The Importance of Early Childhood education

We recognise the importance of early childhood education for all children, but particularly for children who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Early childhood education (playgroups, kinder, pre-school) help all children develop important social and emotional skills that will be an advantage when starting their formal school life.

Some important areas of learning in Early Childhood Education are listed below.

• use of the body, including hands
• respect for others
• how to relate to others, both adults and other children
• how to resolve conflict
• problem solving skills
• communication
• getting used to the things that make people different from each other
• self knowledge – understanding of feelings, a sense of your own

strengths, talents and uniqueness

• confidence
• a sense of belonging to family, community, culture
• how to look after and take care of yourself
• behaving in acceptable ways and controlling your own behaviour.

Enrolment Age for Foundation

 The minimum starting age for a child to be enrolled in a Victorian school is four years and eight months, i.e. a child must turn five by 30 April in the year of starting school.  We meet regularly with local early childhood teachers to ensure that children are ready for school. Some children benefit from another year of preschool before starting primary school.

Enrolment Priority

Subject to any exercise of discretion by the Parish Priest, the following list provides an agreed order of priority for enrolment in our school, which is consistent with the enrolment policy for all Catholic primary schools.  The order of priority is:

a) Catholic children who are residents of the parish;
b) Catholic children who do not reside in the parish but are recognized as parishioners by the Parish Priest;
c) Catholic children from other parishes (for pastoral reasons);
d) Children from non-Catholic Eastern Churches who reside in the parish;
e) Children from non-Catholic Eastern Churches who reside outside the parish;
f) Other Christian children who reside in the parish;
g) Other Christian children who reside outside the parish;
h) Non-Christian children who reside in the parish; and
i) Non-Christian children who reside outside the parish.

Please contact the School Office for a School Tour.