Our new Kindergarten Principal, Kjersti Nichols, implemented a revised group mixing process going into the present school year. With her years of experience in the LIS Hort and her background in change management, Ms Nichols put together a well thought through system which she expertly communicated to parents. We thought we’d do a round up of the main changes and some of the reasons for these.
The reasons for mixing groups are centred around changing social and learning factors. Children develop so much in the years from Nursery to school readiness. Their needs are never static and it is our mandate to assess and place your child in the group that is most suited to these needs. We will consider positive friendships, language abilities, age, gender, learning/developmental needs and learning partners.
At least one educator moves with a nursery group as they
transition from Nursery 1 to Nursery 2. At this early age, children are focused
on forming secure adult-child relationships that create the bases from which to
explore the world. As they gain confidence around the ages of 2, they become
more interested in other’s play and start to join in games and seek out other
children. As they near the end of Nursery they are ready to form friendships
and show affection, not just for their caregivers but also for their peers.
Moving from Nursery to Kindergarten we regroup our little ones because they go
from a four group system in Nursery 2 with 12 to 18 in each group to a three
group system in Early Year 1 with 20 children in each group. From the age of
three they may form special friendships with other children, they can play in
groups and offer to let others join in their games. By age 4 in EY 2, they are
starting to get to know other children beyond their special friends and form
relationships with other peers as well as develop more complex and
collaborative forms of play.
The next regroup will then take place as kids transition to EY3 and the pre-school curriculum. With increasing social flexibility, children are able to reach out to others and take on more personal responsibility. The change to EY3 also helps them prepare for the move to the Grade 1 and the socio-emotional adjustments that come with it.
It’s important for parents to stay positive during these periods of change. Transitions are times of uncertainty and your child is looking to the adults to help them navigate this. Let them know that this change is part of stepping up, going upstairs, and becoming the „big kids“. Speak with your Educators about tips on how best to help your child get ready for the next year.
The process of assigning groups can take up to a month. Changes in the groups can occur up until August, which is why parents are informed shortly before the start of the new school year.
For more information on our Kindergarten take a look at our website.