KINDERGARTEN UPDATE - 5TH FEBRUARY 2025

INFORMATION FOR KINDER PARENTS

One more sleep! We can’t wait to see our Kindergarten of 2025 tomorrow! Please see the information below to assist students and parents to have a great start.

Morning Drop-off

Parents and carers are welcome to escort children onto school site from 8:40am using any entrance. We suggest using the lower March St entrance where there will be staff to show children where to put their bags and where to go for morning play time. Coming via this entrance will also allow parents/carers keen to get a ‘first day’ photo to use the garden area in front of the March St building where it is a bit quieter. Though Thursday is usually Sports Day for Kinder students, for this week we are asking that children come dressed in REGULAR uniform so parents can get the more 'classic' first-day photo. 

Throughout their first week, teachers will also take the kinder classes through where to go and what to do in the morning before school. 

For Thursday and Friday this week, we are going to have our kinder students have their morning play on the bottom netball court – which will only be used for Kinder students (from next Monday we will let them play with the rest of the school as per normal morning routine). Morning bell (actually a song) will sound at approximately 9:07am at which point staff will walk the children up the COLA to assemble with the rest of the school. When the song sounds, it is a chance to reassure children and say a final goodbye prior to them lining up. We ask that parents aim for a quick goodbye and not follow children into the room. This will assist to build good habits with the children and avoid a stressful separation in the classroom.

Please note: We understand that many parents may not be able to escort kinder students onto school site due to work commitments, etc – this is okay! Kindergarten students who are dropped-off, come via bus or walk with siblings will be assisted to move to the correct morning play area. There will be extra staff on hand across the school to support our new kinder students as they learn new routines across the first weeks.

If you are concerned that your child may be unsure what to do in the morning, please bring them to the school office and a staff member will assist them while they are learning this new routine.

At Home Time

Though our usual school day finishes at 3:10pm, for the first two weeks kindergarten students may be picked up from 2:30 – 3:10pm if parents/carers wish. Please note that students staying until 3:10pm will be supervised by their class teacher. From the week commencing Monday, 17th February onward, kindergarten students will stay for the full day (3:10pm).

During these first two weeks, parents are welcome to come into the classroom to collect children. This is also a great opportunity to have a look at the room, for your child to show you around and to have a chat with the teacher.

From Week 4 (Monday, 17th Feb) onward, as students commence full days, we ask that parents wait outside the March St building for children to be escorted out. Parents are still welcome to wait inside the school site under the shaded area near the classrooms. All K-2 students are supervised in this area by multiple staff until they are picked up or escorted by an older sibling as per parent arrangements.

SCHOOL MAP

REMINDERS

General Reminders

• Morning playground supervision commences at 8:40am. The morning bell sounds at 9:07am and we encourage all students to be on school site prior to this time so they are on time and ready for learning.
• Don’t forget your child’s school hat, packed recess/lunch, fruit and a drink bottle.
• Don’t forget to pack a spare change of clothes, particularly underpants in case of any accidents.
• Please clearly label all belongings with your child’s name.
• It is also a good idea to apply sunscreen in the morning and encourage them to reapply throughout the day.
• Kindergarten sports days is Thursday, with regular uniform required all other days.
• Canteen is open on Wednesday and Friday with lunch orders placed via the online QuikCliq system – available via our School Bytes app homepage or by following this link: https://www.quickcliq.com.au/

SCHOOL BYTES

Orange East PS uses the School Bytes management system for various student administration tasks including:

• Communication (School Bytes App & Email)
• Calendars
• Event Management/Parent Payments
• Forms/Permission Notes
• Attendance 
• Academic Reports
• Education Plans

If not already done, all parents should now be able to set up their child/children's School Bytes account allowing you access to the features listed above. Having access to the School Bytes Parent Portal is very important in completing various tasks required throughout the year as well as receiving communication from the school. We strongly suggest downloading the School Bytes Parent App and ensuring that notifications are enabled on your personal device.

If you require any assistance with setting up your account, please visit or phone the school office so that we can ensure this is done as easily as possible. Please also find below some links to frequently used School Bytes Parent Guides:

• Set up your parent portal account
• How to access School Bytes
• Turn on School Bytes parent app notifications
• Manage student absences

KINDERGARTEN TEAM