Preparing for Prep
Starting school is an important time for children and their families - a time of change that can be both challenging and exciting. We know the significance of a positive experience for all, and our ‘Transition to Prep’ program includes a range of activities, events and initiatives designed to help bridge the gap between kindergarten and school and ensure a successful start for each child.
We welcome and encourage you to visit our school on a number of occasions prior to your child starting school, so you can meet teachers and get to know the facilities.
Kindergarten to Prep Transition
At Chapel Hill State School, we organise a number of events to provide parents and students with specific information and orientation well before the school year commences. The first ‘Transition to Prep’ Information Session held in July, provides interested parents of pre-school aged children with information about the early years’ curriculum and insights into a typical day in Prep. Members of the Prep Team are available to answer questions and help explain the curriculum. This incorporates a school campus tour including our Prep classrooms.
Commencing in Term 3, there will be a number of opportunities to participate in onsite activity sessions. This provides our incoming Prep students with an opportunity to get to know their new environment and look forward to starting school. Later in the year, prior to starting school, enrolled families are invited to participate in our ‘Smart Start’ Transition to Prep Program – a series of four orientation sessions. These visits provide the best possible beginning to a rich and rewarding educational experience.
With permission from parents, email addresses are exchanged after the final transition visit, allowing parents to organize ‘Play Dates‘ with new classmates in the weeks prior to the start of school.
Every care is taken to ensure your child is ready to start school and will be able to adapt to the change. Chapel Hill State School Prep teachers may visit your child’s kindergarten environment and consult with your child’s kindergarten teachers – allowing them to more easily plan for continuity of learning and development. We know that continuity between settings helps children feel secure, confident and connected and ensures that each child has a successful start to school.