Welcome to the Prep Parent Information Evening

1. Welcome to the Prep Parent Information Evening Thursday 24thFebruary 2011

2. Key Staff • Mr Michael Hayes- College Principal • Ms Julie Krause- Assistant Principal P-9 Curriculum and Student Wellbeing • Mrs Robyn Fincher- Assistant Principal P-4 • Mr Frank Vetere – Assistant Principal Years 5-9 • Mrs Robyn Cotter- Leading Teacher -Inquiry and E5 • Mrs Jenny Hayes – Leading Teacher – Specialists • Mrs Marg Holness– Leading Teacher – Literacy Coach • Ms Lizzie Tout – Leading Teacher – Literacy Coach • Mrs Jenny O’Connor – Leading Teacher – Numeracy Coach • Mr Kevin Roberson – Leading Teacher Numeracy Coach

3. Prep Team • PK - Mrs Alison Kip • PJ - Mrs Cheryl Jensen • PT – Mrs Tabetha Taylor • PLB – Mrs Leischa Bracken • PRW – Ms Rachel Wood • PSW – Ms Stephanie Walker • PBK – Ms Britt Keating

4. Prep Handbook Contains all information in relation to • Daily administrative procedures • Communication • School contact details • Uniform • School dates and times • Personal belongings • Home learning • Parent participation

5. Tonight’s format • Slide presentation – College overview and Prep familiarisation • Home Room visits and Neighbourhood Gallery walk – expectations and routines www.pcc.vic.edu.au

6. College Values • Caring • Respect • Fairness • Integrity • Resilience • Friendliness • Responsibility • Understanding and Acceptance

7. Guiding Principle “ Nobody has the right to physically or emotionally hurt another”

8. College Points of Difference • Student Learning across the College is guided by VELS (Victorian Essential Learning Standards) which covers all areas of the curriculum. It is divided into 3 major stages; • Prep-4 Laying the Foundations • Years 5-8 Building Breadth and Depth • Years 9-10 Developing Pathways • Programs vary across the College with the aim being to provide students with a broad range of experiences • Points of difference across the College include; • Swimming Program ; Prep – Year 2 • Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program; Years 3 and 4 • Camping & Leadership Program and Science Program; Years 5-9

9. College Points of Difference • The College is heavily involved in a number of initiatives that further enhance the educational programs for the students; • Studies of Asia • Environmental Sustainability

10. Specialist Classes • LOTE – Indonesian – language and cultural studies • Physical Education – gross motor skills, dance, ball • handling, fitness, gymnastics • Performing Arts – dance, music, drama, singing • Visual Arts - painting, construction, collage, drawing, • sculpting • Science – physical, biological and environmental

11. Student Welfare Julie Krause – College Assistant Principal Responsible for Curriculum and Welfare • School Nurse – will be visiting this term and next. Forms have • already gone home to be returned ASAP. • Support staff • Sick Bay Nurse – Jessica deals with daily first aid issues. Parents • are notified either by note or phone, depending • on nature of illness

12. E Learning The College is committed to incorporating elearning into the daily classroom program. To support this we have 2 elearning coaches who will work with teachers to plan programs and develop skills that utilise a range of tools – computers, Ipods, Ipads, flip cameras, interactive whiteboards.

13. Developing Partnerships The teacher’s role • provide a safe, secure, supportive and challenging learning environment • promote the partnership between home and school • inform parents regarding any concerns that they have so that they can be acted upon as soon as possible • The parent’s role • encourage and support development -social, emotional and academic • praise and encourage your child’s successes and allow them to take risks and learn from their mistakes • inform teachers regarding any concerns they have so that they can be acted upon as soon as possible

14. School Readiness Starting school is an exciting time for both child and parents. It is important that we work together to make the experience as enjoyable and positive as possible for all concerned. • The skills and behaviours that will provide your child with the strongest foundation for their social, emotional and academic development are: • Independence • Cooperation • Sharing • Caring for belongings • Respecting property and the rights of others • Listening and speaking • Having a go

15. Learning Neighbourhood • Currently your child spends the majority of their time in one of seven home rooms, where they are establishing routines and developing a sense of belonging. • As the year progresses they will interact regularly with students and teachers from other home rooms in all learning spaces within the neighbourhood • In addition, your child will experience learning in other areas of the college including; the performing and visual arts spaces, gymnasium, LOTE room, Environmental Science room, wetlands, Stephanie Alexander kitchen garden and the food technology space.

16. Early Expectations Although every home room is unique, there are certain aspects that are consistent across the neighbourhood. As the term, and year progresses you can expect to see…. SOCIAL SKILLS • increased levels of confidence • developing friendships with others; peers, teachers • increased sense of belonging – classroom and whole school • respect and tolerance for others • developing independence • Students acting responsibly and in line with school values and the over arching belief that “nobody has the right to physically or emotionally hurt another”

17. Early Expectations LEARNING ENVIRONMENT • defined roles and responsibilities • repetition and modelling of expectations • increased ‘risk taking’ • continued development of routines; classroom, home reading • a safe, secure, supportive yet challenging environment that promotes the individual needs of students • students at different developmental stages

18. How you can support social development • Allow your child to carry his/her own bag and hand in any home learning tasks or notes • Encourage independence – getting dressed, nose blowing, shoe lace tying • Give responsibilities – unpacking school bag, making the bed, setting the table, packing up belongings, feeding and caring for pets • Play games that involve turn taking • Visit new places, friends and family • Provide new experiences and opportunities to explore language through questioning

19. How you can support social development • Provide ample time for developmental play • Read stories and rhymes and promoting this as an enjoyable shared activity • Provide a range of different literacy and numeracy materials – paper, pencils, crayons, scissors, dice, playing cards, jigsaws • Practise the art of good speaking and listening • Encourage sharing and respect for others • Encourage willingness to ‘have a go’

20. Curriculum Development Literacy and Numeracy form the basis of all learning and for this reason there is a major focus on reading, writing, oral language, number and problem solving skills, particularly in the first three years of schooling. This is achieved through comprehensive team planning, with the support of experienced coaches at the whole class and individual student level. The Inquiry approach to learning allows students to investigate the world around them while using a range of problem solving and thinking tools. The development of a broad vocabulary is an essential component of effective literacy learning – our commitment to offering an extensive curriculum program, combined with the implementation of Language Experience and Inquiry approaches supports this principle.

21. How you can support academic development • assist them to write and recognise their own name • put up an alphabet chart and practise the names and sounds of the letters • count objects around the house- pegs, cutlery, etc • put up a number chart and practise recognising number • let your child see you reading, writing and using maths • play games like ‘I Spy’, locate letters, words and numbers in the environment

22. I was wondering…

23. So what happens in my child’s home room ….?