Kindergarten
Information
Pack
2014
Welcome to New Lambton South Primary School. The purpose of this booklet is to provide you with information about Kindergarten and our school.
Kindergarten is an important year of schooling as children formally begin to develop their literacy and numeracy skills. Our whole school community will help your child adjust to school and help them to feel comfortable.
At New Lambton South we have three Kindergarten otherwise known as Early Stage One classes. These classes are straight Kindergarten classes.
The Assistant Principal in charge of Early Stage One is Mrs Sandra Holland.
Kindergarten Curriculum
Your child will experience fun learning opportunities through the following Key Learning Areas (KLA’s); English, Mathematics, Science & Technology, PD/H/PE, Human Society and Its Environment, Visual Arts, Drama, Dance and Music.
The Interactive Whiteboard and Ebeam are essential tools to deliver the curriculum and enrich children’s learning by providing exciting and interactive educational experiences.
Best Start Kindergarten Assessment
The Best Start assessment is a tool to help teachers assess your child’s skills as they enter school, and to tailor teaching to their individual needs. Teachers sit with each child when they start school to assess their literacy and numeracy skills so that they can develop an appropriate teaching program that caters for each child.
Technology Education
Computer Education Programs operate in the classrooms from Early Stage 1 to Stage 3. Programs aim at all students becoming competent in basic computer usage, developing keyboard skills and competency in accessing and using the World Wide Web. This is acquired through exposure to a wide variety of educational software. Each classroom is provided with a computer, networked to the school system, enabling access by all students. Students have supervised / monitored access to the Internet in their classrooms and the computer laboratory.
Below are some websites that may be of interest to you.
www.copacabana-p.schools.nsw.edu.au
www.studyladder.com.au
www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au
www.ictgames.com
http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/
Library
New Lambton Southislucky to have a computerised library which is open to all children atour school. It provides access to books, magazines,computer software, C.D. Roms, picture sets and educational DVD's for use in all classes to supplement teaching and learning activities. All classes (K-6) have library lessons each week. Early Stage One and Stage One classes have a 30 minute lesson.
All children may borrow from the library. School transition bags can be used as library bags or you can purchase library bags with your child’s photo on it through the company that does our Kindergarten photos. Information about this will be provided at a later date. Students must have a library bag to be allowed to borrow a book. If students do not have a library bag they will not be able to take books home from the library. Children are responsible for the books they borrow.
Each class in our school has a bulk loan account. This account allows the students and their teacher to borrow a selection of books to keep in their classroom over alonger period of time.
Our school library is opened every day at second half lunch and is run by Mrs Tweedale.
Art Lessons
At our school we are very lucky to have our specialist art teacher Mrs Drinkwater. Throughout the year all students will have the opportunity to participate in art lessons with Mrs Drinkwater.
Sport
Students engage in a series of developmental physical activities designed to foster coordination and movement skills in order to participate in recreational activities. All Kindergarten students participate in the school athletics carnival but they do not participate at the school swimming carnival.
The school is divided into House Groups for intra school sport. Students are allocated a sport house on enrolment. If a student has an older brother or sister attending, they will automatically be placed in the same house.
Barrington (Blue), Watagon (Red), Blackbutt (Green) and Sugarloaf (Yellow). Sport is a regular feature of the curriculum, which is aimed at the development of physical skills and enjoyment through participation in a wide variety of sports and games.
Stage Music
Once a week Early Stage One students come together for a singing and music lesson. In this lesson students are taught songs and experiment with using body percussion to accompany a song. Throughout the year students will be provided with opportunities to perform these songs at assemblies and special events. Parents will be notified via the Newsflash when these performances are occurring.
Special Religious Instruction (known as scripture)
Catholic and Non Denominational scripture lesson are offered on Tuesdays. The duration of the scripture lesson is 30 minutes. Class teachers supervise the scripture lessons. Unless directed otherwise, students will attend Scripture classes as detailed on their enrolment form. Parents who do not wish their child to attend Scripture should indicate this on the enrolment form or send a note to school stating your preference.
Excursions
Excursions are organized for all stages at different times of the year. The excursions are planned around teaching and learning programs and complement class activities with real world experiences. Parents are informed of excursions in a letter, with an attached permission slip, outlining the nature of the excursion. Excursions, performances and cultural events are considered to be part of our school’s normal educational programs and children are expected to attend. There is generally a cost involved in excursions. Risk assessments are completed for all excursions.
Visiting Performances
Throughout the year notes will go home about visiting performers that are coming to our school. These performances link to our school curriculum and support the programs that we are teaching with our classrooms. There is usually a cost associated with these performances.
Premier’s Reading Challenge
The Premier's Reading Challenge runs from the 1st of February until the 1st of September. Early Stage One and Stage One students will complete the challenge with their class teachers.
The Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC) is available for all NSW students in Kindergarten to Year 9, in Government, Independent, Catholic and home schools. All students who enter and successfully complete the Challenge will receive a Premier's Reading Challenge certificate for that year and their name will be published on an Honour Roll.
Book Club
Twice each term students have the opportunity to purchase good quality books at reasonable prices through Scholastic Book Club. Students receive book lists and order forms in class and orders should be returned to class where they will be collected by parent helpers by the due date.
Homework
Regular homework complements work undertaken at school. Homework tasks are sent home by the class teacher to revise work being done in class and to allow parents to see what is currently being taught. In Early Stage One and Stage One students are set reading tasks on Bug Club or given a home reader if they request one as well as maths tasks on Mathletics. If parents require paper copies of homework they need to notify their child’s class teacher.
Mathletics
The students at New Lambton South Public School are gaining educational benefits through participating in the online educational resource Mathletics.Mathletics is an internet based learning tool.It is a challenging learning resource that engages and motivates students through interactive games and activities. It allows students to actively participate in maths activities that cover all of the strands of the NSW Mathematics syllabus.
The program includes step by step animated support and responds to child's individual strengths and weaknesses. There are over 750 activities designed for students aged 5 to 18.Mathletics is aimed at motivating students in their interest for mathematics, and also to help them improve their understanding and application of key concepts in the curriculum. Mathletics allows teachers to keep a close eye on the progress of students and also allows for on-line tutoring of students in order to help them better understand the work taught in class.
Passwords will be given out for Bugclub and Mathletics in term 2.
Bug Club
Bug Club is a lower primary guided reading series for developing independent readers that joins books with an online reading world. It is a school reading program that joins books with e-books. Bug Club brings together fiction, non-fiction and comics in a child friendly online world, where children read, take fun quizzes, and earn points. Books are set for each child by their class teacher at their reading level.
007 Leaders
The purpose of the 007Play Leaders at NLSPS is to improve the quality of play at breaks and lunchtimes by training stage three students to lead activities with younger children.
This program aims to instil in students a sense of responsibility, organisational skills and the ability to develop positive relationships with younger children through physical activity.
As senior students in our school, we do expect and encourage the children to take on added responsibilities and to practise being leaders in the school environment. This program gives the students the perfect avenue to allow them to do this.
The program trains students in the running of games and activities that they can organise and participate in with Early Stage One Students and Stage One students. The games take place every lunchtime both first and second half.
All play leaders wear a red vest so that are easily identified to both students and teachers.
Garden Club
Garden Club takes place every day at second half lunch and at present we have children from Early Stage One right through to Stage Three participating on a regular basis. The aim of Garden Club is to teach children how to grow and look after plants at a young age so that they will become keen gardeners as they become older.
During lunch time flower beds, fruits and vegetables and fresh herbs are planted in our school gardens. The students take on the responsibilities of watering, mulching, re-potting and planting seeds. The school garden also includes a worm farm as well as compost bins.
Our school is also a Climate Cam school. This means that we are working hard to reduce our carbon footprint by recycling, learning about waste and waste management through waste audits and compositing.
Special Events
Throughout the year we celebrate a range of special events. You will be informed as the events arise but I have included a list of some of the special events that have taken place this year.
- Easter hat parade, Book Week parade, Grandparents Day, Harmony Day, Education Week, ANZAC Day, NAIDOC Day etc
Birthdays
Children who have their birthday during the school year can bring cakes to school to celebrate their birthday. If you wish this to happen please supply cup cakes/donuts/biscuits etc as these are easier to distribute and please make sure that the cakes do not contain nut products. If your child has an allergy and you would like to provide cakes for them to have on these occasions we will store them in the freezer and defrost them when they are required. The class will sing Happy Birthday to the student.
Personal Belongings
Children are not encouraged to bring toys to school. However, if a child wants to bring something special in for news or to show a birthday present, please talk to the class teacher and arrange a suitable time for this to happen. We do not allow students to take their own toys onto the playground.
Lost Property
Items which cannot be identified or that have been misplaced are sent to lost property. This is located outside of the weathershed in the Primary playground. Any item left unclaimed for 3 months is placed in the clothing pool – please label all items.
School bag icons
As school bags often look the same we suggest that you attach something to your child’s bag that helps them to identify it.
Organising an interview with teachers
We are only too happy to meet with you to discuss your child’s progress etc. However, it is very difficult for us to concentrate on the issue at hand if we are still with the children. Before school and immediately after school are not appropriate times to try and see us for an interview. We ask that you arrange a mutually convenient time to meet either through a note or phone call. We are then able to give you our full attention to discuss any concerns.
If you are concerned about any aspect of your child’s school life or their progress you can always arrange an appointment with the teacher to discuss the problem. The best way to make an appointment is through contacting the office to arrange this or by sending in a note to the class teacher.
If you have any concerns about anything that is happening at school please contact your child’s class teacher or the assistant principal for Kindergarten Miss Jessica Metcalfe.
Morning Lines & Assembly
Each morning at 9:25am students line up in two lines in the Infants playground on their class spot ready to begin the school day. Please stand back from lines to allow children to see where they need to be.
Parent Help
There will be plenty of opportunities for you to come and join in all of the fun at school. Teachers will send out notes requesting parent help once they get the children settled and organised into their routines.
After school collection
Please advise your child’s class teacher if there are changes to your child’s normal after school arrangements eg. If they have to attend OOSH or if someone else is picking them up. When collecting your child please make sure that you enter the school grounds instead of organising an area outside the school fence. It is a great idea to organise a meeting place with your child. They then know where you will be each day and will be able to find you easily. If your child is attending OOSH they will come and collect the students from their classroom for the first few weeks.