A parent’s first impressions of Prep which is designed to prepare young children for Kindy and provide them with a smooth transition to structured learning.
Shannon van Soest’s four-year-old son was previously attending early learning daycare but she and her husband Daniel decided to move him to Prep at Pacific Hills as a three-year-old to complete the (up to) two-year program. She said the benefits have been greater than expected.
“We find the structured learning environment at Prep really suits him and is preparing him with the transition to Kindergarten in 2021. He likes the routines and having activities for ‘Big School’ such as going to the library and having music and sport classes. There is plenty of variety to keep him interested. We think this gradual transition can work well for boys as they don’t always want to sit and focus for extended periods. Of course, every child is different but the environment suits our son really well.”
“Our son loves wearing the Prep uniform and taking his school bag with his packed lunch. He has really taken ownership of that. He’s such a happy little boy!”
“We also like the fact that Pacific Hills offers a holistic learning environment, for example, the children are being taught about being generous and having compassion for others.”
“The single drop off/ pick up is really convenient too, as our daughter attends Pacific Hills Junior School and the Prep is on the same grounds as the rest of the School.”
Shannon added, “The smaller Prep classes also mean that our son is receiving plenty of individual attention and we have ease of contact with his teacher.” She said her son is not the only one benefiting from being at Pacific Hills.
“Daniel and I place a lot of value on relationships and we feel really connected to the School community. At Pacific Hills, people take the time to smile and say hello – whether it be the parents, teachers or students. We love the way the Year 12’s greet the Junior School Students through the kiss ‘n drop each morning. Our children have made a lot of nice friends and through them, we are meeting many families. We are confident that Prep is the right place for our son as he makes the big transition into Kindergarten.”
