Beginning School

Beginning school is an exciting chapter in your child’s life.  At Altona College your child is in very good hands.  We make the experience a positive one for families as you start your school journey together. We value close partnerships with families, knowing, and understanding the difference this makes to the educational outcomes of our students.

Our comprehensive STEPS to PREP program guarantees a smooth transition into school life, ensuring your child is confident and comfortable in their new environment. The program focus is on pre-reading and writing activities. Students get to know their teacher and peers experiencing the classroom and school environment for 6 weeks in Term 4.

By the time they enter school, children have already developed key communication, learning and thinking skills; learnt to build and maintain relationships and formed a strong sense of their own identity. These skills and knowledge are the foundation for learning at school, and for lifelong learning. Parents as their child’s first teacher have assisted already over many years in preparing children for school by:

Reading with them! We can never provide enough reading opportunities for children. Talking with your child about books, about different sorts of texts and reading to them often.

• Encouraging confidence in oneself and a willingness to take reasonable risks

• Developing their questioning skills, encouraging them to seek help

• Developing communication skills and an ability to interact with adults and other children

• Teaching flexibility and a strong sense of self

• Developing resourcefulness, perseverance and resilience

• Encouraging a sense of curiosity

• Supporting a sense of achievement

Developing an appreciation of Literacy and Numeracy as it occurs in everyday life such as cooking, writing cards and shopping with children. Modelling reading and writing behaviours every day.

Children with these developing characteristics are easily able to integrate and negotiate the people situations and tasks that face them during the transition to school and throughout their school life. A happy and successful transition into Early Years provides a solid foundation for the many challenges and awards that lie ahead.