PREP 2017 PARENT INFORMATION EVENING Nicole Pegler Good evening and welcome to the 2017 Prep Parents Information Evening. On behalf of the College Principal, Mr. Michael Kenny and staff, I would like to warmly welcome you and to say that we are looking forward to getting to know you and your children. My name is _______and I am the Deputy Principal of the Primary School. The current 2016 staff and student leaders, some of whom will be addressing you this evening…. I am aware from the familiar faces that a number of parents have children already attending Marymede Catholic College. I hope you will bear with us if you are familiar with some of the information presented. In the spirit of continuous improvement and to effectively cater for a rapidly growing organization a number of our transition arrangements and system for operating have changed and been developed, so I predict their will be some new information for you to absorb. I am sure that you will all have had a long day and possibly rushed from work and home duties to be here. This information evening will conclude at approximately 8:00pm The purpose of this information session is: to provide you with some general information about the College, help you to become familiar with some of the staff and to give you some specific information about the Prep Orientation and transition program in 2016/2017 Tonight’s presentation will also be available on the College Website Please note that the Information you receive tonight is not exhaustive – this is just the beginning of the 13 years of complete education for your child. You will have many other opportunities to hear about different aspects of College life in detail next year and in the years to come. Each family will have an information pack to take away and read. We will not be explaining all of the information in the information pack tonight. I understand that you may be seeking information and have questions and queries. If you have a questions or queries that are not answered tonight or not found in the information pack, you can contact us through Leanne Easdon at the Primary School Office Reception. You and your child will have the opportunity to speak with the individual prep teacher at Meet the Teacher Day at the start of the 2017 school year and we will also be conducting Prep Parent Workshop early in Term One 2017.

WELCOME AND PRAYER I now invite Melinda Muir, Head of Faith and Mission to lead us in prayer. Melinda We are a Catholic College, and as is our tradition, we begin by acknowledging the Wurundjeri Wilam Clan who have inhabited this land since the dreaming. We pause in silence as we recall the presence of God among us. Let us pray together: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Amen Prep 2017 Parent Information Night

OPENING PRAYER Dear God, We thank You for the gift of our children to raise and teach, their lives to share, their minds to help mould, their bodies to nurture, and their spirits to enrich. Let us never betray their trust, dampen their hopes or discourage their dreams. Help us, dear God, to help these precious children become all You mean them to be. Let Your grace and love fall on them like gentle breezes and give them inner strength, peace and patience for the journey ahead. We make this prayer, through Christ Our Lord   Amen. Melinda - Read prayer I will now hand you over to Mr Michael Kenny, our college Principal. Prep 2017 Parent Information Night

PRINCIPAL’S ADDRESS Mr. Michael Kenny Hand back over to Nicole Pegler Prep 2017 Parent Information Night

KEY PERSONNEL Prep Teaching Team Prep Year Level Coordinator Primary Teaching and Learning Team Deputy Principal Learning and Teaching NICOLE From Prep this team includes: Prep pastoral teachers: Rita Casonato(Year Level Coordinator), Emily Cardwell, Rachel Al Noobi, Josette Brancaelone. As the Year Level Coordinator Rita meets regularly with the team for such things as planning learning opportunities for students, arranging special events and general administration of Prep matters. Rita also liases with Specialist staff. If you have any concerns about your child, your child’s pastoral teacher is the person who you refer to. If the Pastoral teachers feels the need, then she may ask for the Year Level Coordinator to also attend or the matter may be referred directly to the Year Level Coordinator. Primary Teaching & Learning Team Head of Learning and Teaching – Tracey Kift Director of Primary – Nicole Pegler Head of Faith & Mission – Melinda Muir Student Services Department includes Psychologist, Counsellor, Nurses & First Aide staff Learning Enhancement Coordinator P-12 – Robyn Thomson Learning Enhancement Coordinator P – 6 – Laura Gazeas Now invite Mrs Rita Casonato Prep 2017 Parent Information Night

PREP CLASSES 2017 5 × Prep Classes located in Prep House You will receive a letter indicating: Pastoral Group Pastoral Teacher Prep Homeroom Parent Access Module (PAM) Login Details Slide 9 – RITA Good evening. My name is Rita Casonato and I am the Prep Year Level Coordinator. I am also a current prep teacher. This evening I would like to speak with you about your child’s transition into Prep, specifically the days, dates and times that they will be required to attend school at the beginning of 2017. In 2017, the students will be divided into five class groups. All Prep classes will be housed in the Prep House. In mid December, you will receive a letter indicating the Pastoral Group, Pastoral Teacher and Homeroom. How will we organize the classes? 5 balanced classes are formed with consideration being given to a balance of gender and students who may require extra support due to identified needs. We will not be taking friendship requests, rather you're child will be placed in a classroom after observations during orientation sessions and discussion with kinder teachers. Therefore it is important to note that your child's orientation group is not their final class and may change between their first orientation session and their final class placement All efforts are made to put all students with at least one child that they are familiar with from the same kinder group. Prep 2017 Parent Information Night

2017 PREP STUDENT ORIENTATION Daytime Orientation – Friday 21 October 2016 Session 1: 9.15am – 10.45pm Session 2: 12.00pm – 1.30pm Absentee Session: Friday 11th November Session 1: 9:15 – 10:45 Session 2: 11:40 – 1:10 Twilight Orientation – Thursday 17 November 2016 4.00pm – 5.00pm Location: Prep House All stages of education are important but in particular the transition years as they place extra demands on students and their families. One way of easing the pressure of transition is to understand and become familiar with the expectations so that parents and teachers can all work together to support the students in our care Prep Student Orientation Sessions The purpose of these sessions are to give your child the opportunity to come to the College and for the teachers to observe your child in a school setting. During these sessions your children will be working with the current 2016 Prep teachers, as well as some other teachers and staff at our school. They will listen to a story, participate in educational activities, and weather permitting, will have an opportunity to begin exploring the wonderful places our school has to offer on a guided tour with one of our Prep staff. Attendance is important for your child. Also in attendance at these sessions, will be our college school nurse. For those students who have any health related needs during the session, please refer to our nurse on arrival. Can I draw your attention to the PowerPoint slide. Orientation sessions for 2017 Prep students will be held at Marymede Catholic College on Friday 21st October, as well as a Twilight Orientation session on Wednesday 17th November. We will also be running an Absentee orientation session for those that are unable to attend on the 21st. This session will be held on Friday 11th November Looking more closely at the initial orientation session being held on Friday 21st October – You are asked to book your child into one of the two sessions using the details provided to you. Most of you have taken the time to do this over the last few weeks, however, if you have not done so already, can you please attend to this as soon as possible. The Orientation Sessions will take place in the Prep House. On the day, please bring your child to the Prep House, sign them in with one of our staff members who will then give you further details as to which classroom they will be in for that session. At the end of the session, your child can be collected from the classroom. The Twilight Orientation session on November the 17th will operate slightly differently. At this session, all students attend between 4pm and 5pm. During this time, parents will be attending an information session in the college Auditorium. We will have some staff members help you find your way if you are unsure as to where the auditorium is. Please note: Students do not need to wear the College uniform on any of the Orientation day Students do not need to bring a bag. Students do not need to bring any food. Students will only be required to bring a plastic water bottle containing water (clearly labeled with their name) and a hat Again I will remind you that for the Orientation sessions, the group of students and the teacher designated to each group may not be the actual 2017 class group or teacher. Prep 2017 Parent Information Night

Rita You may be familiar with the document shown on this slide. The document is completed by yourselves with the Kindergarten teachers and acts as a transition document to assist the Prep teachers for the upcoming year. Can you please ensure that you complete this document, return it back to your kinder so that it can be forwarded onto us.

MEET THE TEACHER DAYS 2017 Wednesday 1 February, 2017 Thursday 2 February, 2017 Students are to wear their full College uniform Students need to bring ALL their books and stationary in their school bag. You can take photographs of your child if you wish Each family needs to book an appointment via the link outlined in letter forwarded onto you in December. Rita On Wednesday 1st Feb ad Thursday 2nd Feb, your child and yourself will be required book and attend a ‘Meet the Teacher’ appointment with their 2017 classroom teacher. For the students it is a chance to meet the teacher, see their classroom, and find out where to put their bag and books and where to line up each morning. Parents, you will also have the opportunity to tell the Pastoral teacher about your child. It is important that you share any information that you feel may assist with your child’s smooth transition, information may include your child’s interests / challenges / medical conditions and so on. Please note that at this appointment: Students are to wear their full College uniform Students need to bring all their books and stationary, along with their school bag. It is important that all items on the booklist are purchased and bought along on this day, as your child’s classroom teacher will need to organise all books and stationary before the commencement of classes. You can take photographs of your own child if you wish. Your appointment will last aprox 30min. Details of how and when to book for these sessions will be emailed to you in the coming weeks. Prep 2017 Parent Information Night

LITERACY & NUMERACY ASSESSMENTS Literacy and Numeracy Assessments for Prep students will be held on: Friday 3 February Wednesday 8 February Wednesday 15 February Wednesday 22 February You will be required to book in a one hour session via PAM - You will receive a letter indicating your login and password RITA At the beginning of each school year, the Primary School teachers assess the knowledge and skills of each student in their class group, specifically in the areas of Numeracy and Literacy. These assessments inform the teacher of your childs entry skills and abilities. It assists our teachers to plan for your child’s learning. For Prep students, these assessments are administered to each child individually. The results of these assessments reveal prior knowledge and starting points for teaching and learning. They greatly assist the teachers to plan programs to meet the needs of all students. In 2017, the Prep Literacy and Numeracy Assessments will take place on Friday 1st, Wednesday 8, 15 and 22 of February. These interviews will take place in the prep house, and parents are not required to stay. You will be require to book a one hour session for your child to attend and spend some time with their teacher. Details of how to book, will be forwarded onto you in the coming weeks. Prep 2017 Parent Information Night

FEBRUARY 2017 Week beginning Monday 6 February all students attend on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:45am – 1:00pm Monday 6 February: 8.45 – 1:00 All Preps Tuesday 7 February: 8.45 – 1:00 All Preps Wednesday 8 February: NO SCHOOL (Testing) Thursday 9 February: 8.45 – 1:00 All Preps Friday 10 February: 8.45 – 1:00 All Preps RITA The week beginning Monday 6th February is your child's first week of school. During this week at school, they will attend from 8.45am to 1:00pm on Monday 6th , Tuesday 7th , Thursday 9th and Friday 10th. As previously outlined, Wednesday 8th, 15th, 22nd of march are set aside for scheduled literacy and numeracy sessions. This means that if you child has not got an interview booked for that day, they will not be required to attend school. Prep 2017 Parent Information Night

FEBRUARY 2017 Week beginning 13 February, all students commence full days at school (8:45 – 3:15pm) Monday 13 February 8.45 – 3:15 All Preps Tuesday 14 February 8.45 – 3:15 All Preps Wednesday 15 February NO SCHOOL (Testing) Thursday 16 February 8.45 – 3:15 All Preps Friday 17 February 8.45 – 3:15 All Preps Students first full week at school commences from Monday 27 February The week beginning Monday 13th Feb will be your child's second week at school. If I can draw your attention to the PowerPoint, I will point out that during this week they will be attending full days of school between the hours of 8:45am – 3:15pm. Looking ahead towards the end of the month, your child will commence their first full week from Monday – Friday during the week beginning Monday 27th Feb. You should have already received a timetable that outlines all these key dates, so please refer to that in order to familiarise yourself with our orientation program for next year. Prep 2017 Parent Information Night

PARENT PARTICIPATION Attendance at College Liturgies, Assemblies, Special Events such as the Fete Work in Library Managing Primary School Home Reading Training and volunteering as a Classroom Helper in Literacy and/or Numeracy Member of the Parents and Friends Committee As we are a Catholic College, we value to input and contribution of all our parents. There are many ways in which you can be involved in the education at the College. You can be involved in such things as: Prep 2017 Parent Information Night

PARENT VOLUNTEERS All Classroom Helper volunteers require a Working with Children Check www.justice.vic.gov.au/workingwithchildren Information Line: 1300 652 879 If you are considering working with children at the College the Working with Children Act 2005 states that for schools all volunteers in child-related work must have a Working with Children Check from the Department of Justice and that we as a College must site the Assessment Notice. Volunteers must wear their WWC card when working on-campus. You can obtain further information from the Department of Justice Website and the Information Line – Prep 2017 Parent Information Night

COMMUNICATION College Newsletter available on College Website every fortnight, College Facebook Page, Parent Access Module (PAM) Parent Teacher Student interviews Pastoral Teacher is your first point of contact Contact the Prep Year Level Coordinator What to expect? The college communicates to its parents via a number of Mediums. You can stay up to date with important information, dates and undertakings via the college newsletter which is emailed out fortnightly, our college website, as well as a Facebook page. Building a home, school partnership is of utmost importance to help your child succeed at school. Throughout the year, we have two parent teacher interviews which are scheduled during semester 1 and semester 2. These are an opportunity for your child to showcase their learning, and for yourself to develop an understanding of how your child is progressing at school. We can appreciate that there will be many other opportunities that you may want to discuss or share important information about your child to their classroom teacher. If this is the case, the best way to get into contact with them is via email, and if need be a meeting time will be set up to discuss further. As we attend morning and afternoon meetings, impromptu meetings are not recommended, as in more cases than not, we may not be available. The Year level coordinator is also available to you, if need be. If after speaking to your child's classroom teacher, you still have some concerns, the Year Level coordinator should be your next point of contact. Again, contact them via email, and an appropriate meeting time will be set up to discuss further. Prep 2017 Parent Information Night

GETTING READY FOR SCHOOL: Speak positively about school. Uniform Lunchbox Shoes School bag Pencil case Bedtime routines & Breakfast Playtimes Foster independence How you can help? The more you can help your child to become familiar with the layout of the school and what they need to do before day one, the less overwhelmed they are likely to feel. Here are a number of things you can do at home to get them ready for day 1. Speak positively about school In preparation for next year, there are a number of things you can do to help your child transition to school. 1. Speak positively about school Practice putting on uniform and getting use to how it feels. Practice putting on and taking of jackets, jumpers. Put on their uniform and practice undoing and doing up pant buttons, zips, lifting and pulling down stockings for ease during toileting. . Include a change of clothes and a spare pair of underpants in a plastic bag and let your child know these clothes are there in case of any accidents Start to organize a special lunchbox that your child will be using for school. This should be something that fits comfortably in their school bag, and not a separate bag. Spend some time talking about different foods your child will like to see in their lunchbox. During the school day your child will require a quick fruit snack (eaten during working time – needs to be something quick and simple that they can graze on), and recess snack and some lunch. Teach your child how access their food by practicing how to open containers they may be using. Zips, clips and twisty caps can be tricky to master, so start practicing with them now. When considering shoes for you child, think about weather they would prefer Velcro straps or shoelaces. Velcro straps are much more manageable for this age group, given shoelaces can be tricky to tie, however, if your child has chosen laces, start to teach them how to tie them up. Practice packing and unpacking their school bag, and show them were their items can go. For example – water bottles go in the drink holder, lunchboxes go in the larger compartment. You may even get them used to how to carry their bag. We will be encouraging all children to carry their own bag from day 1. Get their pencil case ready/practice using items, putting them away appropriately/sharpening/cutting/holidng pencils/writing name Start implementing bedtime routines. Sleep will ensure your child has a successful day at school and is alert and ready to participate in activities through the day. Arranging playtimes with other families whose children will be going to the same school as your child – it helps if your child knows another child at their school before they start Separation anxiety can be common during the first days of school. As a prep team we are aware of this, and as parents ourselves, we can appreciate your emotions will also be high during this time. If your child is struggling with their first days, the best thing that you can do is remain positive. We can also appreciate how hard it can be to watch our children when they are feeling upset or emotional during their first days. The best thing you can do for your child during these first days is to remain positive, and not show your own emotions. There will be a numer of staff on the day to support these children. Prep 2017 Parent Information Night

THANK YOU Thank you for taking time out of your evening to attend tonight's information session. I hope that I have answered some questions you may have had. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to come see any of the staff memebers on your way out. Thank you once again.