Welcome to

Brisbania Public School

Your guide to Kindergarten 2018

Brisbania Public School prides itself on developing its students as lifelong,

resilient 21st Century learners who reach their full potential as they strive to

Believe, Persevere and Succeed.

Dear Parents & caregivers

Welcome to Brisbania Public School.

Brisbania PS is a very caring community school with great teachers and

dynamic learning programs.

Kindergarten is an extremely important year for your child. At Brisbania

PS, we believe in educating the whole child while preparing them for

their future education and life. Academic, social, environmental,

citizenship, sportsmanship and values are all taught through our Key

Learning Areas and specific programs.

Brisbania staff is competent at implementing all NSW syllabuses of

English, Mathematics, Science and Technology, History, Geography,

Creative Arts and Physical Development, Health and Physical

Education. Extra curricula activities enhance our learning programs.

These include excursions, sports and dance programs, Easter Hat

parade, Mothers and Father’s Day celebrations, Harmony Day, mufti

days to support the community, Walk Safely to School Day and a Book

Character Parade.

At Brisbania PS, students are respected and encouraged to be proud of

themselves, their school and community. We believe, persevere and

succeed in all we do and value successful learning for all.

The Parents and Citizens Association is very effective in raising

awareness and supporting the school by being actively involved in

decision making and supporting school initiatives.

Thank you for entrusting Brisbania PS with the special role of educating

your child.

I know you will be very happy with our wonderfully supportive school

and programs and I look forward to a valued partnership with you

during your child’s learning journey.

Miss Annette Parrey

Principal

Starting Kindergarten is an important and exciting time in your child's

life.

This booklet aims to provide parents of children starting Kindergarten

with useful information that assists in the transition to "big school."

Ready for school?

This checklist will help you to ensure that your child is well prepared for

school. The child who can do all or most of these things should settle in

quickly, with confidence:

Be separated from mum/dad for several hours.

Say his or her first and last name clearly to others

Read his/her first name in Foundation Style print. A sample is

included in this booklet.

Identify own belongings and care for them.

Know how to pack away after games and activities.

Dress him or herself, especially shoes/socks, jackets, raincoats and

can manage clothes at the toilet.

Use tissues correctly.

Recognise the need to go to the toilet and ask.

Use a urinal (boys) and a toilet correctly (including flushing).

Wash hands after going to the toilet.

Know the difference between recess snacks and lunch (sandwiches,

wraps etc).

Independently unwrap and eat a packed lunch.

Manage a lunch box and drink bottle.

Handle small amounts of money for ice blocks etc at the canteen.

Engage in quiet activities for 15 minute periods. E.g. drawing and

colouring, puzzles, story time.

Hold their pencil correctly. A sample is included in this booklet.

Use a pair of scissors correctly.

No longer uses baby talk. E.g. uses ‘I’ and ‘me’ correctly.

Knows some other children who will begin school at the same time

(try to make contact with other parents in your area).

Teachers will assist and support all students based on their individual

needs.

This year Here are some frequently asked questions about what needs to be

done in the year before your child starts school.

What do parents and carers need to do in the year

before school?

There are several organisational tasks parents and carers will need to do

in the year before school:

Talk to your child's pre-school teacher to find out if they think your

child is ready for school.

Access the website http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/home for a

video called 'Is my child ready for school' for further information.

Obtain a copy of your child's birth certificate for school records

(a prerequisite for enrolment).

Obtain proof of residence for school records e.g. rates notice,

electricity bill, rental/lease agreement. Proof of residence is another

prerequisite for enrolment.

Enrol your child in our Headstart program by completing the

necessary note at the end of this booklet.

When immunisations are due, ask to have your child’s hearing and

eyesight checked.

Obtain a copy of your child’s updated immunisation certificate.

(a prerequisite for enrolment)

If your child has special needs, allergies, a medical condition, or

takes medication, inform the school as early as possible and make

an appointment to see the Kindergarten Assistant Principal, Mrs

Duruz.

Program the school's phone number (4369 1246) into your mobile

phone to ensure you are able to contact the school about your

child if necessary. E.g. Change in pick up arrangements, arrange

meetings with teachers etc.

Headstart at Brisbania PS Headstart is our transition to school program at Brisbania PS.

The program provides a range of enriching activities which will prepare

them for school life. We strongly advise that all children who intend to

enrol in Kindergarten at Brisbania in 2018 attend Headstart in Term 4,

2017.

Why is it so important that children attend Headstart? Headstart eases the children into an unfamiliar environment, making

it a more familiar and friendly place

Headstart helps children get to know their new classmates, school

surroundings and as well as familiarity with teachers, rooms, canteen,

office, playground areas, library, etc

Headstart prepares children for routines and behaviour expectations

of 'big school'

Headstart helps boost the confidence of children at school and

makes them feel comfortable about starting school

Headstart helps develop a positive attitude towards school

Headstart helps to ease the separation from parents in Kindergarten.

Headstart assists teachers in understanding the needs of students

starting Kindergarten and enables them to start planning for the

following year.

Headstart helps parents meet each other.

What skills will children be developing through

Headstart activities? Literacy and language skills - pre-reading activities, the ability to

express oneself, listening skills, use of imagination, learning songs and

rhymes

Self-help skills - locating school toilets, recognising/taking care of

own belongings, familiarisation with Kindergarten classrooms,

accessing the library and computer room, how to purchase a small

treat from the canteen and playground rules

Fine Motor Skills (pre-writing) - tracing, drawing, cutting pasting,

manipulating playdough, threading etc

Social and behavioural skills - learning to share and interact with

peers, the ability to concentrate and remain on task, familiarisation

with behaviour expectations.

Skills developed at Headstart will continue to be reinforced in Kindergarten.

How Headstart works

You and your child are invited to visit Brisbania Public School on Friday

13 October 2017 from 9:00a.m till 11.30a.m for the beginning of our

Headstart program.

We ask for a donation of $5 per week to cover the costs of running the

Headstart program. A single payment of $25 can be made at the

beginning of Headstart or you can elect to pay weekly at each

Headstart session. As a matter of convenience, you may like to pay for

your child's Library bag ($3) at the same time. Your child's Library bag

will be issued during the Headstart program.

Organisation for the Headstart program is as follows:

1st Session Friday 13 October 2017

9:00am Parents and children will work together on a number of activities to

ease them into their new surroundings. Name badges will be available.

Please attach to your child’s clothing.

9:30am Parents leave classrooms.

11:00am Children will eat morning tea. Please include a small snack.

(We have children at our school who are anaphylactic. This condition causes

a severe allergic reaction in these children. This reaction is triggered by

exposure to certain foods. We ask that you do not pack the following foods in

your child’s recess and lunch:-

Whole eggs, egg sandwiches, peanut butter, all varieties of nuts, Nutella,

certain Muesli bars (Uncle Toby’s Apricot yoghurt tops & Choc Chip muesli

bars) Arnott’s Kingston biscuits and M & M’s.

11:30am Pick up children from the classroom. Please be on time so your child

does not get upset.

2nd Session Friday 20 October

3rd Session Friday 27 October Drop off children at 9:00am and pick up again

at11:30am.

4th Session Friday 3 November Don’t forget to pack a small morning tea.

Two little snacks and a drink is plenty.

5th Session Friday 10 November

During the Headstart program you are invited to attend our full Kindergarten

Orientation Information Session for parents in the School Hall. The information

session will have guest speakers from School P & C, School Uniform Shop and other

Department of Education & Communities representatives will talk briefly as well.

Headstart advice for parents:

Make sure your child goes to the toilet before Headstart.

Bring a bag clearly marked with your child's name and pack a small

morning tea (two little snacks and a drink) and a spare pair of

underwear (just in case!)

Check for notes attached to your child's name badge when you

arrive outside the Kindergarten classrooms

Name badges are to be left at Brisbania for subsequent Headstart

sessions.

Parents enter the room in Week 1 and say goodbye at the door

Weeks 2-5.

We will be there to help you with any separation issues. Feel free to

ask for help if needed.

Be on time to collect your child from the kindergarten classrooms at

11.30am to avoid your child getting upset. We want to finish each

session on a positive note.

Children remain with the teachers until a parent or carer collects

them. Please send in a note if your child will be leaving with another

parent or friend.

Encourage independence with belongings, e.g. get your child to

carry their own bag, ask them if they have got everything they

brought before they leave (item by item if necessary).

What can parents and carers do to help their child be

ready for school next year?

Practise putting on and taking off their jumper.

Practise putting on shoes and socks.

Go to public toilets at shopping centres etc. Let them go into the

cubicle by themselves so they can practice locking and unlocking

doors, using urinals and turning taps on and off to wash their hands.

Put their lunch in a lunch box so they can practise getting food out

and deciding what is for lunch and what is for recess.

Practise using their drink bottle and bubblers.

Practise getting food out of plastic wrap. If they are having trouble,

find an alternative.

Serve morning tea and lunch at around the same time as ‘big

school’ (10.55am & 12.30pm). This will help them to get their tummies

ready to know when they will get to eat at school.

Practise packing and carrying their school bag.

Go for a walk around the school.

Tie or put something on their school bag that helps them identify it as

their own e.g. a key ring.

Show them what it is and how their bag is different to other

children’s.

Have your child with you when you label everything. This way your

child will know where to look for their names if things get lost.

Try on their new school uniform so they know how it feels.

Read to your child every day.

Write their own name.

Recognise their own name in print.

Access:- http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/home website for

great resources about starting Kindergarten including videos such

as ‘What happens in Kindergarten' (aimed at pre-schoolers) and

‘Is my child ready for school?' (aimed at parents).

What will parents and carers need to buy for school

next year? School uniform (summer, winter, sports) Available from the uniform

shop.

Brisbania School hat - Available from the uniform shop.

School shoes, socks and sports shoes

Handy hints: black leather joggers eliminate the need for separate

school and sports shoes; velcro shoes make the transition to school

much easier for your child - tying shoelaces is one less thing to worry

about!

Backpack

Handy hint: We highly recommend the Brisbania school backpack

available from the uniform shop as it is big enough to carry everything

Kindergarten children need to transport to and from school (Lunchbox,

drink bottle, jumper, raincoat, homework book, Home Reading/Library

bag, news items etc). Avoid small backpacks as packing can be quite

stressful for young children when everything cannot fit in easily.

Lunch box

Hint: Pick one your child can open and close independently to ensure

recess and lunch times are not stressful for your child.

Water bottle

Handy Hint: Pick one your child can open and close independently to

ensure recess and lunch times are not stressful for your child.

Library bag - Available from the school office and during the Headstart

program.

Each class will visit the library once a week and the students can

borrow during this time. We are ensuring we are prepared for 2018 and

have organised for these bags to be purchased this year. The school is

subsidising a large proportion of the cost and therefore parents only

need to pay a minimal amount of $3.00.

Optional: Recyclable lunch wallet - $8 at the canteen.

We have decided to help our school and the environment by

encouraging every child to purchase

A LUNCH WALLET. Lunch Wallets are designed to replace paper

lunch bags at school for ordering at the canteen.

THE LUNCH WALLETS COST $8 EACH AND HAVE THE

FOLLOWING FEATURES:

Brisbania Public School Uniform Policy

Environmentally friendly and re-usable; contributing to a reduction in

canteen paper waste

Stylish design which folds conveniently to fit in every child’s school bag

Extremely easy to wipe clean with a damp cloth

Hygienic zipper pocket to secure and separate money from contact

with food

Clear pocket to display name and class

Identical dimensions to the brown paper lunch bag when opened;

however, the Lunch Wallet’s design allows a considerable amount of

more food to fit inside.

Available in Blue Edging Green Edging Pink Edging

We are very proud of our school uniform at Brisbania. Correct uniform is

encouraged to build a sense of school pride and feeling of belonging.

The following information details the approved school uniform for

Brisbania Public School, as ratified by the P & C Association of Brisbania

Public School.

SPORTS UNIFORMS

The sports uniform consists of the black basketball shorts or black skorts

with the Brisbania unisex polo shirt & white socks & joggers. School hat

must be worn for outdoor sports, black long pants may be worn in cold

weather.

For sun safety reasons, a

‘no hat, play in the shade’

policy operates at Brisbania

Public School.

GIRLS SUMMER

Black skorts/black shorts,

Brisbania unisex polo shirt,

white socks, black

enclosed shoes.

A Brisbania school dress is also

available as an option for

Kindergarten to Year 2.

WINTER

Black long bootleg pants,

school unisex shirt, Brisbania

bottle green zip jacket or

Brisbania nylon jacket.

SCHOOL HAT

The school hat, wide brim style

is to be worn at all times.

Year 5 & 6 may wear the

school cap.

Green hair ribbons and bands.

BOYS SUMMER

Black shorts, Brisbania unisex

polo shirt, white socks &

black enclosed shoes.

WINTER

Black long pants,

school unisex shirt, Brisbania

bottle green zip jacket or

Brisbania nylon jacket.

SCHOOL HAT

The school hat, wide brim

style is to be worn at all times.

Year 5 & 6 may wear the

school cap.

SPECIAL SPORT DAYS

Students wear a plain T-shirt in house colours on special sports days e.g.

athletics, swimming and cross country carnivals. You will learn which

house your child is in before the K-2 Athletics Carnival. Kindergarten do

not participate in the swimming and cross country carnivals. Shirts in

house colours can be purchased at a competitive price from our

uniform shop.

Kangaroo Medium green

Wombat Royal Blue

Platypus Red

Koala Gold

The P & C runs the canteen and uniform

shop. The uniform shop is open on Friday

mornings between 8.30am and 9.30am.

Uniforms can also be ordered by

completing an order form which will be

handed out at the information session or collect from office.

Uniforms can also be ordered by completing the order form

and returning it, with payment, to the school office.

Alternatively, you can order and pay online via "Flexi-schools"

website. In either case, you can purchase Uniform Shop items

without having to visit the Uniform Shop!

https://www.flexischools.com.au/ForSchools/Schools_SalesInqu

iryForm.aspx

Flexischools accepts payment via Credit Card, Paypal or

Direct Deposit.

Cut off for delivery on Friday is Thursday, 4.50pm. Orders after

the cutoff will be processed the following Friday.

BOYS SUMMER Black shorts, Brisbania unisex

polo shirt, white socks &

black enclosed shoes.

WINTER

Black long pants,

BOYS SUMMER Black shorts, Brisbania unisex

polo shirt, white socks &

black enclosed shoes.

WINTER

Black long pants,

BOYS SUMMER Black shorts, Brisbania unisex

polo shirt, white socks &

black enclosed shoes.

WINTER

Black long pants,

BOYS SUMMER Black shorts, Brisbania unisex

polo shirt, white socks &

black enclosed shoes.

WINTER

Black long pants,

BOYS SUMMER Black shorts, Brisbania unisex

polo shirt, white socks &

black enclosed shoes.

WINTER

Black long pants,

BOYS SUMMER Black shorts, Brisbania unisex

polo shirt, white socks &

black enclosed shoes.

WINTER

Black long pants,

BOYS SUMMER Black shorts, Brisbania unisex

polo shirt, white socks &

black enclosed shoes.

WINTER

Black long pants,

Next Year What will parents and carers do to help make the first

day of school as calm and as happy as possible?

The night before the first day

Lay out your child’s clothes, shoes and socks.

Make your child’s recess and lunch and pop it in the fridge.

Help your child to pack their school bag.

Pack a spare pair of underpants, socks and a change of clothes in a

plastic bag. Let your child know these are in their backpack in case

they have any toilet accidents at school.

Pack your child's Home Reading folder to give to the teacher.

The first day Be confident about the first day with your child.

Use lots of positive language about school and reiterate to your child

they will have a great first day at school.

Avoid any negative talk e.g. "I will miss you so much today."

Allow extra time to get ready. Running late and rushing will stress

your child.

Let your child dress themselves as much as possible.

Tie back long hair or plait hair.

Apply sunscreen and take a hat.

Turn up at your allocated time to the office.

Take photos!

Pick up your child on time to ensure they finish the day on a high

note.

Best Start

During the first few weeks of school, your child will participate in Best

Start. Children come to school with different levels of literacy and

numeracy. Some are familiar with books, can recognise some letters

and sounds, write their name or count to ten, while others have not yet

learned these skills.

The Best Start Assessment has been developed by early learning experts

in the Department of Education and Communities to identify the

literacy and numeracy knowledge and skills that each child brings to

school as they enter Kindergarten. The assessment is not a test. All

public schools in NSW implement Best Start using the same set of

observation tasks. The assessment is administered on an individual basis

between teacher and child and the assessment takes approximately 1

hour to complete. It is best completed in small chunks to ensure that

your child is not overwhelmed.

The data collected from Best Start helps to inform the Kindergarten

teachers of each child’s skills and helps to guide the teaching and

learning program in each class.

Before and After School At Brisbania PS, we are very fortunate to have a Before and After School

Care facility on our site. Information for Before and After School Care

can be found at:

WWW.BBASCC.COM.AU

Or phone:

43696737 / 0410469673

Website includes: Childcare Fee Calculator, FAQ’s about Before, After &

Vacation Care, Enrolments Forms, Vacation Care Programme &

Booking Form, Lunch Orders for Vacation Care Permission slips,

Information on new Youth room 10-13 year olds (Year 5, 6 & 7),

Policies & Procedures, Philosophy & Aims.

A safe and healthy learning environment for everyone

We have students at our school with severe allergies. These students

may have a severe allergic reaction that results in anaphylactic shock.

Several foods trigger this reaction by exposure to the following:

Whole eggs, egg sandwiches, peanut butter, all varieties of nuts,

Nutella, certain Muesli bars (Uncle Toby’s Apricot yoghurt tops & Choc

Chip muesli bars) Arnott’s Kingston biscuits and M & M’s.

We are seeking your assistance and co-operation by NOT packing any

food from the above group.-

We understand that some children’s favourite snack foods include

products made from nuts or have traces of nuts, however, at Brisbania

PS we recognise that every child should enjoy a safe, healthy

educational environment.

These measures also protect your child by avoiding a situation where

their food has led to a classmate being harmed and your child

witnessing an anaphylactic attack.

Please save these snacks for home time.

More information can be provided by the school office.

NSW Foundation Style Font for handwriting

NSW public schools use NSW Foundation Style font for all writing

activities. Before starting school, it would be useful to check that your

child is writing their own name using the correct NSW Foundation Style

font and using a capital letter for the first letter in their name only.

Correct pencil grip for writing

To assist your child with writing in the early years of school, we suggest

you encourage your child to use the correct pencil grip when drawing,

colouring or writing at home.

Social Skills Sharing

Taking turns

Asking to join in

Using manners

Managing conflict.

Personal Care Toileting

Dressing myself

Look after belongings

Pack/unpack own bag.

Carry own bag

Personal Safety Using the school

crossing safely with parent/carer

Stranger Danger

Pick up arrangements.

Fine Motor Skills Strengthening fingers &

hands for writing

Cutting with scissors

Threading pasta/beads

Manipulating playdough

Tearing & crumpling paper craft

Language skills Listening and following

instructions

Using correct pronunciation of words

Responding appropriately.

Gross Motor Skills Running, riding, crawling, skipping, hopping, jumping, swinging, hitting a ball, throwing, catching.

Mathematical Skills Counting everyday

objects

Recognising numerals in everyday contexts

Handling small amounts of money to purchase little items.

Supporting classroom learning at home

Before your child starts Kindergarten and throughout their first year at

school, there are many things you can do at home to develop skills that

support learning.

Literacy Skills Listening to stories

Learning rhymes

Drawing, colouring, painting and writing.

Using imagination in play and to create stories or games.

NOTES TO COMPLETE AND RETURN TO THE SCHOOL OFFICE

My child’s name: My child’s date of birth: _________

Names of parents/carers:_______________________________________________

PERMISSION TO SPEAK WITH YOUR CHILD’S PRE-SCHOOL

As part of Brisbania Public School Headstart Kindergarten 2016 program,

we are visiting your child’s pre-school to discuss how best we can cater for

your child’s needs next year. During this visit, we will discuss your child’s

needs with their teacher and may observe them in their pre-school

setting. This will assist with a smooth transition to Kindergarten next year.

Please complete the permission slip below.

I do / do not give Brisbania Public School permission to observe my child

at pre-school and discuss my child’s transition to school with pre-school

staff.

……………………………. ………………………………….. ……………..

Parent/Caregiver name Parent/Caregiver signature Date

BRISBANIA PUBLIC SCHOOL – HEADSTART PROGRAM

To assist with planning for the Headstart Program, could you please return

the slip below to advise us if your child will be attending.

Thank you

Child’s Name: __________________ Parent Name: _________________

Please circle one of the answers:

Yes We can attend Headstart Program on the following dates:

Friday 13 October, 2017

Friday 20 October, 2017

Friday 27 October, 2017

Friday 3 November, 2017

Friday 10 November, 2017

No We are unable to attend the Headstart Program.

Personal Information

My child’s name:

My child’s date of birth:

My child is (please circle): LEFT HANDED / RIGHT HANDED

My child is friends with the following children starting Kindergarten in 2018:

___________________ __________________ ____________________

___________________ __________________ ____________________

My child DOES / DOES NOT suffer from allergies. (Please circle correct answer and

specify what your child is allergic to if applicable.)

My child is allergic to: ___________________________________________________

Please take the time to write down any important details (e.g. special needs,

medical, social, emotional etc) that will help us assist your child in their transition to

school.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Please choose one or the other below:-

I would like my child to attend Special Religious Education (Scripture) YES/NO

If yes, do you want your child to attend:-

CATHOLIC OR ANGLICAN

(Please circle your choice)

OR

I would like my child to attend Special Ethics Education YES/NO

Thank you for helping us get to know your child better.

We look forward to meeting you and your child at our Headstart program.

Privacy Information: The information provided on these forms will be used by staff at

Brisbania Public School to plan for the transition to Kindergarten for your child. You may

change any of this information at any time by contacting the school office.