Deputy Principal - Prep - Year 3
Junior School Routines
At the start of each school year, you may hear teachers often referring to school and classroom routines. Routines create structure, stability and consistency for students, helping them feel secure and confident in their learning environments.
A few key reasons why routines matter:
- Predictable routines help students know what to expect, reducing anxiety and allowing them to concentrate on learning rather than uncertainty.
- When students don’t have to waste mental energy adjusting to constant changes, they can fully engage in lessons and problem-solving activities.
- Daily routines, such as arriving on time, organizing materials, and following schedules, teach students valuable life skills.
- Consistent routines provide a sense of security, which is especially important for younger students or those with additional needs.
- When students understand daily procedures, they can manage themselves and their tasks more efficiently.
- When routines are well-established, teachers can spend more time teaching and less time managing disruptions.
Routines like lining up after the bell and moving calmly back to class ensure a quick, safe and organized return to learning. Smooth transitions have been of focus for our younger year levels. We move quietly in two lines when transitioning around the school. This keeps everyone safe.
Parents and carers are encouraged to support the school by having conversations at home that support safe and smooth transitions. Working together, we keep our students safe.
Prep Adventures with 'Alexander’s Outing'
Our Prep students have been on an exciting journey exploring the story Alexander’s Outing by Pamela Allen. This delightful tale follows a family of ducks as they set off on an adventure through Sydney. However, their journey takes an unexpected turn when little Alexander falls into a hole! With lots of quacking and flapping, the ducks and a group of helpful people work together to rescue him, using various problem-solving strategies before finally filling the hole with water to lift Alexander to safety.
After enjoying the story, our Prep students have been using their creativity to imagine new places Alexander could visit. Could he waddle between the trees, get lost behind the fence, or hide inside the cardboard box? Their imaginative ideas have helped them explore positional language in fun and interactive ways.
Throughout the week, the students have been learning to use words like above, below, beside, between, inside, and behind to describe Alexander’s adventures. We can’t wait to see where Alexander’s next adventure takes him!
Friendships at School
“When children make friends, they develop important life skills. These include getting along with other people, being independent and learning how to sort out conflicts and problems. These skills are important for your child to learn because children who get along with others are less likely to have social and emotional difficulties later in life.”
At the beginning of each school year students have the opportunity to broaden their social group, discover new work partners and understand how they relate to others. This opportunity can be daunting and can cause some anxiety for students. The adults at school and at home have the unique opportunity to support students in developing strong connections with familiar and new friends at school. The following website contains some useful suggestions for families to help students maintain established friendships and facilitate new social interactions.