In this episode of "Dare to Be More," we explore the vital steps families can take to prepare young girls for the transition into kindergarten. Joanne Sharpe, Deputy in the Junior School, shares her expertise on building social and emotional wellbeing, fostering independence, and the importance of establishing predictable routines to ensure a smooth start to school life.

In This Episode, You'll Discover:

• Why social and emotional readiness is more important than academic preparation for new students.

• How building familiarity with the school environment through tours and orientations reduces anxiety.

• What practical steps parents can take at home to foster independence in their daughters.

• Why establishing a consistent sleep and morning routine is critical for a successful first term.

• How the partnership between home and school supports the individual growth of every girl.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The transition from pre-kindergarten to kindergarten and the benefits of shared environments.

• Strategies for managing the emotional milestone of the first day of school for both parents and children.

• The role of buddies in helping new students navigate unfamiliar routines and spaces.

• Using visual schedules to reduce the cognitive load on young learners.

• Encouraging girls to embrace new opportunities and dare to be more from an early age.

Notable Quotes:

I think there's plenty of things that parents can do and that we set up as a school in terms of our orientation programme.

Joanne Sharpe "Your child will get the best out of their school time when we are really cohesive and working as a team." -Joanne Sharpe

"Daring to be more than they thought they could be." - Joanne Sharpe

Connect with MLC School:

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• LinkedIn 

Host:  Anthony Perl

Production: Podcasts Done For You. For more information about podcast production services, visit podcastsdoneforyou.com.au.

#KindergartenReady #EarlyLearning #SydneyEducation #DareToBeMore #GirlsEducation #ParentingSupport

Preparing for kindergarten.

2

Welcome to Dare to Be More, the podcast

from MLC School in Burwood, Sydney.

3

Today, we're exploring the exciting, yet

sometimes nerve-wracking transition into

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kindergarten with Joanne Sharp, Deputy

Head of Junior School for Wellbeing.

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Discover how families and the school

work together to build familiarity

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and confidence through orientation,

play dates, and practical preparation,

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such as practicing separation,

independent skills, and daily routines.

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You'll hear helpful tips on

setting up predictable routines,

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communicating with teachers, and how

to approach the first day and beyond

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with positivity and partnership.

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I'm your co-host, Anthony Pearl.

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Let's get into today's conversation.

13

Well, hello everyone and

welcome to another episode.

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I've got Joanne with me today, and

we're going to have a wonderful

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discussion, I know, because it's all

about preparedness for kindergarten.

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It's an exciting and nerve-wracking

time on many different levels.

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Joanne Sharpe: Thank you so much.

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It's a pleasure to be here.

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Anthony Perl: Well, Joanne, firstly, I

think the thing to do is to get you to

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introduce yourself to everyone, please.

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Joanne Sharpe: So my name is Joanne Sharp,

and I am the deputy in the junior school.

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My role oversees wellbeing and

the pastoral care of the girls.

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And I feel it's a real privilege to be

able to walk alongside the girls and

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the families of the girls to really

look at developing each and every

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individual in a really positive way and

supporting their wellbeing and their

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growth and development as young people.

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Anthony Perl: And you get to witness

it from the very, very early stages.

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And I guess that must be the interesting

thing too, seeing them go from these

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little young things who are walking

into a playground and that sort of

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environment for the first time, then

later going on to graduate from school.

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Joanne Sharpe: Yes.

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At MLC we have pre-kindergarten

and a kindergarten class.

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So s- students can start when they're

very young at either of those entry

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levels, and they're just adorable

young ones and it's really pleasurable

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to be spending time with them and

to watch them then grow over time.

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Anthony Perl: So talk to me firstly

about the differences that we have here,

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because we're talking about preparedness

for kindergarten, but we've probably got

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two streams of kids that come through.

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There are those in the MLC preschool

and those who are new to school.

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So let's talk about those coming

from the MLC preschool first.

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Joanne Sharpe: Yes, I've been at MLC

now, this is my sixth year, so I'm

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starting to see some of the ones who

were in that pre-kindergarten and

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kindergarten classes in the upper grades

of primary school, the junior school.

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Yes, it'll be interesting to see

maybe in another six or eight

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years, be- if I'm still here, to see

them graduate through to year 12.

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Anthony Perl: How do they prepare?

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I mean, it's nerve-wracking

for parents and kids alike.

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Is there a notable difference between

that and when they start school?

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Joanne Sharpe: I don't think there's

a terribly much of a difference in

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terms of what I think is important, the

social and emotional wellbeing supports

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for our young girls, both supports

from the school but also from their

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families, and what sorts of things

that the parents and families can do

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to assist that transition from either

home or another setting into MLC school.

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Anthony Perl: What do you recommend

as a starting point for families?

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I mean, how much in advance do they need

to start thinking about these things?

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Because again, I gather you've got

kids that may have been in some kind

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of preschool or daycare elsewhere,

right through to those who have pretty

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much been at home and may not have

socialized at all with other kids.

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Joanne Sharpe: Yes, and now we're

out of the other end of COVID, there

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were-- there's less students who

have spent a lot of time at home.

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We do have a lot of students

who come from other settings.

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So they're used to that separation

and spending time with other peers and

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other adults in their life at daycare or

even grandparents and things like that.

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They're coming to a new setting

regardless of whether they're used to

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separating or not, and that always has an

element of nervousness for any student,

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no matter how old they are really.

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But I think there's plenty of

things that parents can do and

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that we set up as a school in

terms of our orientation program.

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So we have opportunities for students

and their families to come in and visit.

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Usually that first time is on a tour day.

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Many of them come through a

tour day and look at the school.

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Then they meet us in an enrollment

interview, and we get to chat

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through the, the day and the life of

a student at MLC school and answer

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questions and those sorts of things.

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But more importantly, in the, you

know, six months or so out from the

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new year, we start to hold some times

where we invite parents and, or the

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students to come in and visit the

school and hear more about what they

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need to know at that stage leading

into starting the school the next year.

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And that's a really important time

for developing and building that

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familiarity with the school setting

and the routines and the expectations.

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And of course, meeting other

students is really important too.

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Anthony Perl: I imagine that's the

nerve-wracking part for many parents,

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seeing how their kids are going to

engage potentially with other kids.

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And in that kind of environment, what do

you see in those first orientation days?

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I mean, is it really a true

taste of what is to come?

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Joanne Sharpe: Look, it's sort of both.

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I think it's different

for different children.

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For some it's a, a taster and it,

you know, is very different starting

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and then having to come every day,

day after day, for the whole day.

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For others they really embrace the

opportunity and just settle in r- like

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they've been here for a long time.

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But, yeah, it's different for each

child, and sometimes it's unpredictable

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and sometimes it's students who

have been less outgoing during an

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orientation session come in all guns

blazing and take on the world and

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have a great time the following year.

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And other students who come to

the transition times quite easily

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and separate easily, you know, d-

find that day after day in the new

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environment a little bit more demanding.

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So it's hard to tell.

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Anthony Perl: Yeah, I imagine

there's also a difference, of course,

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whether you've got an older sibling

who might already be in the school

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or a brother in another school.

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Do you notice a difference in that as

well, both in terms of the attitude of the

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parents, but also in terms of the child?

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Joanne Sharpe: Yes, I think if

there's a, it's a like school, so for

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example if there's a brother's at a

similar school, the parents and the

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students are often used to the style

of education we have and all of the

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different opportunities we have in terms

of specialists and things like that.

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But, yeah, I think parents who have

e- had an experience in school with

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children, not, not themselves, 'cause

it's, education has changed so much, uh,

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just find it the easier to transition

younger students in, and I, I guess a bit

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more confident with what they're doing.

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Anthony Perl: Just coming back to the

difference between whether they're

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starting in a preschool environment

and graduating through then into the

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kindergarten, or whether they're coming

from the outside, do you find the approach

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of coming through the preschool makes it

a little bit easier for the kids, or is

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there not so much a noticeable difference?

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Joanne Sharpe: Oh, absolutely

there's a noticeable difference.

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Our kindergarten and pre-kindergarten,

call them studios, and so their

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classrooms are next door to each other.

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So, and they share the same

playground, the same toilets.

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So there's a lot of familiarity for those

girls who have been in pre-kindergarten

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i- in terms of the environment.

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So that, that's an easy one

for them to come back to that

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very similar environment.

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They're just going next door.

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And all of our walls are glass from

the outside, so when they're outside

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in the playground when they're in

pre-kindergarten, they can actually

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see into the kindergarten studios, and

they're mixing with the kindergarten

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girls at morning tea and lunch.

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So they're very familiar and,

you know, they participate in

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other aspects of school life

that they're also familiar with.

133

So that's very easy for them.

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That's what actually struck me

when I first came here, is how

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seamless the kindergarten's first

day was because m- the majority

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do come from pre-kindergarten.

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Anthony Perl: And is that more

challenging for those kids that do

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come from the outside to mix in with

these kids who have been through that?

139

Do you find that mix actually

happens relatively smoothly

140

because they're so young?

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What's the difference between what

the kids go through versus what

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the parents are going through?

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Joanne Sharpe: I think it's easy

because so many students come

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with that familiarity from our

pre-kindergarten time, that they bring

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in and have a good example, someone

to follow for the new students.

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So we buddy them up, we make sure

they're well taken care of with someone

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who has been at the school and knows

where things are and how things work.

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And so it does enable the

girls who are new to follow.

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They can see where they're

supposed to go, what they're

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supposed to do because they're just

following those who are familiar.

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So it does make it a little bit

easier than if they were all

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unfamiliar with the environment.

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Anthony Perl: Because in many

respects, the nerves are probably

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much greater for the parents.

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We were discussing it before we started

recording that our kids are a little

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bit older, so it's harder for us to

remember how exactly we felt as parents.

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But what about for the kids?

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Joanne Sharpe: I think, again, that

might depend on the family and the

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children, and if they're, you know,

the first one attending the school or

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they've got older brothers and sisters.

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Yeah, I think sometimes the parents

surprise themselves on how emotional

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they get, particularly on that first day.

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But I, I think there's lots of

things that they can do preparing

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for tho- those first few days.

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I always remember a story a colleague

told me once, and his son went to the

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first day of kindergarten, and he came

home and said, "Okay, I'm done now."

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And they sort of said, "Oh

no, you've got to go back."

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He said, "No, no.

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You said I had to go for the first day."

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And I thought that story is quite

funny, but it stays with me because

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we make a big deal of that first

day without them realizing there's

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actually another 13 years to go.

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So I think talking about school, you

know, the first day is a milestone

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without a doubt, and I think

that's important and it's great.

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But I think to talk about school

beyond just one day is important.

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I think being really positive about all

the things that the school can bring,

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and particularly in a school like ours,

you know, there are so many offerings

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and so many things to enjoy, both during

the school day and out of the school

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day with our co-curricular program.

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I think practicing

separating is a big thing.

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So as I said, many families, children

do go to other settings for childcare

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and preschool, but if they haven't,

I think that's really important.

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Play dates with some of the new families

because the families will meet each

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other at orientations when they're…

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And those younger grades

is really important.

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Practicing things, independent skills,

so I have to open my own lunchbox.

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You know, make it exciting.

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Go to the shops and let them choose a

lunchbox and let them choose something

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else that they might wanna put on

their bag to identify their bag and

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that sort of thing gives a really

good ownership and excitement around

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having those items with them at school.

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You know, making sure that they can do

things like pack their bag, pack away

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toys, those sorts of things, and be

independent, I think really, really helps.

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And can start way before

they're ready to start school.

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But that do help them

when they're at school.

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And I just think that positivity

about school, about the place that,

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you know, the parents have chosen at

MLC school, you know, is, is really

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important to Give that positivity

and enthusiasm over into their girls

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Anthony Perl: Are there any key

tips for the parents to learn,

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and grandparents for that matter?

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Because grandparents are often

the ones that are doing the

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pickups and the drop-offs as well.

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So there are lessons for

both of them, aren't there?

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Joanne Sharpe: Yes.

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. I think having the attitude that we're in

it as a partnership is really important.

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You know, your child will get the

best out of their school time when

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we're really cohesive and working as

a team for their best benefit, because

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that's what we want as a school.

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We want to be working with families

and making sure that their daughters

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are growing and developing in all

the ways that they are hoping for.

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So I think things like attending

meetings, as I mentioned, part of the

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orientation process is some meetings

for parents, coming in and making

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sure that you keep appointments and

you ma- take up those more formal

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times of meeting with the teachers.

215

In pre-kindergarten and kindergarten,

at the beginning of the year, we

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actually have some special time

for the parents and the student to

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meet with the actual class teacher.

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And it's a bit of a getting to know

you, and when the children are so young,

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ensuring that the, the parents feel really

comfortable, they know who they're handing

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these young precious people over to.

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But it- that starts that really

good relationship between

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family and home and school.

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So I think that's really important to

attend to all the things that you can.

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And at that first term, there

are, uh, quite a lot on offer.

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And sharing important information about

your child is really important, too.

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So as I mentioned, that one-on-one

time at the beginning of the year for

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pre-kindergarten and kindergarten.

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Anything you think is

important for us to know.

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We spend a lot of time

with them at school.

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You know, it's a six or so hour

day, and that's a lot of time.

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We get to know them pretty well.

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As many parents will know, the students

will tell us many stories about home

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as they will tell you about school.

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So we do hear a lot about each other.

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But those things are important and,

you know, reading the information

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that's out there, sometimes I

think it can feel a little bit

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of a bombardment of information.

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But trying to, particularly when you're

new, work through those is really helpful

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to keep you in touch with what's going on.

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We do try and streamline our

communication, but I could only imagine.

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It's been a long time since I've

been back with my daughter in

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kindergarten, but it's a lot to take

in, especially if you're unfamiliar

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with the school or schooling itself.

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Anthony Perl: I imagine structure

is a big differentiator between

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what a child would've been used

to and what it has to get used to.

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And indeed, the same probably applies

for the parents because they're

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getting a child ready to be in that

kind of structured environment, where

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at home you've got lots of liberties.

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So depending on where you're coming from,

for both parents and the child, that

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structure can be different and difficult

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Joanne Sharpe: I think setting up those

structures and routines early, way before

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school starts, even the entire Christmas

holidays or perhaps after Christmas

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when you've had your celebrations.

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But, you know, having a, a really clear

bedtime and wake-up time that the students

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are aware of, the children are aware of.

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Sleep is so important.

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I think the first term when you

start school is really demanding,

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and I used to think, "Oh, the tired

monsters come home every day."

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I think that sleep schedule's really

important to enable them to feel

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fresh and ready for the next day.

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I think practicing the morning routine.

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So what will the morning look like?

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You have to get up, and what's the order

of breakfast, getting dressed, cleaning

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teeth, or what time are you leaving?

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How are you getting to school?

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So that it's predictable.

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Young children love predictability, so

the more that parents can really express

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to them what that routine's going to

be and run them through how it's going

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to work for every family, which will

be different, that's really important.

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But also talking about how drop-off's

going to occur, that there'll be playtime

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and lunchtime, and this is where you'll

find your lunch, and this is what I'm

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giving you for lunch or how that's

going to work, because, you know, we

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have plenty of young ones going, "I

don't have any lunch," and, you know,

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when the teacher looks, it's all there.

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Parents are very good at catering

for their kids, but it- they

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just don't know about it.

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So just that communication about how

things will work and what's going to

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happen When my daughter was young, I

used to have a visual schedule, you know,

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like when in the morning you do this

and this and this, and in the afternoon,

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you know, you come home, you take your

uniform off, you put your lunchbox on

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the kitchen sink, and just to help her

work through what she needed to do to

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help her get ready for school, but also

then transition back into home again.

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And it takes off some of that

cognitive load off the child too.

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Like, it just, they can go to the list and

they go, "Okay, I know what I have to do.

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I don't have to think about it.

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I can just see it there."

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So that can be very helpful to do as well.

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Anthony Perl: Fantastic.

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We've covered so much territory.

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The last question that I like to ask

everyone who's coming on the show

291

is around the school motto and the

name of the podcast, Dare to be More.

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I'm interested in what it means to

you, particularly in the context of

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very little children coming into the

preschool and kindergarten environment.

294

What does dare to be more

mean in that context?

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Joanne Sharpe: I think for me,

dare to be more is a way of being.

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So we want the girls to have a voice.

297

We want them to feel confident to

try new things, to take up all the

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opportunities that we have here, both

within the school day and outside of

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the school day, to embrace some of that

uncomfortableness, whether it's going

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on the school camp and having to sleep

the night when they're older, or trying

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something that they haven't done before.

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We have wonderful facilities.

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We have a pool that gets

used in every year group.

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So taking on the opportunities and

being able to have a go and, yeah,

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enjoy what that is, but daring to be

more than they thought they could be.

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Anthony Perl: Wonderful.

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Joanne, thank you so much for all the

information you've given over and all

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the stories you've shared with us today.

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Really appreciate it.

310

Thank you for being part of

the Dare to be More podcast.

311

Joanne Sharpe: Oh, it's been my pleasure.

312

Thank you for having me.

313

Anthony Perl: Thank you for

joining us on Dare to be More.

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If you enjoyed this episode, please

subscribe wherever you get your

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podcasts so you never miss an episode.

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Your likes and comments also

help more families discover

317

these valuable conversations.

318

For more information about MLC school

and their approach to girls' education,

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visit their website at mlcsyd.nsw.edu.au.

320

Check out the show notes

for more information.

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The Dare to be More podcast is

produced by Podcast Done For You.

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I'm your host, Anthony Pearl,

and we invite you to join us next

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time as we continue to explore

what it means to dare to be more