Coming along to get along

By Elizabeth Lillis
PREPS at Hallam Valley Primary School in Narre Warren have had an enjoyable start to their school life.
Assistant principal Geoff Foster said the students were settling in well.
“The students are settling into life in their classroom with the parents assisting where needed,’’ he said.
Mr Foster said 50 prep students allocated into two and a half prep classes had started at the school this year.
He said there were very few tears on the first day.
“I think there were more tears from the mums than the students,’’ he said.
Mr Foster said the two ‘You can do it’ themes the school was focusing on in first term were learning to be organised and getting along with each other.
Mr Foster said organisation was an important skill for the preps to learn so they could cope with school life.
“Organisation is needed for even the small things, like knowing to eat your small lunch at play time and your sandwich at big lunch time.
“We have found students with only a biscuit left at lunch time,’’ he said.
Mr Foster said the focus on getting along with each other helped as the students formed new friendships.
The student numbers at Hallam Valley Primary School have stabilised with an enrolment of approximately 500 students for 2007.