Enrolment
Please see notes below regarding Kindergarten Orientation. If you need any further information please call the office on 02 4658 1632
Starting Kindergarten
Children develop at different rates and learn skills in different ways. Schools plan learning experiences based on the needs, learning styles and rates of progress of individual students as well as the skills students bring to school.
Children may enter Kindergarten at the beginning of the school year in NSW government schools if they turn five on or before 31 July in that year.
Children should be independent in dressing and toileting before beginning school. Independence and responsibility within the home should also be encouraged through tasks such as being responsible for setting the table, feeding pets etc.
Proof of the child's age in the form of a birth certificate or passport, a record of immunisation history and a proof of address are required when a student enrols at a government school for the first time.
Preparing for Kindergarten
Parents and carers can do a lot to help prepare their child for Kindergarten before the big ‘first day’.
Language Development
- talk to other people about familiar objects and events
- answer and ask simple questions
- make needs known
- follow simple instructions
- use books for enjoyment or for looking at pictures
- identify pictures in books, magazines, on television, video or DVD
- use a variety of things (pens, pencils, textas, paintbrushes) to draw, scribble and write
- join in singing familiar songs
Mathematical Concepts
- recognise that numbers can be used to count
- use words such as many, a lot, more, less
- identify things in a group that are different
- see differences in shapes
- differentiate between opposites such as up and down, under and over, in front and behind, day and night
Personal/Social Skills
- use the toilet independently
- can say own name and address
- adapt to unfamiliar settings and new experiences
- can finish a task, and tidy up afterwards
- play cooperatively with other children and share and take turns
- can sit still to listen to a story
- is curious about the world
- can share an adult's attention with several other children
- participate in imaginative play
Physical Skills
- use scissors to cut along a straight line
- enjoy a variety of indoor and outdoor play
- can put on and take off jumpers, shoes, socks independently
- make and design things using a variety of materials
Who can I talk to?
Parents and carers of students starting Kindergarten often want further information and advice about whether their child is ready to start school. They are encouraged to speak to their child's pre-school or day care teacher or carer, the Principal, School Counsellor or the Kindergarten teachers at school.
Allow your child to become independent of you as soon as possible, especially in arriving at school. After the first couple of days, it is important for parents to say goodbye as soon as the bell rings and for children to come to assembly independently. If your child becomes distressed at the point of separation from you, seek the support of the school.
Please acknowledge the importance of your child arriving at school on time and encourage your child’s learning by discussing the school day and admiring work when it is brought home.
Student Requirements
What does my child need for school?
- School uniform
- School bag
- Lunchbox and drink bottles
- School hat
- Jumper / Raincoat if necessary
- Library bag
- Paint shirt
Notes will be sent home early in the year to inform families about specific classroom requirements.
Please label all items with your child’s name including uniform items.
Toys, games and other valuable items should not be brought to school unless arrangements have been made with the class teacher. The school takes no responsibility if such items are lost or damaged.
During term one, parent information sessions will be held to outline the teaching and learning programs for the particular classes and stages. Things such as parent helpers and other requirements will be discussed. There will also be an opportunity towards the end of term to discuss your child’s progress and how they have settled into school.