Beacon Hill Public School

Be proud to achieve

Telephone02 9451 6328

Emailbeaconhill-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Preparing for school

What do you need to organise before your child starts school?

  • School uniform, including hat
  • Raincoat, no umbrellas
  • School bag
  • Lunch bag/lunch box
  • Morning tea bag
  • Drink bottle
  • A paint shirt
  • Library bag
  • Glue stick
  • A plastic bag with a spare pair of underpants and socks in their school bag.

Ensure your child's name is on all belongings including shoes and socks. Please do not provide pencils, crayons, sharpeners, rubbers or scissors as these are provided by the school.

Helping your child prepare for learning

You can prepare your child for school by:

  • Arranging for a stay with relatives and friends for short periods so they realise you will return.
  • Encouraging independence.
  • Talking about school and what to expect.
  • Participating in the Teddy Bear Picnic and the Getting Ready for School Sessions.
  • Talking to the school about any concerns or special needs.
  • Practising dressing in school uniform.
  • Practising putting on school shoes.
  • Practising finding names on clothing and belongings.
  • Practising packing and unpacking a school bag.
  • Driving or walking past the school and talking about it.
  • Practising opening and closing morning tea bags and lunch boxes.
  • Making sure your child can easily open their snacks and lunches. Some have lids that are difficult to peel and clingy plastic can also be difficult to pull apart. Spend some time testing these with your child.
  • Sharing stories about the good things you enjoyed at school.
  • Being positive about school, teachers and learning.
  • Talking with your child about the kinds of activities they will take part in during the school day.
  • Talking about friendships and meeting new friends.
  • Talking about what the school bells mean.

Fine motor skills

Cutting, painting, drawing, manipulating small objects are an important part of a child's development. These skills can be developed through every day tasks including buttons, using pegs, opening and closing jars, threading beads and playing with dough.

Other suggestions to develop fine motor skills include:

  • Cutting.
  • Matching and pasting.
  • Self-care skills.
  • Tracing and colouring.
  • Pre-writing patterns.
  • Dot-to-dots.
  • Finger tracing and painting.

Once at school

  • Children and parents need support when starting school.
  • Talk to the teachers.
  • Talk to other parents and share your experiences, ideas and feelings.
  • Some children want to tell you all about their day as soon as you pick them up.
  • Some children like a while by themselves before they want to talk about school. Listen, but don't ask too many questions. Children will talk when they are ready. Bedtime is usually a good listening time.
  • When you ask about their day, children often respond with 'nothing'. Try asking more descriptive questions as you are more likely to get a more detailed response. For example, ask 'What books did you read at school today?' or 'What did you do at art today?' or 'What did you sing at school today?'
  • Don't expect too much. New learning takes a long time and children learn at different rates. Encourage and take an interest and show you care.
  • Be flexible in the early days of school. Children may be tired for a while until they settle into a routine.
  • Keep to routines that allow time for rest and free play. Don't arrange too many after school activities in the first term.
  • Organise play dates and encourage new friendships.