Principal Bec O’Connor, together with Assistant Principal: Religious Education (APRE) Hayley Hadfield and Primary Learning Leader (PLL) Cindy Plater, developed an imaginative, hands-on transition program in 2024, designed to welcome future students and their families into the school community. The leadership team had pre-Prep children digging for dinosaur fossils and exploring their local creek before they’d even started their first day of school. 

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"Ready, Set, Prep has become our signature offering, transforming the traditional school readiness model into a series of joyful adventures throughout the year,” Bec said​​. "Each session has a clear purpose. We carefully select a book to read with the children at the start of each session, followed by engaging literacy and numeracy activities built around the text.  There's often singing and dancing involved too, with morning tea to conclude the sessions and connect with families. It’s a beautiful way to spark imagination and help children make early connections with language and learning. We’ve also gone on a mini expedition to explore beautiful Fish Creek, which is right in our school backyard. Our goal is to help children feel excited and confident about starting school, while also encouraging their love of learning from the get-go.” 

 

Cindy said the results from their program speak for themselves.  "Our Prep students start the year with so much confidence, and lots of smiles,” she said. "First-day nerves are noticeably reduced because the children already know us; familiar faces and spaces help them feel calm and confident! That’s a huge testament to the program and how well it prepares our pre-Preps for school. The program is also hugely beneficial for we educators. On day one, we already know every child’s name, every parent’s name; we are welcoming people we have already made a connection with.” 

Bec adds, “Ready, Set, Prep invites families to participate alongside their children, building a sense of connection and familiarity with St Peter Chanel Primary School, even before enrolment. There are four sessions held across Term 2 and Term 3 and these are open to all local families with children approaching Prep age,” she said. 

The sessions are also an opportunity for the Support Teacher: Inclusive Education, to meet the new students and understand their individual needs before the new school year begins. 

“Parents are encouraged to join in the fun, and we wrap up each session with morning tea, so families can meet, connect and become part of our school community. Pre-Prep children are also invited to borrow books from our school library.  Families can return these books and borrow new ones at any stage of the school term. We also coordinate playdates for our pre-Prep students to facilitate friendship building and foster a strong sense of community before their commencement at SPC.” 

 

Bec said, “as we approach the end of the year, we also hold a Prep Orientation which helps prepare both our future Preps and their parents for the first day. For our future Preps, it’s an opportunity for them to get familiar with their classroom and to meet their teacher, and for our new parents, the Orientation goes over the basics and logistics, like what to pack for lunch, and ​pick up and drop off times.” 

Click here​ to register for the 2026 'Ready, Set, Prep' sessions.​