Prep

Our Prep year is designed to stimulate a lifelong love of learning in our youngest students through the Walker Learning program, which promotes child focused education allowing each child the opportunity to thrive and flourish. This play and project-based holistic pedagogy provides a unique balance between children being active participants in their learning and explicit instruction. Through this crucial year of schooling, the foundations are laid for all future learning.

Our Prep students participate in a variety of specialist lessons including:

• Performing Arts
• RE
• Mandarin Chinese
• Music
• Physical Education including swimming
• Art

Each of these specialist lessons are taught by dedicated teachers, committed to their speciality area. As a result, the level of education the students receive in all these areas is of the highest quality.

In a safe and secure environment, the Prep classroom teachers and teacher aides focus on the development of:

• Early literacy and numeracy skills
• Thinking and problem solving skills
• Social and emotional skills
• Independence and
• A Positive approach to learning

Our Prep students are important members of our College community, attending weekly Chapel Services and Primary assemblies and participating in all major sports carnivals.

What should I do to get my child ready for Prep?

The year before formal schooling commences is a time for your child to become school ready however this must be done with gentle encouragement at their own pace. Some suggestions to assist your child become school ready are listed below.

• Encourage your child to put his/her own shoes and socks on
• Encourage your child to open his/her own packets of food, wrappings, containers, lunchboxes and drink bottles
• Demonstrate safe playground play
• Establish expectations for putting away possessions and toys after using them
• Play some games with your child which will increase the visual recognition of your child’s printed name
• Encourage independence by insisting your child carry his/her own bag
• Promote personal hygiene by ensuring your child knows how and when to use a tissue or handkerchief and how to use the toilet appropriately including washing hands

Prep Orientation

To ensure a positive start to your child’s learning journey here at The Lakes College, a Prep orientation session will be held in November 2021 for students who are commencing Prep in 2022. This will provide students with the opportunity to meet new friends, spend some time in a Prep classroom and become a little more familiar with the College. During this Orientation session, parents are invited to learn more about the College by attending an information session held by our Head of Primary.

A Frequently Asked Questions document is provided before school begins with handy hints for the first few weeks at school. A Parent Information Session held in week 2 of Term 1 for parents will provide more information required and allow an opportunity to ask questions.