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Windsor South Public adopts school readiness program to set children up for success
Freya Lucas
Dec 17, 2024
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Children joining Windsor South Public School as the new Kindergarten cohort in 2025 have wrapped up their transition to school sessions, feeling confident after attending a playgroup and special transition sessions at the school to prepare for ‘big school’ next year.
Known as ‘Southie Sprouts’ the children are among more than 60,000 four- and five-year-olds gearing up to start Kindergarten in New South Wales public schools in February 2025.The Southie Sprouts program has been running weekly, allowing children to become familiar with the school environment, meet their Kindergarten teachers and make new friends.
“Four or five years ago when we didn’t run this program the children were coming in and we were spending all of Term 1 just teaching them how to sit, how to hold a pencil, how to write, how to look, how to listen,” Principal Belinda Bristol explained.
“Through this program the kids come to school ready, so from day one they’re learning.”
“By this time of year, at the end of Kindergarten, they’re reading, writing, and ready for Year 1. We’re not spending Kindergarten as a preschool year.”
In 2025, she continued, there are a record 60 children enrolled for Kindergarten, and approximately 45 of them have participated in the three-hour Southie Sprouts sessions on Wednesdays this term.
Run by the assistant principal, early intervention teacher and four learning support officers, the sessions involve the children enjoying activities and games that challenge and develop their fine and gross motor skills, which are essential for school readiness.
The children have morning tea and lunch and across Term 4 have met their Kindergarten teachers, spent time in the classrooms and playground and visited the library and canteen.
“They are so excited to come, they wake up every day and say, ‘Is it Sprouts day?’” Mrs Bristol said.
“We have little Southie Sprouts T-shirts, but they love coming in their uniforms like they’re getting ready for school.”
“There are no tears, they’re making friends, they’re making their social connections and developing a sense of belonging.”
Mrs Bristol believes that the sessions have made the children more confident and comfortable at the school and helped teachers understand children’s interests, strengths and needs.
“We’ve seen such a difference in the children and can identify early any children with any specific learning support needs, allowing us to provide targeted interventions and resources to support their development effectively,” she said.
The number of children participating in Southie Sprouts this term is up from 35 last term and follows a weekly playgroup in Term 2.
The playgroup involved parents accompanying their children to the school but attending parent information sessions in the school hall, which covered subjects such as behaviour management, reading and early phonics skills.
It included visits from a speech therapist, occupational therapist, dietitian, counsellor, the NDIS, Centrelink and Service NSW. Parents also toured the school and visited classrooms.
This information was first shared by the NSW Department of Education. Find the original coverage here.
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