Story transition

By Bridget Cook
STUDENTS from Hampton Park Primary School shared storytime with children from a local kindergarten last week.
Students from Regans Road Kindergarten visited the school as part of the Transition Program.
The program allows kindergarten children and their parents the opportunity to have a look at how the school operates and to learn about the features it offers to the students. It also allows the children to take part in orientation activities to get familiar and comfortable with school life before they begin.
Some orientation sessions offer stories, songs, rhymes and physical activities while others provide a variety of play-based learning tasks including computers.
Teacher Faye Rendall said the sessions helped to foster close relationships with families and encouraged the flow of essential information. “It is hoped that all this will promote a smooth transition from kindergarten to school and minimise any worries parents or children may have,” she said.
At the beginning of the school year, each new Prep and their parents are invited to an interview to swap relevant information.
At this time, a simple assessment of the child is completed to determine their individual starting point in learning.