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Prep Year
From 2007 all Queensland children will have access to a full time non compulsory preparatory year of education before starting Year 1. The Prep Year will replace the state preschool system that is not available in all schools. There will be no waiting list fro the Prep Year because it will be available to all children attending state primary schools.
Information and enrolment packages are now available at the Office and enrolment interviews can be booked by ringing or visiting the Office. Parents need to bring along the completed enrolment form and your child's birth certificate. Interviews will be held from 27 March - 6 April.
Your child's place in Prep at Chatswood Hills school will then be confirmed. A special orientation day for all Prep children will be held in November. Our Prep children will be able to visit their new classroom, participate in activities and meet their new Prep teacher for 2007 on this day.
PREP ENROLMENT ELIGIBILITY
Children born 1 january 2002 to 30 June 2002 will be eligible to attend Prep in 2007
Children born 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2001 will start Year 1 in 2007 unless they are assessed as having exceptional educational needs. For details about the assessment process refer to http://iwww.qed.qld.gov.au/etrf/iprepleader.html#d
Children born 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003 will be eligible for Prep in 2008
It is anticipated that early entry to prep will only be allowed for children on transfer across Australia and internationally who have been enrolled in a similar pre-year 1 program. For details about the proposed early entry process refer to http://iwww.qed.qld.gov.au/etrf/iprepleader.html#d
EARLY YEARS PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT
March 2006
Introduction
Chatswood Hills State School has experienced steady growth over the last three years with enrolments increasing from around 500 students at the commencement of 2002 to 590 at the end of 2005. Approximately 265 students of the total school population are in the early years of schooling. This Early Years Philosophy has been written based on the values and beliefs that our school holds about the education of young children, and reflects the principles documented in the Early Years Curriculum Guidelines.
Our purpose is to provide a high quality and progressive education that:
- values teamwork
- applauds excellence
- encourages participation
so that all students may develop the skills, attitudes and values to achieve their potential. A Code of Conduct guides the community to ensure a safe environment is maintained. Care, Co-operation, Consideration and Common Sense are all aspects that are regularly reflected in the daily life at Chatswood Hills State School.
This statement outlines our beliefs about children, teachers, the environment, partnerships and the educational program.
Understanding Children
Each child is a unique individual who must be valued for his/her individuality. Each child comes to school with his/her own different background and understandings which help determine his/her unique starting point. A child grows and develops physically, socially, emotionally, intellectually and linguistically. Each child grows at his/her own rate in each developmental area. A young child is naturally curious, eager to learn and learns best by doing - that is, by talking, seeing, manipulating, hearing, tasting, smelling, and active involvement in play situations. As children grow, they move from concrete play experiences to more abstract, symbolised ways of expressing ideas. All children are capable and competent learners and should be involved in decision making about their learning.
Creating Contexts for Learning and Development
The teacher is responsible for providing appropriate programs, which cater for the needs, interests and abilities of individual children in a positive caring manner. Teachers of young children use their knowledge of learning theory, early childhood development and language acquisition to ensure programs are effective, relevant and meaningful. The experiences provided by teachers in the early years of schooling will influence the development of the whole child and build an academic foundation for formal learning. The teacher is a partner in learning and facilitates children's learning, scaffolding their development through meaningful interactions and interventions, celebrating successes, and involving children in the planning cycle. Children are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions. Monitoring and assessment are an integral part of this process.
Establishing Flexible Learning Environments
The school provides a safe, supportive, stimulating environment where all children are valued and are encouraged to think for themselves, to observe, to question, to explore and to discover. This involves allowing time for children to interact with others and the materials and resources for children to be actively engaged in learning. Stewardship of the environment is a key focus in our school. The physical environment is inviting, comfortable and accessible. Time is use flexibly so that children can engage in active exploration and experimentation, both indoors and outdoors. The emotional environment reflects mutual respect of all stakeholders, and negotiation and collaboration.
Building Partnerships
Positive partnerships between staff, students and parents will encourage the accurate and meaningful sharing of information and knowledge. We recognise that parents are the child's first educators and play an important part in their children's education. Active parental participation is essential. Children are part of the partnership too and are involved in decisions about their learning. Stage One staff form a team who collaborate and share to create a meaningful learning environment for children in the early years of schooling. The ties between Stages One and Two are also important and are maintained through staff meetings and other committees in the school environment. A separate Year 3 has been established to promote a smoother transition from the Early Years to Middle Schooling. These partnerships will ensure continuity across the years of schooling.
Exploring What Children Learn
Early childhood programs are child-centred, multi-level and designed to help each child to develop to their potential, learning in the areas of:
- social and personal - confidence, self-esteem, independence. self-control, a sense of responsibility, a love of learning, respect for others, mutual acceptance, ability to communicate and function as a member of a group.
- health and physical - gross and fine motor control, fitness, co-ordination and healthy choices.
- language and communication - oral language and early literacy, including concepts of print, phonemic awareness and alphabetical knowledge.
- early mathematical understandings - early numeracy.
- active learning processes - curiosity, creativity, enjoyment, ability to reason, investigating and appreciating the physical and social environment, art, music, drama, literature and science and stewardship of the environment to an extent appropriate to the child's stage of development.
The programs promote independence and routine for young children. Children ar involved in the planning, doing and reflecting phases of their learning. Monitoring and assessing is an integral, continuous and ongoing process with documentation to support judgements about the children's progress and the direction of the program. |
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