

 

  

Large amounts of money should not be brought to school. Lunch orders, book orders, and money for excursions should be sent along in a separate envelope, well sealed, labelled with your child’s name, class and what it is for.

 

At the parent teacher interview early in the term you will be notified by your child’s teacher about library days for your child’s class. On these days please send a waterproof library bag to school with your child, labelled with their name and class. This helps protect the books from damage in school bags. 

These bags can be purchased from the front office.

 

How can you help?

 

The first five years of a child’s life are critically important for brain development. As your child’s first teacher you can really make a difference when it counts the most. Any moment can be a learning opportunity. One of the best ways to prepare your child for kindergarten is to create a positive learning environment in your home. This can be achieved simply by taking the time to share activities with your child, by encouraging them to observe, create, think and express their thoughts clearly.

 

READ, READ, READ … and then READ some more!

Reading aloud to your child helps build the foundations for later reading success. It helps them understand the connection between the spoken word and the written words and paves the way for their understanding of the connections between letters and sounds – the building blocks of reading.

 

Create teachable moments through everyday activities

The simple events and tasks of everyday life provide countless opportunities to connect with your child and create a positive learning environment. Take some time to enjoy these small moments – each one is a learning opportunity for your child.

·         Laundry: ask your child to sort and match socks.

·         Grocery shopping: ask your child to write a list of food they want to purchase. Encourage them to “have a go” with their spelling. Talk about easily recognised signs (food labels).

·         Family outings/driving in the car: Talk about easily recognised signs and labels (stop signs).  Recognising environmental print is an important part of reading readiness. Play eye spy in the car. 

·         Cooking: counting, following directions, measuring, mixing, pouring, cutting. 

·         Setting the table: count out how many of each item you will need, practice left and right.

·         Getting dressed: allow your child to zip their own jacket, button their cardigan, and tie their own shoes.

·         Making phone calls: let your child dial the numbers on the phone.

      Packing up: use directions (over, under, in front of, next to, inside of, left and right).

 

Communicate with us…

 

Questions you might ask a member of the school executive:

·         Can I have a copy of the school handbook?

·         Can I have a copy of the school’s report card?

·         What is the class size? What is the maximum number of children in a kindergarten class?

·         Can I observe a kindergarten classroom in progress?

·         Can I meet with the kindergarten teacher?

·         What procedures are in place to ensure my child’s safety?

·         What kinds of formal and informal observations/assessment are done over the course of the year to assess my child’s development?

·         What enrichment opportunities are available?

·         What support systems are in place for students with special needs? (remember to be specific about the needs of your child)

 

Kindergarten Readiness Checklist...