At Earlwood Public School we aim to ensure that your child feels happy and safe from their very first day.
Kindergarten Orientation program
We offer an extensive orientation program at our school to make your child's transition from home/preschool as easy as possible.
Once you have enrolled your child, he/she will be sent an invitation to attend our orientation day. The day begins with a welcome concert performed by current kindergarten students. Your child will then be escorted to a kindergarten classroom to participate in some classroom activities, while you are given further practical information such as uniform requirements, information on the various parent committees, bus travel etc.
Later in the year your child is invited and encouraged to participate in our orientation visits. These visits run for a two hour period each morning, your child will join their future classmates in some kindergarten activities in the classroom. This has been a very successful and gives children the opportunity to become familiar with their future classmates, the type of activities they will be doing when they start school and the layout of the school and its amenities.
This will lead to your child feeling happy, safe and secure in his or her new environment, and ready to start school.
First day of school
The following practices have been introduced to make your child's first day at Earlwood Public School as stress free as possible:
- Several student and teaching support staff will be there to assist you with any queries and guide you and your child to the appropriate areas.
- Your child's buddy, which he or she has already met on orientation day, will be there to meet your child and join him/her for morning tea and lunch.
Information session for parents and caregivers
We conduct information sessions during your child's transition visits in the classroom. Our information sessions provide an excellent opportunity to discover for yourselves the many opportunities we will provide for your child.
This is an important opportunity to:
- listen to talks by the Principal, teachers, parent representatives and school captains.
- tour the school enabling you to view the classrooms, library, computer lab,hall, playground and other facilities, and observe students performing their daily activities.
- learn about what happens at 'big school"
- have informal discussions with the Principal, some of the teachers and existing parents while having morning tea.
- receive printed information and support materials
- view a performance by the current kindergarten students
- ask questions
Please note that lodging your enrolment form at the school early will ensure your child receives an invitation to the orientation day and orientation visits.
For further information regarding enrolments and Kindergarten orientation please contact the school.
2023 Kindergarten Parent Information and Kindergarten Orientation Session Presentations
Buddy system
On orientation day, your child will be introduced to his or her "buddy". The buddy will be a child from one of the older primary classes (usually years 5), whose role is to be a friend and look after him or her in the playground, once he or she starts school. Please note that if your child has been unable to attend orientation day, he or she will be assigned a buddy on the first day of school. This system provides dual benefits:
- Older children learn leadership and mentoring skills and have the opportunity to nurture their younger buddy.
- Kindergarten children will have a familiar face, someone to look after him or she when you are not around, someone to take him or her to the canteen, and someone to play with during those first few weeks until he or she begins to establish his or her own group of friends.
