Prep

Days and Hours of Attendance

Monday to Friday - 8:45am to 2:45pm

Faith Lutheran College, Redlands Preschool was established in 1996. In 2007 the Preschool became Prep Year.

Faith Prep is set around several eucalyptus trees with koalas as regular visitors. The facilities are well resourced and attractive and all units have good ventilation, space and the opportunity for the learning areas to be varied and changed into a bright, appealing environment.

Prep is seen as an integral and important year and refers to the year prior to school entry. Prep is a setting in which developmentally appropriate experiences are offered by teachers trained in Early Childhood Education. Each class is under the care and guidance of a qualified teacher supported by a teacher assistant. Class numbers are limited to 28 with an appropriate staff/child ratio.

Special features at Faith Prep

• The emphasis on worship and Christian education with daily prayers and worship time.
• A balance between free play, self-selected learning activities and group sessions such as Music, numeracy, literacy and Science.
• In Terms 2 and 3 a Perceptual Motor Program is run once a week for Prep children to improve coordination, gross motor development, visual and auditory memory and confidence.
• A buddy system operates between Year 5 and Prep children who meet on a fortnightly basis with special activities and a time to foster mutual care.
• The Prep children are gradually introduced into the main school activities as the year progresses and participate in routines such as assembly, fire drills, play activities, bells and school toilets.
• Involvement with the College in order to facilitate a smooth transition into Year 1.
• The Prep children are also introduced to other special activities throughout the year e.g. Library borrowing, Music specialist lessons, P.E lessons, Funfest, Junior Chapel, Assembly, activities with the Year 1 classes, visiting other classes and tuckshop.

Semester One

During Semester 1 the children will be sharing their experiences and knowledge of themselves and their environment. Our topics begin with the child’s immediate world and branch out to the wider community based on aspects of the Prep curriculum. Our program is complimented with a variety of activities including special visits from Henny Penny chick hatching program, Barnyard Babies, Rocky Rangers Wildlife program and The Rainforest experience puppet presentation.

Our Prep program places strong emphasis on children learning about God’s love for them. In Semester 1 this is explored through a focus on Jesus and his ministry on earth, relationships, Creation and learning more about the stories in the Bible.

At the conclusion of each term the highlight for the children is performing concerts for Easter and Grandparents Day. The first half of the year is a special time for Prep children, teachers and parents as we establish relationships and foster a love for learning.

Semester Two

During Semester 2 children are expanding their knowledge of the wider community through communication. Topics such as space, community helpers and people from other nations are explored.

Special events that take place include an excursion in Term 3, Koinonia Day (a special College multicultural day raising money for underprivileged children), Dress up days and Christmas concerts. We also enjoy a variety of special visitors to the Prep classrooms to complement our units of learning.

Christian education in Semester 2 includes visits to chapel with the Year 1-3 children. Topics of interest are Heroes of the Bible, Old Testament Bible Stories, Friends of Jesus, Prayer and Worship and The Christmas Story.

The highlight of our year is our Christmas Concert, Celebration Lunch and Graduation Ceremony.

Program Aims

Promote the physical, emotional, social, cognitive, creative and spiritual development of each child.

Foster those abilities, skills and attitudes, which will assist in efficient future learning e.g. curiosity, divergent thinking, recall, and personal organization.

Complement and build on that learning that has already occurred at home and in class and encouraging parent to teacher communication through home visits, interviews and special functions.

Assist each child in making a smooth transition from home to school, with a gradual introduction to school life, e.g. co-operative learning in the classroom, familiarisation with routines, lessons by specialist teachers, some association with the year one setting, and membership of the wider school environment.