First Day for Kindergarten 2024

Day 1 - Monday 29 January 2024

Kindergarten students have a staggered start, arriving any time between 8:45am and 9:10am. A parent information session and welcome will follow from 9:15am until 10:00am.

Kindergarten students should wear their summer uniform on their first day, including the school hat. Students should bring two fruit/vegetable snacks as they will be having two fruit breaks during the day. You should also pack Long Break food (lunch), Short Break food (recess) and a drink bottle. Lunch boxes and drink bottles must be clearly labelled with the student’s name.

Transitioning and School Hours

To assist students in their transition from preschool to “Big School”, the following structure will apply for Kindergarten’s first weeks of school.

Weeks 1 to 4 of Term 1

The first day for our Kindergarten students is Monday 29 January 2024.

Children will not be attending school on Wednesdays for the first four weeks. For these weeks, Kindergarten students will be attending on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday only.

Normal Kindergarten class times will apply, with students beginning class at 8:50am and finishing at 3:00pm.

Children should normally arrive at school anytime from 8:20am. Children are to carry their own bags to their classroom and stow their bag on the racks outside the classroom. Look for their name tag. Staff will be there to assist on the first day. Students then make their way to the Library and parents will farewell their child outside the Library door. Please do not enter this student space as this will ensure that children understand that it is time for their school day to begin. Class teachers will collect all students from the Library each morning at 8:50am, when classes begin. A quick drop off is the best way to ensure a settled start to the school day.

Should you require your child to arrive earlier than 8:20am, we encourage you to book them into OSHC (Out of School Hours Care). Years 1 to Year 6 students are supervised seated in the SOLA from 7:50am to 8:20am and Kindergarten can be in this area later in the term if parents are required to be at work.  It is not preferable unless with older siblings in the first few weeks of school. Parents are not to wait in the SOLA area and a staff member will take the students to the Library at 8:20am when it opens. 

Children can be collected at 3:00pm from either the Kiss and Drop or Front Oval areas (please do not wait on the verandah, outside the Cafe or in Bus Bay).

At 3:00pm  children will be walked down to the Kiss and Drop and Front Oval areas. Children not collected on the oval by 3:20pm will be taken to the Kiss and Drop Area where they will be supervised until 3:45pm. Students who have not been collected by 3:45pm, and are not registered for OSHC (Out of School Hours Care), will be escorted by teaching staff to the School Front Reception to await collection, and parents will be contacted.

SCAS Start Assessments are one on one interviews conducted by your child’s class teacher with your child. These interviews run for 30 minutes and aim to assess your child’s abilities across a range of Literacy and Numeracy outcomes. Students need no prior preparation for these assessments as they just aim to give a starting point for your child’s learning journey.

These interviews are run over three weeks on the Wednesdays in Weeks 1, 2 and 3. On the Wednesday of Week 3 or 4, you will be invited to meet with your child’s teacher to be given an overview of where your child is at in their learning journey and clear learning goals will be established.

Week 5 of Term 1

From Week 5, students begin attending school for five days of the week. They begin lessons at 8:50am and their day ends at 3:00pm, although supervision of students is provided from 8:20am until 3:20pm. After that time, students will be supervised at the Kiss and Drop area until 3:45pm with the same procedure as the start of the year. Again, long days are discouraged for our Kindergarten students. Morning playground supervision begins at 8:20am where students have the option of remaining in the Library or playing in the Stage 1 playground.