Coming to our School | Starting and Beyond 2018-10-30T10:20:27+00:00

Coming to our School | Starting and Beyond

Starting School

Preparing your child

  • Speak positively about your experiences at school

  • Make positive comments about things they will do at school

  • Visit the school on a weekend to walk around the grounds and play on the playground without the children

  • Three months before your child is to start, contact the school to let them know your child will be coming

  • They will give you enrolment forms to complete and advice which certificates the school needs to see

Closer to the date

  • Contact school to make dates to visit the New Entrant classroom

  • Have at least 2 visits

  • Stay with your child

  • Some children will benefit from shorter more numerous visits

  • Ask for a stationery list and buy the books ready for the first day at school

  • Ensure your child knows where the toilets are

  • Let the teacher know of any allergies, serious health issues, phobias

Parents as first teachers

You can do a tremendous amount to ensure your child to be a keen learner with a positive attitude to school

Can your child

  • Write their name correctly using lower case letters and a capital for the initial letter?

  • Hold a pencil correctly?

  • Say the names & some sounds of the letters of the alphabet [not just chant/ sing the alphabet

  • Listen to stories every day

  • Show an interest in learning

  • Use the words him and her correctly?

  • Answer in sentences

  • Count to 10 or 20?

  • Count out sets of 1-10 objects

  • Recognise and write some numbers

  • Recognise the basic shapes

  • Know their colours

  • Use scissors reasonably well

  • Share their toys, take turns

  • Google ‘starting school ‘ for a range of excellent websites giving similar advice to the above

Once your child has started school over the next 8 years we also provide

  • A Reading Recovery Programme

  • One to one instruction for children with learning difficulties

  • Specialist withdrawal programmes

  • Accelerated and differential learning programmes

  • International schools english and mathematics competitions

  • Calf club and home garden programmes

  • Participation in inter-school sports and academic competition

  • A school dramatic production & choir in alternate years

  • Camps and field studies as part of our outdoor education programme

  • Science fair in our senior school

  • Otago maths challenge

  • A venue for private music tuition

  • A values education programme