REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL ST LEONARDS NEWSLETTER Principal’s Message
11th November 2022
By Mrs Simone Cooke
Dear Parents, As we approach the end of the year our Stage 4 children are currently undertaking Kindergarten orientations and preparing for their transition to Primary School. Here at Reddam we have a very robust School Readiness Programme that runs for the entire year and encompasses all domains of learning and builds not just our children’s cognitive skills such as letter identification, writing skills, early numeracy, pencil grip and scissor handling skills, but also seeks to build children’s social and emotional development, ensuring they are well prepared for their entry into Kindergarten and beyond. An important component of school preparation is supporting our children to develop their self – help skills and autonomy. This term the Stage 4 children stop having their daily nap and the teachers start to prepare the children by teaching them how to use a lunch box, reinforcing correct hand-washing techniques, inviting children to tie their own shoe laces, apply their own sunscreen and taking responsible for their belongings. This ensures that they enter Kindergarten feeling independent and confident. Emotional regulation is another very important element of school preparation. Selfregulation allows children to recognise their feelings and manage their emotions and behaviours. The more confident and self-assured a child is prior to starting school the more they will be able to negotiate with others and build strong friendships, which in turn will provide them with a positive sense of self. In Stage 4 the children discuss how their actions impact others and the teachers actively promote the development of empathy and encourage making good choices and thinking of the consequences of their actions on others. This builds resilience, self-esteem and respect for themselves and others.
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | ST LEONARDS NEWSLETTER
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