The Early Years

While Kindergarten is pre-compulsory, we at Narembeen DHS are looking to ensure that all students have the very best opportunity to get the highest level of education possible. Therefore, we encourage you to take your child’s attendance to Kindergarten classes seriously. If you enrol your student in Kindergarten, it is expected that they attend school. You are given the choice of enrolment, however, once you have made the decision to enrol them, they are required to attend. Regular exposure to learning experiences will ensure your child performs at their highest possible level. With the changes to early years’ education across Australia, the Kindergarten year is becoming increasingly important. Pre-primary is COMPULSORY. All students of Pre-primary age are legally required to enrol and attend full time. All students are expected to attend and an explanation to explain ANY ABSENCE will be required. It goes without saying that any absence must have a reason that is acceptable. The more a child is away from school, the greater the chance the child will be at educational risk.

Every child’s identity is recognised and celebrated through partnerships with families, the community and highly trained early childhood educators. Each child’s potential is achieved through the implementation of inclusive and reflective programs and practices, based on current research and pedagogy.

The early years are so important so please ensure your child has the best chance of success by ensuring he/she has regular attendance.

Our Philosophy

Our Early Childhood Education aims to foster children's learning through acknowledging and encouraging each individual’s characteristics of belonging, being and becoming in a safe, happy, inviting environment that balances a play-based learning programme with essential explicit teaching in literacy and numeracy.

We believe that strong collaborative relationships between a child's family, culture, educators, professionals and the Narembeen community will empower a child to co-construct and further develop his or her own identity, voice and understanding of the world. Learning and developmental outcomes will aim to foster children to:

Have a strong sense of identity
Be connected with and contribute to their world
Have a strong sense of wellbeing
Be confident and involved learners
Be effective communicators

The curriculum is directed by the Australian Curriculum (SCASA) which directs ‘what’ we teach and the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) which guides as to ‘how’ to plan developmentally appropriate learning experiences. We believe that play is an integral part of the Early Childhood setting. The children will engage in intentional play, teacher directed play and free play to explore their world and make sense of new concepts and ideas.

At our early childhood centre the children’s literacy development is supported by the implementation of the PLD (Diana Rigg) programme and Get Reading Right which provides a strong foundation for the development of phonemic awareness, essential to both reading and writing. Differentiated small group and individualised explicit instruction occurs on a daily basis before immersing children in play experiences that allow them to explore and consolidate their new learning. This can be in the form of small or whole group activities, provocations or sensory experiences.

In a similar fashion, numeracy skills are taught sequentially through both explicit instruction and playful ‘hands-on’ learning. We believe a strong foundation to numeracy is provided through informed teaching, engaging learning experiences and the modelling of a positive attitude towards mathematics.

In our junior primary classrooms the teachers’ observations of childrens’ play preferences and interests provide ideas that extend and motivate their play and stimulate engagement in learning. Our educators are aware as children grow and develop, play provides opportunities to negotiate, understand and follow rules, develop an awareness of consequence, empathy and sympathy for others. This is fostered through the inclusion of manipulatives, games, kinaesthetic activities, hands-on activities and active child inquiry. The learning environment and planning is driven by the children’s needs and interests and allows for the differing developmental stages of individuals. We believe in fostering independence, confidence and a sense of self by providing a supportive and nurturing school environment in which students feel safe to take risks with their learning and therefore, to foster a life time love for learning.

Our Routine

BEFORE SCHOOL

Before school, (8:30am – 8:50am) the children will come into the classroom and complete daily routines such as unpacking their bags and organising their food. They will then participate in classroom activities. Please ensure students arrive before 8.50am.

MORNING RECESS & LUNCH

Your child will need to bring a small snack for morning recess and food for lunch. Please let your child know which food is for his/her morning recess and what is for lunch. Healthy eating is important at any age. Please provide your child with healthy meals and save ‘treats’ for home or special occasions such as birthdays.

SCHOOL LUNCHES

During the year students may use the fridge provided.
During Term 2 and 3 an oven warmer is available. (No microwave facilities)
Kindy and Pre-primary are unable to order lunch from the Co-op as we eat at different times to the main school.

OUR ROUTINE AFTER SCHOOL

We finish our school day at 3:00pm and you may wait for your child outside the Kindergarten/Pre-primary gate. Bus students are walked to the school to line up with the rest of the school bus students. On Wednesday we have early close. Finish time is 2:20pm.

SCHOOL PICK-UPS

According to the Department of Education guidelines the school has a duty of care to ensure that no foreseeable harm will come to K/PP students.

If there is a change to your child’s normal pick-up procedure, you must inform the school in writing or via a phone call. Your child will not be released without parental permission.

SCHOOL BUSES

The School Bus Service is provided by the Public Transport Authority. This authority has strict guidelines and policy regarding student behaviour whilst traveling on school buses. Parents that require a bus must apply online at www.schoolbuses.wa.gov.au

Bus students will be dropped at the Pre-primary each morning and walked to the undercover area in the afternoon to catch their bus. If your child usually arrives or departs school on the bus and there are any changes to this circumstance, you MUST let either the school or the driver know so we can cross them off the bus list.