Preparing for Prep at NMPS

 Preparing for Prep at North Melbourne Primary School

From Kindergarten to Prep

Most students settle into school life quite quickly. Some of the aims we have for Prep students are for them to develop a sense of belonging, confidence and independence. You can assist your child in this area by encouraging them during the January holidays with the following: 

• Let your child practise dressing for school, packing/unpacking and carrying their school bag and using a lunch box and drink bottle.

• Explain basic classroom expectations such as putting up your hand, asking before going to the toilet, listening quietly when necessary and following teacher instructions.

• Adopt a low-key approach to the big day, initiate casual conversations about this new step in their life and share positive memories of your own school life with your child. 

• Establish and practise family routines linked to the school year, such as a bedtime routine and getting ready for school in the morning.

• Encourage the efforts your child makes in doing things for themselves and others.

• Avoid any last-minute rushes by doing as much in advance as possible, such as labelling your child’s belongings.

• Build your child's confidence away from parents to help with separation e.g. organise a playdate or a sleepover.

• Confirm your child’s before and/or after school care arrangements, and ensure you child is aware of them.

• Enjoy your child’s excitement.

• As a family, foster a love of reading by creating a space in the home where books are read together, talk to your child about the pictures in the story, and discuss what is happening. 

• Practise recognising and recording their name.

• Encourage your child to identify alphabet letters, what letter can you see and what sound does it make?

For Your Information

• Please pack a healthy fruit break, recess and lunch for your child. A good breakfast will assist your child in making a more effective transition into the school day. Students at North Melbourne Primary are supervised to eat for ten minutes only, however Preps will have an extended eating period to begin with.

• Students are required to have a labelled bottle of water to drink from during the school day.

• Students will need a broad-brimmed hat during Term 1 and Term 4 (from September to May). Hats will also need to be worn during PE and other outdoor activities. Please ensure your child's hat is clearly labelled with their name. 

• If you wish to apply sunscreen to your child, you will need to do this at home. The school is unable to take responsibility for reapplying sunscreen during the day.

• Please ensure your child is dressed appropriately for learning at school. This means safe and comfortable footwear (no thongs or sandals), no singlets or strapy dresses/tops and no dress-up costumes. 

• We ask that you please keep a full change of clothes in a plastic bag in your child’s bag in case of an accident.

• Please make sure all clothing is labelled so if it happens to get lost we can hand it back.

In the First Few Weeks

The focus in Prep during Term One is establishing the routines and expectations of being at school, in a classroom and working together. There is time spent on getting to know each other and the teachers, finding your way around the school and knowing where to play. 

Some children will be happy to share and discuss what they have done at school and others are not so forthcoming with information. Try not to compare your child with others. Children progress at different rates and this is normal. Some good questions to ask your child are ‘What book did you read today?’, ‘What did you write about today?’, ‘Did you speak to someone new today?’ and ‘Who are some of the children in your class?’.

Students with English as an Additional Language (EAL) are encouraged to have an EAL assessment to ensure they are ready to learn at North Melbourne Primary School. If students are not ready, they are advised to attend the Language School prior to commencing at NMPS.

Getting to Know Your Child’s Academic Needs

During the first month of school, students will be taking part in the Early Years Interviews (English and Mathematics), which takes approximately an hour to complete. Parents will be asked, via Compass, to allocate a time and date when they are available to come in to the school for the interview, the interview dates are:

• Wednesday 28th January 2026 

• Wednesday 4th February 2026 

• Wednesday 11th February 2026 

• Wednesday 18th February 2026 

• Wednesday 25th February 2026 

Please note that parents do not need to sit in on the interview with their child, however, there will be time at the end for parents to meet with the teacher. Your child only needs to attend their interview time. If your child does not have an interview on that day, they do not attend school. Full-time school attendance for Prep students begins on Monday 2nd March, 2026.

Compass

Compass School Manager provides access to school news, events, student reports and more.   In particular, all absences, permissions and payments are to be completed via this app, which is downloadable for Smart phones. This app is designed for staff, students and parents and makes communication accessible and easy. Compass usernames and passwords will be made available to new families via email. If by the beginning of the school year you haven’t received your details, please e-mail us at north.melbourne.ps@education.vic.gov.au

SeeSaw

The Prep Team will use the app ‘SeeSaw’ to share moments in the classroom with you. They also post reminders about upcoming events, and some suggestions for home activities. Details regarding access to SeeSaw will be shared with you at the beginning of the school year.

Teacher Contact Details

Teacher contact details will be made available in the first week of school. If you would like to contact your child’s teacher, please email and they will endeavour to respond within 3-5 working days, however, please note staff are not required to respond in this timeframe during weekends and term breaks. You can also send a message to your child’s teacher via Compass. For urgent matters, we ask that parents please contact the office on: 9329 6902.

Please be aware that due to additional school commitments, teachers are generally unavailable for meetings before and after school without prior notice.  If you would like to discuss a matter in detail please e-mail them and make an appointment for a mutually convenient time. If your class teacher has any concerns about your child, you will be contacted.