Prep

Prep Program

Throughout the year many special activities, incursions and excursions are organised and celebrated in Prep. Some of the school-based activities include; Prep breakfast, when children come to school in their pyjamas and eat breakfast, The Fairy Tale Ball, 100 Days of School Celebration, The Life Education Van, Special Persons' Day and an end of year picnic with their Grade 6 buddies. Excursions have included visiting Como House and the Melbourne Sealife Aquarium. Integrated into our teaching in Prep are the Yarrambat School Values. We also use 'The Pit' and 'The Learning Pit' as references in the classroom, where students are able to recognise times when they need assistance emotionally or in their learning and know how to seek help. We use the Yarrambat Primary School Learning Process, where we begin by 'Building Knowledge', bringing what the students know to the topic, using their senses and trying things out. We then 'Make Meaning' by sorting and grouping, comparing and contrasting, and evaluating new information. Finally, we 'Apply our Understanding' by taking action, deciding how to present the information, design, solve and create. Using this process allows students to understand where they are in the learning process at any time. We foster children’s natural curiosity by embedding all subjects with ties to our Term Inquiry focus and allow students to have a voice in the direction of their learning.

Literacy

Reading and Viewing, Writing and Speaking and Listening play a major role in the Prep program. At least two hours each day are devoted to our Literacy Program. Children participate in a variety of reading activities including Guided Reading, Shared Reading, ICT and Learning Centres to develop the recognition of high frequency words and reading strategies. Our Reading lessons are based on a phonics approach where we focus on decoding words and blending sounds. During writing lessons, children compose, record and reread their ideas. They write daily, participate in small group lessons, and share what they have written with the class. We use the Soundwaves program to learn phonics and spelling and the VCOP writing program to develop the students’ knowledge of Vocabulary, Connectives, Openers and Punctuation.

Mathematics

Mathematics helps us make sense of the world around us. It is more than 'sums' and learning tables. It involves skills we use throughout life. In the classroom, the children use a variety of concrete materials to create and re-create the mathematical ideas presented. The starting point for the majority of the lessons engages the children in a focus activity, which then leads to further application work and small group work with the teacher. Preps participate in a variety of maths games and projects.

Discovery

One hour a week is devoted to our Discovery program. Children come up with ideas on topics they would like to discover more about. Some of our past Discovery topics have been 'How to build a theme park', 'How computers work', 'How to make a toy', 'How to program Bee-Bot robots'.

Prep Investigations

Prep students have the opportunity to enjoy Prep Investigations for one session a week where they take part in a variety of themed play-based learning areas that change regularly and integrate with classrooms topics. Investigation areas have included fine motor skills practice, communities, living, non-living, and past and present. The Prep Investigations program is designed to develop children's fine motor skills, vocabulary, writing and social skills.

Digital Technologies

Students have access to laptops and iPads. They use a range of technologies to aid their learning in all curriculum areas. Students are taught specific skills to allow them to use technology independently. All Prep classrooms have Interactive TVs to engage children in their learning and provide diversity in the delivery of the curriculum.

Personal Development

The Personal Development program in Prep helps children build their resilience and develop the skills needed to be a good friend as well as understanding the school rules and values. We use The Resilience Project to deliver engaging lessons which provides an opportunity for children to begin to recognise the importance of metal health by learning how to practise Gratitude, Mindfulness and Empathy.

Prep Specialist Programs

Each week Preps participate in Physical Education, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Library Education, STEAM and Italian lessons throughout the year.