Welcome to
the Prep Parent
Information Evening
Thursday 24th February 2011
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
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
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
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
College Values
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Caring
Respect
Fairness
Integrity
Resilience
Friendliness
Responsibility
Understanding and Acceptance
Guiding Principle
“ Nobody has the right to
physically or emotionally
hurt another”
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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.
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”
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
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
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’
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.
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
I was
wondering…
So what
happens in my
child’s home
room ….?