STARTING school can be a very exciting time for children and their parents, but it can also be a little nerve-wracking.
St Mary’s Primary School in Swan Hill prides itself on its extensive school readiness program, offering an array of events to introduce families to school life and prepare pre-schoolers for the big transition.
Principal Kate Quin said their school readiness program starts in Term 1, with a series of open days and tours introducing families to school.
Then through Terms 2 and 3, the school runs regular tours for families with preschool-aged children. This month, tours are running daily from Tuesday, May 23 to Friday, May 26 from 9.30am to 10.30am.
“These offer families an authentic experience of school life, with hands-on activities for parents and young one to get into,” Ms Quin said.
“Our preps love being the helpers and showing their new preschool friends just what life is like at ‘big school’.”
St Mary’s also offers Flying Start, which is their Term 3, four week school familiarisation program for pre-schoolers, helping to ensure a smooth transition into big school. You don’t have to be enrolled at the school to take part in it, so it is also a fantastic way to help parents decide if the school is right for them and their child.
“Our Flying Start preschool to school transition program gets children and parents familiar with school facilities – they meet the foundation teacher and experience fun, engaging learning activities that introduce them to the environment and structure of the school,” she said.
“By the time children start at St Mary’s the following year, they already feel a part of the place, and it certainly reduces any little worries they might have about starting school.”
To help with the transition, St Mary’s has a buddy program, where all new foundation students are paired with a Year 6 student who joins them for a classroom activity each week. There is also Mac, the school’s wellbeing dog.
“He seems to get a smile or giggle from even the most anxious of kid,” Ms Quin.
Ms Quin said these programs are all about welcoming new families to the St Mary’s family.
“We do little things like make sure every family receives a list of their child’s classes, and knows in December who their teacher will be,” she said.
“We also put groups of children from the same preschool together to assist with making our new little ones comfortable and assist them with getting ready for the transition into foundation.”
Call St Mary’s on 50323521 to find out more about their school readiness programs.
