For the first week of school, Prep students will not have set homework to complete, as the focus will be on settling into the new routine both at school and at home too. Children will be very tired once they commence Prep for the straight 5 days a week. Our first few weeks at school will be assessing exactly where your child is at and how to best cater to each individual’s needs. Social interactions, establishing friends and teachers building a postiive relationship with your child at school is equally important. This includes you and your family also, so please do not hesitate to ask any questions or stay during Homework centre time (8:30 – 9:00am).

Students will have the option to borrow a book of choice from our school library once a week each Friday and you are encouraged to model reading behaviours to your child. Ask questions about the book, what do you think might happen? Ask your child to tell you the story, make sure you model reading from left to right, pointing to each word as you read, turning the pages, asking them to retell the story after you have read it to see if they can remember. Students will be sent home some phonemic awareness activities that you can both have fun practising at home the first few weeks. Phonemic Awareness is one of the biggest predictors of reading success – without sound phonemic awareness – phonics will be harder. Buy or make a puppet and practise speaking in speech sounds! (f/r/o/g)

This year your child will be given a BEE (Bring Everything Everyday) case. This is to store and transport notes, monies, homework, readers, library books etc. Bee cases will be sent home each afternoon, commencing week 2. Please remember to return the BEE case to school with your child every day. A collection of suitable books will be sent home in your child’s BEE case every Monday as home readers for the week. Re reading these texts and becoming familiar with the words in stories will assist their reading skills. Home readers will be changed/updated each Monday, however you are welcome to come in and help your child change their reading books more frequently if required.

Inside your child’s BEE case will be a reading log for an adult to sign and date as students read books each night at home. You will also find a Homework book where we will glue in helpful words, coloured sight words and numbers for your child to practise also. This will be updated and added to as your child progresses throughout the year, depending on their learning needs.

I encourage you to assist your child’s ICT skills by helping them access this blog at times and complete online tasks from here. Please use this blog to access links like Reading Eggs and Mathletics. A copy of their school password access to both these sites will be sent home in their Homework BEE book.

Homework Centre will operate from 8:30 – 9:00am each morning in our classroom, under the supervison of a teacher aide. This is an optional service. The school day will officially begin in our classroom at 9:00am each day. If not attending Homework Centre please arrive 10 mins prior to starting time and assist your child to unpack their bag, books, lunches in fridge, toilet and be ready to learn at 9am.

More information about how to help your child with Homework at home will be demonstrated at our parent information evening, to be held in week 3.

Mrs P