The principle aim of Somers Primary School is to develop, in a caring and stimulating environment, the individual child to maximum potential, both academically and personally. We are open at anytime during the year for enrolments.
Somers Primary School Information Handbook 2014
Starting School - Some Ideas
When should your child start school?
Children in Victoria are not legally required to attend school until they have turned 6. They need to have turned 5 by the end of April in the year they commence Prep. The first few years of a child's school life determines the child's attitude to learning for the rest of their days. Carefully consider your child's readiness to start school and seek advice from your preschool or childcare centre if you are in doubt.
Information Session for Parents
Prep orientation/transition: Dates will be set for Term 4 and provided at the information session for parents held later in the year. Of course at any time you may make an appointment and speak with David Ingham (Principal) and/or the Prep teachers.
Orientation Program - 'Ready, Set, Prep'
During Term 3, Prep school children are invited to attend orientation sessions at the school to gradually introduce them to their new learning environment. During these sessions the children are based in the Prep classroom and will get to know the layout of Somers Primary School.
2014 Ready, Set, Prep Dates and Times
2:10PM - 3:10PM
Group 1 - Thursday 7th August, Thursday 15th August, Thursday 21st August
Group 2 - Thursday 28th August, Thursday 4th September, Thursday 11th September
Starting School - School Readiness
Is your child ready for school?
The child's general level of maturity is a good yardstick to determine school readiness, with particular consideration to the child's physical, social and emotional development. These general indicators may help you in making your decision.
If your child:
- is happy and settled at Preschool and doesn't worry about leaving you,
- speaks in clear sentences and can express needs,
- knows their name and how old they are,
- can pick out their name from a short list of names,
- can hold a pencil or crayon,
- is showing an interest in shapes and letters,
- likes drawing and talking about their drawings,
- remembers songs and sings them to you,
- remembers stories and tells them to you,
- enjoys books and handles them properly,
- can follow 2 or 3 simple directions without distraction,
- can thread beads and build with "Lego" type of equipment,
- is in good health and enjoys vigorous play,
- can run strongly, jump, hop, balance and climb,
- can throw, catch and kick a medium sized ball,
- goes to the toilet capably and redress without help,
- can wash their face and hands and use a handkerchief,
- can find their own belongings and look after them,
- responds to rules and usually remembers them,
- gets on well with other children, respecting their feelings and wishes, and
- gives and receives friendship from other children,
then your child is ready to start school.
Starting School - General Guidelines
How can we help our child prepare for school?
Build confidence and self esteem
Always be positive and encourage them to tackle tasks, praise their successes and all attempts. Always show that you have confidence in their ability and that your expectations are that they will succeed.
Develop responsibility
Give children specific jobs and responsibilities and allow them to follow through with tasks.
Foster persistence
Encourage the children to finish tasks before a new task is begun
Some specific hints for helping the beginner
As the time draws close for your child to start school there are a number of things parents can do to help the children settle quickly and manage the new experiences at school.
Here are some ideas:
- Walk your child to school so that they know the way. If you plan to drive most days it is a good idea for your child to know where you will park and the correct pathway to use to enter the school grounds.
- The pick up and departure point for the Preps is at the bottom of the ramp at the classroom. Make sure your child knows that you will meet him/her there at the pick up time. If children are to feel secure it is important that they are picked up on time - some may fear that they have been forgotten.
- Give children practice in saying their names and addresses.
- Label all clothes that may be taken off, together with things like lunch boxes, drink containers, smocks, library bags etc. In addition to names, school bags could also have a special sticker on the name label for easy identification.
- Talk about the difference between lunchtime and playtime. Show your child what food you have packed each morning and say when you expect it to be eaten. Make sure your child can easily open the lunch box and drink container. Individually wrap food to be eaten as play lunch.
- Choose a school bag that is suitable for your child. We recommend the Somers Primary School bag sold through the uniform shop. It is sturdy and will last the child all through his/her primary years.
- School should be talked about in a matter of fact manner. Avoid making it a big issue or something magical or mysterious. Be positive.
- If you have a friend's child attending the same school or a child from kinder is attending the same school, organise to play and meet during the holidays or meet together on the first day.
- Encourage your child to do things for themselves.
- Encourage your child to spend some time drawing, using paste and scissors, help them to feel confident using these tools.
- Check with the kinder teacher what areas your child needs to work on in terms of school preparation. Remember concentrating and attending and finishing tasks are important aspects of school and should be encouraged at home as well. Introduce a small job or responsibility in the home, Eg. collecting the mail.
Expectations Of The Child Beginning School
Be realistic. Children learn at different rates in their development.
Our life experiences show us that children grow and develop at different rates. Some children walk and talk earlier than others but with encouragement, opportunity and time, these skills are mastered.
This learning phenomenon continues throughout childhood. Trying to hurry children into learning situations before they are ready is not likely to be effective. More harm than good may be the result. As parents and teachers we can provide encouragement and opportunities but we need to wait while the child takes the necessary time to become ready to master the skill.
What can I expect once my child has started school?
Starting school is a major milestone in your child’s experiences. It is often associated with change from dependence to independence and marks the beginning of growing up. Your child will have many new experiences and understanding them from the child’s point of view can help you to provide the right kind of advice, support and encouragement.
Some changes the beginner is likely to experience:
- Contact with large groups of children.
- Growing accustomed to the larger playground.
- Responding to bells and moving to different classrooms.
- Fewer familiar adults when children are in anxiety provoking situations.
- Waiting and taking turns.
- Competition for adult attention and taking turns.
- Working and cooperating with larger groups of children.
- Restrictions on children’s interaction with each other.
- Time constraints and school rules. Seeking out old friends and making new ones.
In addition to all the excitement and joy of starting school, your child may experience some of the following, so be prepared and understanding:
- Anxiety, stomach pains, bad dreams, headaches.
- Difficulties in separation. Don't be surprised if after the first few days or weeks without problems, difficulties emerge. Unexplained crying, clinging or statements like “I think I want to go back to Kinder now” are not uncommon.
- Fatigue; You know best how this is shown. A tired child is best left to sleep or better still, keep them at home to have a sleep in. If possible pick up your child early if they are finding the school days too long. Please notify the class teacher if you intend to pick your child up early.
Parents should not hesitate to discuss any concerns you may have about your child with the class teacher.