Issue 1 – 30 Jan - Ascot State School

classroom activities and to join our active P& C. Welcome back to our existing parents; it’s great to
have you on board for another exciting year.
The first week of school is always an exciting time for parents, teachers and most importantly
students. The students of Ascot State School have had a wonderful start to 2013. It’s delightful to
see the enthusiasm and excitement on the faces of the students. Some of the new Prep students
look like they have been coming to school for months, other students may take a little while to
settle in – but they will.
What can you do to help your child at school?
Establish a consistent routine before and after school
Have a positive view of school. Stay in touch with teachers and where possible get involved with
the school. Talk about school and what the children are learning
Encourage children to be resilient. Have high but realistic expectations for your child/ren
READ READ, READ and more READING. Reading to your child every night assists children to
build vocabulary and to develop their oral language and the language of books.
Assembly
Prep – Year 2 Assembly is held on a Monday morning at 10.30am. All parents and grandparents are
welcome to attend. The Assemblies are a wonderful opportunity for classes to showcase their
learning and their talents. You may be surprised at what capable public speakers we have. Our first
whole school assembly is the Presentation School Leaders on Monday 25 February at 9:00am.
School Zones/Two Minute Parking Zones
Brisbane City Council has notified the school of their intention to maintain a presence and enforce
illegal parking within school zones during the 2013 school year. As you know, parking spaces during
pick up and set down times are at a premium. Subsequently, competition for these spaces leads to
poor driver behaviour and potentially dangerous parking practices.
The primary purpose for parking enforcement around schools is to ensure child safety and it is not
Council’s intention to make parking near schools an overly onerous task. Officers will engage with
all drivers where it is safe to do so and advise the risks associated with illegal parking. Officers may
issue parking fines in cases where dangerous parking practices are observed.
Our only priority in the Two Minute Parking Zones is your child’s safety. Please support our staff to
manage your child’s safety.
Early Years Update
What do Children do in Prep?
In the Early Years at Ascot State School we use the Australian Curriculum and the Early Years
Curriculum Guidelines to plan and implement quality learning experiences for students.
The curriculum is based on active learning, which includes inquiry and play. Early Phase children:
Engage in focused learning episodes
Actively make choices about what and how they learn
Investigate and learn how to inquire about their interests
Plan collaboratively with the teacher
Participate in music and language experiences
Investigate and play independently, in pairs, small groups and as a class
Participate in dramatic play to build an understanding of themselves and the world around them
Draw and paint to encourage oral language, reading and writing skills
Construct, using blocks and create collages to develop early mathematical concepts and skills.
Enjoy the first week.
Melissa