Comments on: Have Your Say? http://www.prep-alert.org/general/have-your-say Parents & Teachers looking out for our kids Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:14:21 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Dinah Williams http://www.prep-alert.org/general/have-your-say/comment-page-2#comment-149 Dinah Williams Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:14:21 +0000 http://www.prep-alert.org/?p=5#comment-149 We have just decided to pull our young daughter out of Prep after two months of stress. Instead, we will pay for three days at a local Childcare facility. Prep has been a disaster. Too many enrolments in the second week lead to an extra 'thrown together' class with a teacher who is nothing short of a bully. The little ones are stressed. The classroom is a 'storage' space between two other classrooms with little to no windows or adequate lighting. They are not separated from the Year Ones and Twos and the bag racks are chaos. The 'brighter' kids were chosen to be a part of this special class. Deplorable! My daughter caught her very first urinary tract infection form having to use the big toilets. Unacceptable! We have just decided to pull our young daughter out of Prep after two months of stress. Instead, we will pay for three days at a local Childcare facility. Prep has been a disaster. Too many enrolments in the second week lead to an extra ‘thrown together’ class with a teacher who is nothing short of a bully. The little ones are stressed. The classroom is a ’storage’ space between two other classrooms with little to no windows or adequate lighting. They are not separated from the Year Ones and Twos and the bag racks are chaos. The ‘brighter’ kids were chosen to be a part of this special class. Deplorable! My daughter caught her very first urinary tract infection form having to use the big toilets. Unacceptable!

]]> By: Isabella Carter http://www.prep-alert.org/general/have-your-say/comment-page-2#comment-117 Isabella Carter Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:27:54 +0000 http://www.prep-alert.org/?p=5#comment-117 I am so pleased to have stumbled across Prep Alert. I am a preschool teacher and now a full time mum. My son has just started prep at a school which has a very good reputation. I visited this school and had meetings with the principal 3 times before deciding it was the place I wanted to send my children to. I was led to believe that in this school the children learn through play. The prep curriculum is still very much play based. That you would see play integrated into the early phase classes up to year 3. And now here I am sitting at my computer at 4.00am in the morning because I am unable to sleep, deeply disappointed and worried about what is actually happening at this school. I do not see play in the true sense of the word. I do not see a physical environment that allows a variety of play situations to occur, where children can investigate and co-research their theories and ideas and represent them in many different ways. What I see are stressed teachers trying to fulfil the requirements by giving these young capable children worksheets and stencils and very basic and dumbed down table top activities. Play based??? Not possible when two groups of children are shoved into one room which previously housed one preschool class. My question is this. If the curriculum set by the department promotes learning through play, why are the teachers giving them worksheets. I am finding out that many preps are doing this. I spoke with a professor of Early Childhood who lectures at the University today. I asked her if I was missing something here. She put my mind at rest. It is not me. These teachers SHOULD NOT be doing rotations and giving them 'dumb and insulting' activities like making easter egg baskets and cutting out picture sequences of humpty dumpty and gluing them in order. In fact she told me that this shouldn't be happening in years 1,2 and 3 either. There is so much more children can learn including the skills such as pre-reading, sequencing and cutting (which the above acitivities supposedly promote. In a true play based program children learn to love learning, develop more complex social and emotional awareness, and learn to think outside the square, different perspectives, problem solving and more importantly that each of them has something to offer. The new prep in my view is so far failing. Teachers are forced to provide these pointless experiences in place of very real and rich hands on play experiences because they no longer have the space, resources and aid time. And if teachers are not early childhood trained they really should not be working with our little ones. I am devastated that my little children are being forced to move through this system. The old preschool system was so beautiful and it worked. Shame on the government for doing this. I agree with previous comments that the government made these changes to cut spending. I do feel however that collectively we must stand together and be one voice until we get the results our children deserve. I am so pleased to have stumbled across Prep Alert. I am a preschool teacher and now a full time mum. My son has just started prep at a school which has a very good reputation. I visited this school and had meetings with the principal 3 times before deciding it was the place I wanted to send my children to. I was led to believe that in this school the children learn through play. The prep curriculum is still very much play based. That you would see play integrated into the early phase classes up to year 3. And now here I am sitting at my computer at 4.00am in the morning because I am unable to sleep, deeply disappointed and worried about what is actually happening at this school. I do not see play in the true sense of the word. I do not see a physical environment that allows a variety of play situations to occur, where children can investigate and co-research their theories and ideas and represent them in many different ways. What I see are stressed teachers trying to fulfil the requirements by giving these young capable children worksheets and stencils and very basic and dumbed down table top activities. Play based??? Not possible when two groups of children are shoved into one room which previously housed one preschool class. My question is this. If the curriculum set by the department promotes learning through play, why are the teachers giving them worksheets. I am finding out that many preps are doing this. I spoke with a professor of Early Childhood who lectures at the University today. I asked her if I was missing something here. She put my mind at rest. It is not me. These teachers SHOULD NOT be doing rotations and giving them ‘dumb and insulting’ activities like making easter egg baskets and cutting out picture sequences of humpty dumpty and gluing them in order. In fact she told me that this shouldn’t be happening in years 1,2 and 3 either. There is so much more children can learn including the skills such as pre-reading, sequencing and cutting (which the above acitivities supposedly promote. In a true play based program children learn to love learning, develop more complex social and emotional awareness, and learn to think outside the square, different perspectives, problem solving and more importantly that each of them has something to offer. The new prep in my view is so far failing. Teachers are forced to provide these pointless experiences in place of very real and rich hands on play experiences because they no longer have the space, resources and aid time. And if teachers are not early childhood trained they really should not be working with our little ones. I am devastated that my little children are being forced to move through this system. The old preschool system was so beautiful and it worked. Shame on the government for doing this. I agree with previous comments that the government made these changes to cut spending. I do feel however that collectively we must stand together and be one voice until we get the results our children deserve.

]]> By: Marlene Durham http://www.prep-alert.org/general/have-your-say/comment-page-2#comment-111 Marlene Durham Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:51:01 +0000 http://www.prep-alert.org/?p=5#comment-111 hi w31aw1kpad0w31t0 good luck hi
w31aw1kpad0w31t0
good luck

]]> By: We're paying for fulltime Prrep Teacher-aide http://www.prep-alert.org/general/have-your-say/comment-page-2#comment-105 We're paying for fulltime Prrep Teacher-aide Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:01:51 +0000 http://www.prep-alert.org/?p=5#comment-105 We are looking for a teacher aide starting from Wed 31st July to Tuesday 5th August. Where Bardon State School located at the bottom of Mount Coo-tha It is a nice small school. This is for Prep it is for 6 hours per day, 5 days per week. If you can help or know anyone who can help please contact the school ASAP. We are looking for a teacher aide starting from Wed 31st July to Tuesday 5th August.
Where Bardon State School located at the bottom of Mount Coo-tha It is a nice small school.
This is for Prep it is for 6 hours per day, 5 days per week.
If you can help or know anyone who can help please contact the school ASAP.

]]> By: Jodie Findlay http://www.prep-alert.org/general/have-your-say/comment-page-2#comment-101 Jodie Findlay Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:19:13 +0000 http://www.prep-alert.org/?p=5#comment-101 I am a full time Prep teacher and have been teaching for around 20 years. One of my friends yesterday asked me how I was enjoying Prep and I told her that I hated it. I was quite shocked that those words came out of my mouth as I've never felt like that before about any year level that I have taught both here and overseas. I work with Sheree Holden who previously posted a comment. I feel unable to cope most days because of the number of children that I have (29). Like Sheree said, it's now nearly half a term gone and the school and Education QLD still haven't been able to form another class to alleviate us of the extra children. The biggest problem is that we've become attached to the children and know the parents so choosing who stays and who goes has been an agonising decision and one that has been completely left with us alone to deal with. We have had little support on this matter. Add to this a grotty, unmown playground with sparse softfall, minimal sand in the sandpit and a very small covered area to be shared amongst nearly 90 Preps and you begin to have some idea of what we are up against. I am in the old Preschool room which I am told will be at some stage turned into Prep rooms. No one can tell me when or how this will happen so I have the added stress of feeling like my class can be moved at any time. The other new Prep rooms are a disgrace. Small, triangular, echoey and disfunctional with no practical painting or wet areas (See Sheree's comments). I was looking forward to Prep as I was remembering when I was a Preschool teacher in the same room. Our school had a half day, 5 days per week program. I absolutely loved it! What has gone so terribly wrong with Prep? It seems poorly thought out and hurriedly implemented. If you are to believe the Ed. QlD website spiel, it is a wonderful thing. The reality is that it's a cost-cutting nightmare that hundreds of Prep Teachers are forced to live everyday. The truth is; I don't want to go to work anymore! I am a full time Prep teacher and have been teaching for around 20 years. One of my friends yesterday asked me how I was enjoying Prep and I told her that I hated it. I was quite shocked that those words came out of my mouth as I’ve never felt like that before about any year level that I have taught both here and overseas. I work with Sheree Holden who previously posted a comment. I feel unable to cope most days because of the number of children that I have (29). Like Sheree said, it’s now nearly half a term gone and the school and Education QLD still haven’t been able to form another class to alleviate us of the extra children. The biggest problem is that we’ve become attached to the children and know the parents so choosing who stays and who goes has been an agonising decision and one that has been completely left with us alone to deal with. We have had little support on this matter. Add to this a grotty, unmown playground with sparse softfall, minimal sand in the sandpit and a very small covered area to be shared amongst nearly 90 Preps and you begin to have some idea of what we are up against. I am in the old Preschool room which I am told will be at some stage turned into Prep rooms. No one can tell me when or how this will happen so I have the added stress of feeling like my class can be moved at any time. The other new Prep rooms are a disgrace. Small, triangular, echoey and disfunctional with no practical painting or wet areas (See Sheree’s comments). I was looking forward to Prep as I was remembering when I was a Preschool teacher in the same room. Our school had a half day, 5 days per week program. I absolutely loved it! What has gone so terribly wrong with Prep? It seems poorly thought out and hurriedly implemented. If you are to believe the Ed. QlD website spiel, it is a wonderful thing. The reality is that it’s a cost-cutting nightmare that hundreds of Prep Teachers are forced to live everyday. The truth is; I don’t want to go to work anymore!

]]> By: Sheree Holden http://www.prep-alert.org/general/have-your-say/comment-page-2#comment-100 Sheree Holden Sun, 24 Feb 2008 00:33:58 +0000 http://www.prep-alert.org/?p=5#comment-100 I am in the interesting position of being a part-time Prep Teacher and Mum to a first time Prep child. I am disgusted that after years of teaching her to wash her hands, she cannot access soap at the toilets. I am in a brand new Prep room which sounds fabulous. Pity there is no toilet, no covered area for outside activities and no covered walkway to the old PreSchool undercover area that we share with 70 other Prep children. It is also wonderful that we have doubled our enrolments. Pity though that we are now at day 20 and the changeover of students to split them into their new class with a graduate teacher, has not yet occurred. So, we struggle on with 29 children and hope we can bring them a fun, play-based education where they feel valued and safe. Pity my teacher aide has to leave at lunch time and those 29 Prep students have to share me when I am tired, stressed and frustrated. Luckily the children are excited, bright-eyed and motivated. Let's hope this experience doesn't ruin that. They deserve a better start. They didn't choose a new Prep year to replace a system that was working just fine. I am in the interesting position of being a part-time Prep Teacher and Mum to a first time Prep child. I am disgusted that after years of teaching her to wash her hands, she cannot access soap at the toilets. I am in a brand new Prep room which sounds fabulous. Pity there is no toilet, no covered area for outside activities and no covered walkway to the old PreSchool undercover area that we share with 70 other Prep children. It is also wonderful that we have doubled our enrolments. Pity though that we are now at day 20 and the changeover of students to split them into their new class with a graduate teacher, has not yet occurred. So, we struggle on with 29 children and hope we can bring them a fun, play-based education where they feel valued and safe. Pity my teacher aide has to leave at lunch time and those 29 Prep students have to share me when I am tired, stressed and frustrated. Luckily the children are excited, bright-eyed and motivated. Let’s hope this experience doesn’t ruin that. They deserve a better start. They didn’t choose a new Prep year to replace a system that was working just fine.

]]> By: barbarella http://www.prep-alert.org/general/have-your-say/comment-page-2#comment-99 barbarella Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:27:03 +0000 http://www.prep-alert.org/?p=5#comment-99 our middle son will start prep tomorrow . he will be five in feb.i will send him because i have to not because i want to. this lovely articulate little boy will spend five full days a week with people he does not know.How is this right. if he was in preschool it would only be three shorter days a week. why is the no flexability in the system. for the working parent maybe this is a cheaper option to day care but for those mums out there like me who are fortunate enough to not have tp work why should i HAVE to give my very young child to the system prematurely. i firmly believe that we should have the option of part or full time. this would ease the strain on teachers and budgets. there seems to be no emphasis put on the value of growing up at home. the time spent at home with parents and siblings is SO important,especially to young children. our othr son did the kindy pre school and then yr one thing and does brilliantly at school both socially and academicaly.those five years spent mostly at home have proven to have benefitted him more than anything. children need to be raised by their families not schools. the point i am trying to make {its v late} is that it should be up to the parent to decide when our kids are ready for school.sure some kids are better off at school than at home but making it compulsory is only catering to the lowest common denominator. not fair to all of us who actually enjoy our little ones and treasure our time with them. as for me i will be sending him to a private prep and will only send him three days, the other two will be spent with me doing what all normal little children should be doing loving learning and playing and enjoying his little life before grade one. if the system wants to have a problem with this let them, he will miss out on nothing and will do better next year because he will have had a HEALTHY BALANCE of formal and informal learning. Heres something the so called smart state may not know some of us mothers actually know what is best for our children. goodnight. our middle son will start prep tomorrow . he will be five in feb.i will send him because i have to not because i want to. this lovely articulate little boy will spend five full days a week with people he does not know.How is this right. if he was in preschool it would only be three shorter days a week. why is the no flexability in the system. for the working parent maybe this is a cheaper option to day care but for those mums out there like me who are fortunate enough to not have tp work why should i HAVE to give my very young child to the system prematurely. i firmly believe that we should have the option of part or full time. this would ease the strain on teachers and budgets. there seems to be no emphasis put on the value of growing up at home. the time spent at home with parents and siblings is SO important,especially to young children. our othr son did the kindy pre school and then yr one thing and does brilliantly at school both socially and academicaly.those five years spent mostly at home have proven to have benefitted him more than anything. children need to be raised by their families not schools. the point i am trying to make {its v late} is that it should be up to the parent to decide when our kids are ready for school.sure some kids are better off at school than at home but making it compulsory is only catering to the lowest common denominator. not fair to all of us who actually enjoy our little ones and treasure our time with them. as for me i will be sending him to a private prep and will only send him three days, the other two will be spent with me doing what all normal little children should be doing loving learning and playing and enjoying his little life before grade one. if the system wants to have a problem with this let them, he will miss out on nothing and will do better next year because he will have had a HEALTHY BALANCE of formal and informal learning. Heres something the so called smart state may not know some of us mothers actually know what is best for our children. goodnight.

]]> By: Teacher Aide http://www.prep-alert.org/general/have-your-say/comment-page-2#comment-94 Teacher Aide Sun, 11 Nov 2007 03:17:21 +0000 http://www.prep-alert.org/?p=5#comment-94 This is my first year as a prep aide, previously working many years supporting students in lower primary and special needs. I have found this year to have been the most stressful year ever and have often wondered what became of the fun, play-based curriculum I had heard so much about in our prep training. There has been minimal structure and I am perpetually confused by the spontaneity of the program. As my aide time starts at 9am I rarely know what the children are doing that day and am left preparing and renegotiating activities on the run. The teacher has been absent due to sickness as well as many other school responsibilities for at least a third of this year and on each occasion has been replaced by non-early childhood trained teachers who have often left me to take charge as they have no idea of the abilities of this age group. My enthusiasm for my job which has always been immense has been stretched to its limits. The children are beautiful and I love working with them but I don’t feel we are doing the right thing by them in preparing them for school. The addition of parade, PE, music and computer to the already packed program leave me to wonder: are we trying to cram in too much into their day? This is my first year as a prep aide, previously working many years supporting students in lower primary and special needs. I have found this year to have been the most stressful year ever and have often wondered what became of the fun, play-based curriculum I had heard so much about in our prep training. There has been minimal structure and I am perpetually confused by the spontaneity of the program. As my aide time starts at 9am I rarely know what the children are doing that day and am left preparing and renegotiating activities on the run.

The teacher has been absent due to sickness as well as many other school responsibilities for at least a third of this year and on each occasion has been replaced by non-early childhood trained teachers who have often left me to take charge as they have no idea of the abilities of this age group.

My enthusiasm for my job which has always been immense has been stretched to its limits. The children are beautiful and I love working with them but I don’t feel we are doing the right thing by them in preparing them for school. The addition of parade, PE, music and computer to the already packed program leave me to wonder: are we trying to cram in too much into their day?

]]> By: Bronwen http://www.prep-alert.org/general/have-your-say/comment-page-2#comment-83 Bronwen Thu, 06 Sep 2007 12:07:17 +0000 http://www.prep-alert.org/?p=5#comment-83 Update on my son's settling in...we have taken him out of the school and placed him in a nearby community school whose philosophy is child initiated learning. Whilst this is not for everyone, my son has totally settled in and the anxiety has gone. We are watching him learn with such excitement and grow in confidence/self esteem - the things that were previously being chipped away at! I am so thankful I had another alternative. Update on my son’s settling in…we have taken him out of the school and placed him in a nearby community school whose philosophy is child initiated learning. Whilst this is not for everyone, my son has totally settled in and the anxiety has gone. We are watching him learn with such excitement and grow in confidence/self esteem – the things that were previously being chipped away at! I am so thankful I had another alternative.

]]> By: Helen http://www.prep-alert.org/general/have-your-say/comment-page-2#comment-76 Helen Mon, 16 Jul 2007 01:36:21 +0000 http://www.prep-alert.org/?p=5#comment-76 I still find it hard to believe that the wonderful, play based, confidence building preschool program has been replaced with Prep. My son went through a C&K Kindy and Preschool, I watched his self esteem and confidence build under the care of qualified and experienced early childhood teachers with full-time aide support. My daughter had one year at Kindy before attending Prep. I watched her confidence and enjoyment of learning decrease as she was forced to assimilate into a school environment, with its uniforms, rigid timetables and small classroom based environment. Things seem to be a little better this semester, but only because she is getting older and more used to everything. I trust this post and others like it support the utter stupidity of this educational policy. I still find it hard to believe that the wonderful, play based, confidence building preschool program has been replaced with Prep. My son went through a C&K Kindy and Preschool, I watched his self esteem and confidence build under the care of qualified and experienced early childhood teachers with full-time aide support. My daughter had one year at Kindy before attending Prep. I watched her confidence and enjoyment of learning decrease as she was forced to assimilate into a school environment, with its uniforms, rigid timetables and small classroom based environment. Things seem to be a little better this semester, but only because she is getting older and more used to everything. I trust this post and others like it support the utter stupidity of this educational policy.

]]>