Transition Programs

At Our Lady of Hope, we understand that a successful transition program can make a big difference to how comfortable your child will feel on their first day at school. Therefore, we offer transition visits for all of our new students and are happy to tailor an individual transition program to suit your child.

Our approaches to transition are outlined below:

Reception Transition:

Each year in Term 4, we offer two compulsory transition sessions for all of our Reception children who will be starting the following year. This in addition to our STARS program.

What is the STARS Program?

The Student Transition and Readiness for School (STARS) is an optional program offered to all children enrolled in Reception at OLOH School.  As part of this program, the children attend school for one morning per week and work with a teacher and educational support officer. The STARS program contains a mix of play-based activities as well as some more structured tasks which help children to develop their readiness for school. The children are introduced to the routines of school, as well as becoming familiar with the school surrounds and the staff they will be working with the following year. The children also get the opportunity to form friendships with other children.

The STARS program runs for the whole year and children can access this program at the beginning of Semester 1 or Semester 2 or at the start of a school term if vacancies exist in the year prior to them commencing Reception. Children commencing in Reception in Term 1 will be offered four terms of STARS in the year prior to commencement. Children commencing Reception in Term 3 will be offered 2 Terms of STARS in the year they commence school. Further information about this program will be provided to parents once they have been offered a place and have returned the Acceptance of Enrolment form. If you would like to know more about the program prior to enrolment please don't hesitate to contact the Principal's PA, Donna Eeles deeles@oloh.catholic.edu.au. 

Term 3 Reception Transition:

We have two compulsory transition sessions for students and new families to the school that work in the same way as the sessions described above. Extra transition sessions can also be arranged with the school for those children who need this and, where required, teachers will visit Kindergartens in order to meet children.

Transition in Other Year Levels:

When children are commencing in a year level other than Reception at the beginning of a school year, they will be invited along for two to three transition sessions in Term 4 of the previous year. These transition sessions help children to become familiar with the school environment and also assist children with getting to know other students in their year level. In the final transition session, the children will spend 45 minutes meeting their teacher and class for the following year.

When children commence during the course of a school year, transition visits will be offered to the children prior to their commencement. The timing and length of these transition visits are negotiated between the family and the school.

Extra Transition Sessions:

We recognise that some children may take a little bit longer to settle into a new school environment and may need extra transition sessions. Where this is the case, we will negotiate with families in order to develop a transition program that suits the child. These transition programs can take the form of extra visits prior to starting school or, alternatively, we can negotiate for children to start schooling on a part time basis whereby they attend school for only part of the day, then slowly build up to full days when they are ready.

Please don't hesitate to ask us if you have any questions about our transition programs.