Welcome Back for 2024!

This is an exciting, fresh start for our Early Learning Centre. We are very proud to welcome your daughters into a beautiful, architecturally designed, renovated home filled with new, thoughtfully-purchased educational resources—all arranged to provide your daughters with an outstanding early education.

Change, whilst exciting and welcomed by many, can also ignite feelings of uncertainty for some, especially when you are entrusting us with your daughter’s care and education. Please be assured that whilst this environment is new for us, it has been created within a much-loved home and the learning will be led by an experienced team of educators. It is a courageous beginning in the 140-year history of Wilderness School; in years to come, the faces of your precious daughters will be shown in the historical first-day photographs. This is a very special moment in time, and you will be part of it.

You will no doubt have many questions, both big and small, so I shall endeavour to cover some in this message and will continue to share information with you as we progress in the coming weeks. As I say in the school tours, please ask your questions, because they will most definitely be on the minds of others. Equally, if any concerns arise, please immediately bring them to our attention; we are committed to ensuring that this is a smooth, happy transition for you and your daughters.

Who Are the Teaching Team Members and How Do You Contact Them?

As you know, we are moving into one house this year and very much utilising the spaces together; however, your daughters will be welcomed into either the 'Mamie House' or the 'Annie House' wing of the house in the mornings, where they will be greeted and settled by familiar educators. We will show you this in the orientation or on your first day, and it will very quickly become a familiar routine.

Even though at times we will work together, your daughters will still belong to either the Mamie House or Annie House group, and the contact details for these educators are listed below. Seesaw, our learning platform which will be set up for you, is the easiest and most efficient way to communicate with the class teachers. You will see all of us regularly in person, where you will be able to ask questions about your daughter’s day, but if you have any other questions, you can use the methods listed under each of the names.

• Nominated Supervisor/Educational Leader: Mrs Rebecca Williamson (Assistant Head of Junior School – Early Years)

Phone: (08) 8343 1070

Email

• Mamie House Class Teacher: Mrs Wendy Menzies (email)

Mamie House Co-educators: Mrs Tommie Williams (Monday and Friday), Mrs Kathy De Silva (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday)

Ms Meagan Steffensen, a Reception co-educator, will also visit the Mamie House every day to cover co-educator lunches and twice a week to cover planning time.

• Annie House Class Teacher: Miss Danielle Moir (email)

Annie House Co-educators: Ms Mia Gannon (Mondays), Ms Tania Roscio (Tuesday to Friday) and Ms Sophie Bonner (Monday to Friday).

Miss Ashlee Thiele, a Year 1 co-educator, will visit the Annie House daily to cover co-educator lunches and twice a week for planning time.

I will teach the Mamie and Annie girls daily when Miss Wendy and Miss Danielle have their lunches.

Annie House Teacher from Term 2 Onwards

We are delighted to inform you that when Miss Danielle Moir commences maternity leave at the beginning of Term 2, Ms Sophie Bonner has accepted the position of Annie House class teacher. Sophie has a bachelor degree in both Primary Education and Early Childhood Education, having completed her final placement in 2023 in the Mamie House. Sophie is an outstanding teacher who already knows your daughters very well and will continue to get to know them over this first term, thus ensuring a very smooth transition into Term 2. We will be interviewing for the position of co-educator for Term 2 very soon, and I will communicate this new appointment with you accordingly.

What Time is Arrival and Dismissal?

Arrival: 8.15am – 9.00am

We will happily welcome your daughters into the Early Learning Centre from 8.15am up until 9.00am each day. Prior to 8.15am, we will be creating the learning activities and discussing each day’s planning together. We kindly ask that you arrive before 9.00am, as this will enable your daughter to be ready to participate in the first morning meeting of the day. If you arrive after 9.00am, you will still be welcomed, but it may make it more challenging for your daughter to settle into that day’s routine.

What Do You Do When You Arrive?

When you arrive, as mentioned above, your daughter will complete her morning jobs (including unpacking her water bottle and toileting) and settle into either the Mamie or Annie rooms. Please remember to say goodbye and inform an educator when you are ready to leave.

What Happens at Dismissal?

Mamies: 3.00pm

Annies: from 3.15pm to 3.25pm

In the same place you arrive (the verandah on the opposite side of the house to Hawkers Road), you will be greeted by an educator who will briefly speak to you about your daughter’s day and dismiss her to you. We like to ensure that our dismissal time is calm, orderly and as personal as the arrival routine, so we ask that you please wait until you are greeted, and your daughter will be brought to you. Again, you are most welcome to collect your daughter before this time, as we understand that multiple school drop off and collections can be very busy times.

When Do the Specialist Lessons Take Place?

This year, our specialist lessons will take place in our annex, the extension at the back of the house. We will eventually use the School’s library, but we will wait to settle your daughters in before commencing this regular walking excursion.

Specialist lessons are as follows:

• Monday – Physical Education (please wear predominantly white running shoes)
• Tuesday – Yoga
• Wednesday – Music
• Thursday – Library (please pack your daughter’s blue library bag).

How Do I Report My Daughter’s Absence?

Please ensure that if your daughter is absent, you have lodged this through the Absentee link on the SEQTA Engage app. This will also notify the teachers in the class roll. If your daughter has a diagnosed illness, we kindly ask that you inform us (preferably me) so that we can communicate this with families, if required.

How Do I Order Lunch? What Should I Pack For Lunch? How Should I Pack It?

We believe that mealtimes are special and important for learning. We all sit together (in Mamie/Annie groups) to eat and converse. You can pack your daughter’s recess in a separate container to her lunch, or all in one lunch box. Please make sure the lunch box is kept cool with ice packs, as it will not be refrigerated. The girls bring a wide variety of food and sometimes keep leftovers in a thermos, as we do not reheat food at school.

Please ensure that your lunches do not contain nuts (may contain traces of nuts are permissible) or whole eggs (as these can be tricky to manage for allergies). However, eggs in fried rice (for example) are perfectly easy to manage.

You can also order lunch via the Flexischools app, which is linked to SEQTA Engage. The food arrives at lunchtime (so recess snacks cannot be ordered) and it is delicious! Please order before 9.00am each morning, and if you forget, we are always here to help you.

When Do I Need to Provide an Immunisation History Statement?

Please email a copy of the immunisation history statement via the ELC mailbox or to me personally via email in the month before your daughter commences and again when she turns 4 years old. This is a legal requirement and vital for continuing enrolment.

What Can I Do to Celebrate My Daughter’s Birthday at School?

Given the large number of girls, their age, their allergies and the desire to embed early healthy eating habits, we kindly ask that you please do not bring food in for birthday celebrations. You can bring in little party bags, a book to share with the class or a gift to share with the girls as part of the celebration. Over the years, we have seen incredible generosity with these gifts, and they are appreciated, but please remember that even the smallest of items (a lovely sticker, for example) make the girls happy. Most of all, the greatest joy is generally shown by the birthday girl, who simply gets to stand at the front and give these to her friends (and it is not usually about the gift she is handing out).

What Will My Daughter Be Learning?

Most importantly, our initial priority will be establishing routines, rituals and getting to know your daughters. We will, however, build upon this learning with our first project, ‘The Wonder of Me’. You will be asked to contribute to this project and more information will be shared soon. Photos and documentation will be communicated with you via the Seesaw application.

Upcoming Dates

Final Transition Visit: Monday 29 January, 2.00pm – 4.00pm

We cannot wait to share in this very exciting time with you as we commence the 2024 academic year, and we look forward to seeing you on Monday 29 January from 2.00pm – 4.00pm.