Starting School in 2011

[Pandora]

DS gets a homework sheet on Monday, for the whole week.
This week there are 4 tasks, things like 'colour in all the groups of 3 animals' and tracing numbers etc
He has a reader and twelve words to learn/focus on each week

[Liz]

We got our first homework sheet today. It's practicing writing some basic words, writing numbers and he has to cut out pictures that start with s. Due on Friday! Not compulsory but encouraged.

Home reading will start later in the term. They want to get together with parents first to teach us how to help them with their reading so we don't do it wrong hehe. Which I think is good

Congrats re the award! Ds got a merit certificate at assembly on Friday for 'clever origami skills' :-D

[{sarah}]

No homework for us so far & no readers yet either. He did get an award on Friday though "for helping others" soooo proud.

[Jennifer13]

We went to an info night last night and had a run thru of everything they do in her class. It was very cute! They start readers in term 2 but no homework for kindy. Her teacher is lovely. DD is three ticks away from her first manners prize.

[Liz]

Yeah they said at our info night that kindy don't need homework.. but parents like it. What the?? LOL. I guess it doesn't hurt.. but I really don't see it as necessary.

Naawww well done to all the well behaved BB kiddies DS keeps getting stickers for good listening and things. He was telling me that if you play with things while Mr W is talking you get sent to sit at your desk and don't get to join in. I asked if he was sent there.. he proudly said "I never get sent to my desk!". Yeah.. I bet you don't.. perfect manners and behaviour are switched on for Mr W. Not fair.. I cop all the bad manners and behaviour when he comes home!! *jealous mummy* Still.. it's nice to know that he CAN behave LOL.

[Nai]

Liz, I think I prefer that they behave at school and then turn rotten at home rather than the other way around - the parents of the child at DD1's school who got sent home for biting another child ont he back would probably agree too....

[Liz]

Yeah true. Still jealous tho LOL.

[Phteven]

We have parent-teacher interviews next week. Just to talk for 10 minutes about how they're settling and so on.
They do PIPS testing this week. It's like best start but in the ACT it's state wide. I wonder how my monkey will go, if it included dinosaurs he would ace it lol. He came home last week and told me he was an expert in dinosaurs. His older brother is an expert in talking pmsl.
They have a swimming carnival this Friday The kindys are only in the wading pool but even so I think the teachers are pretty brave to take them.

WTG on all the awards our BB kids are getting.

[Liz]

Swimming carnival here too but only 8yo and up can go.

[Pandora]

Swimming carnival was week before last only grade 3 and up can go.
I was surprised that the school don't have swimming as a part of the p.e. Program they only do it in grade 1 from what I can tell.
They have a traffic light system and DS came home and told me one girl got 3 red traffic lights.
I asked if he had any and he said no I stayed on green. Well, actually, maybe 1 yellow. Lol
He has after school sport on Thursday it's lacrosse. We will see how he goes

[Visitor9]

We are on readers here already and I got my first phone call for medical reasons today from the office so proud that she had been attacked by mossies whilst doing PE. All settled in and having an assesment in the morning, hoping I wont have to be in the room as she will be destined to play up if I am around. Anyone else noticing a change in attitude..missy has aged 5 yrs in 3 weeks!!!

[Gigi]

Gigi - don't stress to much, homework is reading a reader with them each night - it takes a few minutes, and then some discussion. As for the ages our school has a buddy system where the preps get a grade 5/6 buddy to help them settle in. This has had the effect of really reducing any bullying incidents.

I had a very proud Mummy moment this morning as DD1 attended her first school assembly and got a 'Student of the Week Award' for contributing good ideas. I got all teary - shee looked so little and proud standing up in front of the whole school!

tHanks Nai, i am reassured by your words, it's great to hear it from the mums going thru it right now.

congrats to Genevieve on her award, proud mummy moment absolutely.

[Melly01]

Yesterday morning was horrendous. I told DS it was photo day, so for some reason (maybe used to how they do things in preschool?) he thought he had to go into his classroom first thing in the morning, before the bell rang, to get his photo done. Poor kid got so upset that he started banging his head against a brick wall! Then he decided he didn't want to go to school, cried all through morning assembly, and I had to practically drag him to his classroom. Then I had to carry him in, and leave while the teacher held him back and the other teacher locked the door. I felt so horrible! Thankfully he calmed down soon after, they gave me a call to let me know. But he cried at bedtime last night saying he doesn't want to go anymore. Hopefully he will have forgotten it by the time we get there today.

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[littlelara]

Is anyone else finding that their littlie is suddenly tired and emotional now?
I expected this in the first weeks, but dd seemed fine.
Now suddenly she is bursting into tears at the drop of the hat and for things that wouldn't have bothered her at all in the past (real tears, and all).
Odd.

[Nai]

Yes! We had tears this morning over something completely minor!

[Visitor9]

yep we have tears over nothing

[mrsmac]

I taught kindy last year and the year before and found towards the end of term they all got very tired and emotional, sadly considering its only 1/2 way thought they will get worse in the next few weeks. Its full on going to school 5 days a week and learning so much stuff at once.

[christy]

DD1 is in grade 1 now, but her school is a non-homework school... its K-grade 6 (or for different states, grade before 1 through to grade 6). The grade 6 students have more complicated assignments and more time in the day to ask questions and get assistance.

As her school has 22 students in K-6, it means that they all do sports together and have the ability to handle it. I don't know how well JJ would go.... she's not up until next year when she turns 5 in November, she will go into K. The kindy program is 3 days a week for term 1, than 4 days for term 2, and finally 5 days whenever they are ready.... The school is happy for kindy kids to remain at 3 days until they are ready to progress, depending on days and energy levels.... DD1 still gets tired, and I will keep her from the end of the Fridays this week to avoid the end of the week scream fest.....

The teacher is more inclined for the students to learn to function... so she would prefer to have those who can't cope with the 5 days a week, take time to work into it...
DD1 did kindy over 2 years... it wasn't until the last term of her second year that she did 5 days a week... I reckon its awesome... going with the child's needs rather than life...