A: We are very proud of our Kindergarten program and have a proven record of producing outstanding Kindergarten learning outcomes. For all students, learning looks different. They all start school at different points in their learning. For some, learning comes very easily and quickly and for others progress may be slow. Please don’t worry where your child sits across this scope of learning, we teach to individual need and work with families to support individual students. In Kindergarten, their learning day is predominantly focussed on Literacy and Numeracy activities. Reading, Writing and the ability to communicate through active talking and listening are our main Literacy priorities. In Numeracy, students’ complete tasks that help develop their understanding of numbers and their ability to manipulate number concepts. In addition, teachers will deliver lessons in History, Geography, Science and Technology, Creative Arts, Personal Development, Health and Physical Education. Each day, students focus on individual learning goals provided to them by their teacher, which can differ from child to child depending on the level of their learning. During teaching time, students will be involved in whole class, small group and individual modelled and guided experiences and will have opportunities to work one to one with their teacher daily to ensure they are progressing towards their goals. As a child consistently demonstrates success with the goals to their teacher, they will be provided with more challenging ones. As a parent, you will be amazed at how quickly your child progresses in their learning, Kindergarten children, led by expert teacher, learning very quickly. But, if you find that your child is not learning at the same rate as their peers, don’t worry, it will come, just keep in contact with your child’s teacher. Break times at recess and lunch are also times for children to learn. Students can be involved in active or passive play experiences. During these times, children learn to share, develop sportsmanship and fairness, develop and maintain friendships through positive support and conflict resolution along with ongoing development in their ability to communicate their needs and understand the needs of others. At Bennett Road Public School, your Kindergarten child will have a rich school experience and by the end of the year they will be ready to move into year 1.

A: All children in NSW need to be enrolled into school by the time they turn 6 years old, however parents are welcome to enrol their child from the age of 4 ½. If you are unsure if your child is eligible to be enrolled, please call the school office and staff will let you know. If your child is eligible in 2025, then it is important that you complete all forms and provide the school with all supporting documentation as soon as possible. We need all paperwork to be provided before your child can start. Kindergarten students will start full days at school from Thursday 2nd February 2025. It is important that our Kindergarten students don’t miss too many days of school throughout the year as the teaching programs are designed to be built upon each day and learning for students is swift. Those students who miss large amounts of days at school can develop gaps in their learning which makes it more difficult to keep up with their peers. If you are having trouble producing any of the required documentation, please contact the school and talk to the principal so that we can help you get your child started at school.

A: 2023 Kindergarten students will complete their Best Start Assessment on either Tuesday 31st January or Wednesday 1st February. This assessment provides teachers with base line data about each student and helps them to plan for individual student need. If you have not already organised your child’s Best Start Assessment time on one of these two days, please call the school office on either Friday 27th January or Monday 30th January to arrange a time. Following these assessments, 2025 Kindergarten students will start full days on Thursday 2nd February.

A: Bennett Road Public School doesn’t ask families to buy too much for Kindergarten students. We understand how much it costs to run a household these days and don’t want to put added pressure on families. The school provides workbooks and pencils for each student along with all resources required for learning. We ask that families ensure that their child is prepared for school by buying them a school bag, a lunch box and a drink bottle. Please ensure that all these items are functionable and that your child can independently open and close them. School bags should be large enough to carry the other items along with a change of clothes (in case of an accident), their jumper and hat, an item from home for their ‘news day’ and some work and notes that are sent home on a regular basis. Their lunch box should be filled with a healthy lunch including some fruit or vegies for ‘Crunch ‘n Sip’ where the children have a short break to eat each day during their learning. The drink bottle should be filled with water. All Kindergarten classes have a fridge in their classroom for students with lunch that requires a cool storage (a cheese sandwich on a hot day can become a little messy). As mentioned, please ensure that your child has a full uniform, including a school hat so that they have access to all play spaces within the school. There will be a few items that we will ask families to contribute to throughout the year like pump packs of hand soap or hand sanitiser and tissues. We encourage children to wash their hands on a regular basis and tissues get used up very quickly (especially in the colder months). Please don’t worry too much about what your child needs at this stage beyond what has been mentioned. As we start the school year, we will ensure that all families have clear communication regarding anything that your child might need for school. In addition, if you are concerned that you can’t afford to buy the items mentioned above, please contact the principal so that we can help. We don’t judge anyone and want all children to have the same opportunities to share a positive experience at school.