Starting kinder and school in 2020

This is a busy time of year for teachers and schools as you plan for the year ahead. The Department has lots of resources available to support teachers at this time of year, especially graduate teachers starting your new careers.

Bushfire information

• Bushfires 2020: Information for schools – information on school closures, bushfire preparedness, support available to teachers and advice on how to support students and their families.
• Emergency closures and relocations – check if your school, child care centre or kindergarten is closed.
• Air quality advice, leave entitlements and EAP – protecting your health and wellbeing this bushfire season.
• State Schools’ Relief - the State Schools Relief supports students experiencing disadvantage, homelessness, family violence or natural disasters with school uniforms and supplies. Schools apply for assistance on behalf of families.

Coronavirus

• Coronavirus advice on the emerging outbreak of novel coronavirus

Get ready for Term 1

• Learning reaches great heights at Brentwood Secondary College – teachers come from all walks of life. Chris Barry went from a career soaring through the clouds, to helping young people’s dreams come true.
• Lifesaving PE teacher wins Order of Australia medal - teachers come from all walks of life. Stafford Smith went from saving lives, to transforming them.
• Getting off to a good start with your new class - a Cheltenham teacher shares his welcome to a new class that sets the agenda for the year ahead
• Ten tips: set up an inclusive classroom - the start of a new school year is a great time review your classroom and make it more inclusive for students who are deaf or hard of hearing
• Resources to support graduate and mentor teachers- resources are available to give teachers practical steps for navigating their first year in the classroom
• From kitchen to classroom, reflections of a grad teacher - after 10 years as a commercial chef, James Hardie has traded his kitchen for the classroom and shares his advice to other first-year graduate teachers
• Making your mark in your graduate year
• Taking time to be my best teacher
• Teacher tip: Practice principles that support students transition from primary to secondary school
• 10 tips to build parental engagement
• Top tips: Inspiring careers in STEM
  

Help children transition and settle into their kindergarten program with these tips and resources for early childhood education services.

Bushfire information

• Bushfires 2020 – information on service closures, emergency procedures for early childhood services, financial support for services and advice on how to support children and their families.
• VCAA Bushfire Education – teaching resources and lesson plans to help you talk with children about bushfires, including preparing for, responding to, and recovering from fires.
• Emergency management for early childhood services - emergency management processes, procedures and requirements for early childhood education and care services.
  

Resources and advice for parents, teachers and educators

• Tips to help children get prepared for starting prep – tips you can offer to help parents prepare their child as they transition from a kindergarten program into Prep
• Moving to primary school – Transition planning information for early childhood services.
  

Parents and carers play an important role in a child’s learning at all ages. There are many ways that you can support your child as they start the school year

Bushfires information

• Bushfires 2020: Information for parents and carers – dedicated bushfires information for parents and families.
• Emergency closures and relocations– check if your school, child care centre or kindergarten is closed, or if your school bus service is affected. 
• Additional Child Care Subsidy – if your child misses child care due to bushfires, you may be able to get extra help with the cost of child care.

Advice for starting kindergarten

• Preparing for kindergarten - some tips and strategies to help you and your child in the early days and weeks of starting kindergarten.
• Immunisations - information on immunisation requirements for kindergarten.
• A SunSmart start to your child’s education - starting kindergarten in summer means following SunSmart's tips for protecting your child from the sun's UV rays.

Help your child make the school transition

• 10 tips to help your child transition to Prep (pdf - 54.1kb)
• 10 tips to help your child transition to secondary school (pdf - 35.18kb)
• 10 tips to help your child transition to Years 11 and 12 (pdf - 37.64kb)
• Going to school - information for parents of children starting school, including how to choose and enrol in a school, costs, uniforms, getting involved with your child's learning and complaints.
• Prepping for prep - Emlyn and his mum prepare for his transition to Prep
• Prep starts school with a new friend – starting Prep is much easier when you’ve got a Year five buddy to help
• Jump into Prep with a Prep bag
• New design for Prep Bags 2020 - we are sending every Victorian prep student a ‘Prep bag’ packed with useful resources and books.
• Books for 2020 government school Prep students and their families
• Popular books for school starters -help your child prepare for their first day of kindergarten or school with some popular books about starting school.
• Getting ready for high school – ‘relax and let go’ is our advice to parents of students beginning high school.
• New schools opening in 2020

Advice for starting school

• 10 ways to go back to school sustainably - this week we're going back to school - here's how we can do it as sustainably as possible.
• Immunisations – information on immunisation requirements for school and free school-based vaccination programs.
• A SunSmart start to your child’s education - starting school in summer means following SunSmart's tips for protecting your child from the sun's UV rays.
• Help with school costs – options available to help you manage school costs
• How can I help build my child’s numeracy skills? – learn how you can help nurture your child’s numeracy skills.
• Tips to help you help your child with their maths homework- learn how to help with homework in a way that will maximise your child’s learning.
• Fun numeracy activities to share at home with your child – ideas and resources to help you and your child find opportunities to learn numeracy all around you, appropriate for all ages
  

Find more back to school information for parents.

The start of the school year is an exciting and challenging time. Your teachers and family can support you as you head back to school.

• Emergency closures and relocations – check if your school is closed due to bushfires.
• Coronavirus advice on the emerging outbreak of novel coronavirus.
  
• Kids Helpline – anxious? worried about the bushfires? Kids Helpline is here for you.
• 10 ways to prepare for Year 12 like a champ
• Achieving is believing– the winners of the 2019 Premier's VCE Awards give their advice to students starting VCE and VET in 2020.
• Where to now? 2020– find out about the senior secondary qualifications available in Victoria and where these can lead you after you’ve finished school.