PREP HANDBOOK 2025
Welcome
The primary school years are essential for laying the foundation for lifelong learning. As an International Baccalaureate (IB) school running the Primary Years Program (PYP), Somerville House nurtures and inspires students on their unique learning journeys by fostering curiosity, agency, and a love of learning.
Our Junior School is committed to recognising and nurturing every student’s potential in all areas— academically, physically, creatively, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. We create learning experiences that promote active engagement through inquiry-based and concept-driven
approaches, encouraging students to explore their interests and ideas in a supportive and intellectually stimulating environment.
Through the Primary Years Program framework, we balance explicit and effective teaching with opportunities for students to engage in meaningful inquiry, allowing them to construct understanding and develop a deep sense of self as learners. By focusing on critical and creative thinking, collaboration, and communication, we empower students to become active, compassionate, and lifelong learners. Our education is rooted in a global perspective and informed by a commitment to fostering internationalmindedness and respect for diverse cultures and perspectives.
Wellbeing and the Junior School Values
At Somerville House, we believe a positive school culture is key to academic and personal growth. We focus on nurturing the whole child—socially, emotionally, and cognitively—with a balanced approach.
Our Wellbeing Framework is the Culture of Care. At Somerville House, we foster a growth mindset, encouraging students to reflect on their learning and become self-regulated, internationallyminded learners. In the Junior School, we empower students to use their strengths to enhance their lives and the community, preparing them to make a positive impact on the world using the PYP Learner Attributes and the 5Rs:
Relationships: Building compassionate and forgiving connections.
Respect: Valuing oneself, others, and the environment.
Responsibility: Encouraging positive behaviour and decision-making.
Resilience: Developing perseverance and problem-solving skills.
Reflection: Promoting self-awareness and gratitude.
We also have a buddy system to allow younger students to connect to students across the Junior School. This involves connecting with buddy classes to do activities over the year.
Connecting to our community
The Junior School Support Group (JSSG) is a parent and friends run network which helps connect the school and families.
We encourage all families to be a part of our school community. Opportunities available include:
• Being a class representative who helps organise class catch ups and distributes JSSG information.
• Volunteering at school events (such as discos, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day events)
• Attending community events such as Under 8s Day, sports days, swimming carnivals and special assemblies.
Contact Details
Lisa Petrulis, President somervillejssg@gmail.com
Culture of Care
Somerville House Wellbeing Framework
Learning in Prep
The Junior School learning program at Somerville House is centred around the student and designed to inspire inquiry and engagement, in line with the PYP philosophy. Our curriculum builds a strong foundation in literacy and numeracy while covering a broad range of learning areas. We believe that students learn best in a supportive environment that values their unique strengths. At Somerville House, we recognise and nurture each student’s talents and abilities, helping them grow as confident and capable learners.
We encourage our students to:
• Engage deeply in their learning.
• Develop independent thinking skills.
• Set goals based on reflection and feedback.
• Develop positive learning habits and a growth mindset.
• Think critically and creatively.
• Feel empowered by their strengths.
• Actively participate in the school community, embodying the IB Learner Profile attributes.
Our Prep learning program at Somerville House follows the Australian Curriculum Version 9 for all key learning areas. This includes a focus on essential General Capabilities like Literacy, Numeracy, ICT Capability, Critical and Creative Thinking, Ethical Understanding, Personal and Social Capability, and Intercultural Understanding. We also incorporate cross-curriculum priorities such as Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, and Sustainability.
In our Prep classrooms, we use a mix of teaching methods, including direct instruction, play-based learning, and inquiry-based approaches. This variety helps students explore their interests
and develop a love for learning. We balance child-initiated and teacherguided activities, providing both structured and spontaneous learning opportunities. Each class has a full-time teacher aide as well as support from the Learning Development and EAL/D teams.
Our program is designed to meet each student’s developmental, academic, social, and emotional needs. By blending planned and spontaneous experiences, we support each student’s individual learning journey with personalised attention.
Key features of our Prep learning environment include:
• Inquiry-Based Learning: Encouraging curiosity and exploration.
• Conceptual Understanding: Connecting learning across different subjects.
• Student Agency: Allowing students to take charge of their learning.
• Differentiation: Providing support tailored to each student’s needs.
• International-Mindedness: Fostering an appreciation for diverse cultures and perspectives.
Our aim is for students to enjoy each and every day, challenging themselves to take risks, engage in new or exciting learning experiences and think deeply, connecting new experiences with prior knowledge.
Useful Skills for Starting School
Our goal is for Prep students to enjoy each day, take risks, and connect new experiences with their prior knowledge. We recognise that students arrive at Prep with a wealth of prior learning and build on their interests to develop new skills.
Readiness for Prep varies for each child, with different rates of reaching milestones. To support a smooth transition, useful skills include:
Basic Literacy Skills: Recognising their own name and beginning to develop early writing skills such as holding a pencil correctly, making controlled marks on paper, drawing recognisable pictures of people and objects.
Social Skills: Sharing, taking turns, and cooperating with peers.
Emotional Regulation: Managing emotions and expressing needs effectively.
Listening and Following Instructions: Paying attention and following simple directions.
Curiosity and Enthusiasm for Learning: Showing interest in exploring new ideas and asking questions to deepen understanding.
Helpful Information, Routines and Transitions
Establishing organisational routines is a valuable part of developing independence and personal autonomy. Developing these procedures both at home and at school is important.
At Somerville House, students follow explicitly taught routines, enabling them to operate in the school environment with confidence. In the classroom, girls participate in regular routines for everything, which frees working memory to process the essential tasks for learning. With a rich co-curricular program, students also transition often between different subjects, classrooms and teachers. Teachers model and guide these transition times, assisting students to take responsibility, work together and understand the expectations for each part of their day. A strong morning routine at home helps to set students up for a successful day. Likewise, consistent routines for nightly reading or bedtime support children with familiar processes at the end of a long day at school.
Family Handbook
The Family Handbook, available on SomerLink, is full of useful information about Somerville House. Policies and procedures are outlined in the Family Handbook and it is an excellent reference for all families across the school.
SomerLink - Family Handbook
School Hours
Start of Prep day: 8.15am
End of Prep day: 2.45pm
Movement break: 9.25am-9.35am
Morning Tea: 10.05am-10.25am
Lunch: 11.55pm-12.35pm
Afternoon Tea/movement break: 1.35pm-1.45pm
Students are encouraged to arrive at school from 8.00am, and are supervised in a dedicated Prep and Year 1 space until entering the building when instructed to begin their day.
If arriving prior to 7.45am, students must attend Outside School Hours Care (OSHC). Please see OSHC details right.
Please note the first day of Prep in 2025 is Tuesday 28 January. This is for Preps, Year 7 and new students only. The remainder of the school commences the following day.
What to pack for School
• Morning Tea and Lunch in one lunchbox
• Full water bottle
• Somerville House Play Hat (which remains at school)
• Green take home satchel (purchased at the Uniform Shop)
Books and Stationery
Please note all items required for learning will be at school ready on Day 1. Parents will be charged for resources in their school fees.
Outside School Hours Care (OSHC)
The Somerville House Outside School Hours Care facility is operated by OSHClub. Children must be registered to attend the service and bookings are essential. Registration can be made via oshclub.com.au or by calling the service on 1300 395 735. Meaningful experiences are offered to engage children in play and offer a sense of wonder and excitement. Great pride is taken in creating secure and collaborative relationships with families, children and the school community to provide the very best outcomes for
children. Children are provided with breakfast and afternoon tea during term time, and in the school holidays with morning and afternoon tea.
Term Hours: Monday to Friday 6.45am to 8.00am and 2.00pm to 6.00pm
Vacation Care Hours: Open as advised from 6.45am to 6.00pm
Telephone: 07 3033 9286 (if no answer, please call mobile)
Mobile: 0423 576 872 (6.45am to 8.15am and 2.00pm to 6.00pmoutside of these hours please leave a voicemail and a team member will get back to you as soon as possible)
Email: somervillehouse@oshclub.com.au
Parking, Pick Ups and Drop Offs
Parking is limited at our inner-city school, especially during pick-up and drop-off times. Parents can park in nearby streets or public carparks in the Hospital and South Bank precincts. We have an onsite Turning Circle at Somerville House for safe student drop-off and pick-up, with staff on duty there from 8.00am. The Prep day commences at 8.15am. Students arriving after this time must be signed in at the Junior School Reception by a parent.
In the morning, parents can either park outside and walk their child in or use the Turning Circle, where a teacher will meet them and a Year 5 student can escort them to the Junior School. In the afternoon, parents can park outside and collect their child from the Turning Circle or pick them up by car, where class teachers and teacher aides will assist.
Morning Tea and Lunches
At morning tea and lunch time, students have time to eat and then play in the adventure playground. Discuss the food in your child’s lunch box and make suggestions about what to eat at each break. It can be tempting but try not to pack too much food. Please ensure your child can independently open any packets or containers in their lunch boxthis may require some practice at home! We also ask that, where possible, foods containing nuts are avoided. Please note there are no fridges available for lunch boxes in Prep.
Tuckshop
Prep students may order tuckshop for morning tea and lunch from Week 2 of Term 1 onwards. Orders can be made online by making an account via the Flexischools website www.flexischools.com.au or Flexischools app.
Uniforms
Detailed information about uniform and dress expectations can be found in the Family Handbook, which can be accessed online via SomerLink.
Students in the Junior School may wear their sports uniform to and from school on the days they have timetabled Health and Physical Education lessons or Somerville House co-curricular activities requiring a sports uniform. Pre-Prep to Year 6 students must wear their bucket hats at all times break times for sun protection.
We also suggest that a spare pair of underwear and socks be placed in your daughter’s bag for any toileting accidents. Please clearly label all uniform items, as well as any other personal items such as lunchboxes and water bottles.
At Somerville House, we are deeply committed to equipping every child with the ability to read. Learning to read is such an essential skill to not only find success in school and thrive in society, but to also experience the joy that reading brings to life.
Summer Uniform
• Green Dress
• String-coloured ankle socks
• Black leather shoes
• Panama hat (Junior School students wear the hat brim turned up)
• Play hat (remains at school and worn during outdoor playtimes)
• Bag – Green backpack
• Students must not write or place stickers on School bags but may decorate with clip-on items for identification.
Please note: Prep students wear sports uniform for the duration of the day on HPE days.
Sports Uniform
• White and lime uniform polo shirt
• Navy shorts
• White sport socks
• White sport shoes
• Panama hat (Junior School students wear the hat brim turned up)
• Play hat (worn during outdoor playtime)
Winter Uniform
• School tracksuit top (as needed) over the top of the white and lime uniform polo shirt
• School tracksuit pants (as needed) over the top of the navy shorts
• White sport socks
• White sport shoes
• Panama hat (Junior School students wear the hat brim turned up)
• Play hat (worn during outdoor playtime)
Swimming
• Somerville House long-sleeved sun shirt
• Somerville House togs
• Swimming cap
• Goggles
• Towel
Home Readers and Home Learning
We assess each student’s reading progress using the Decodable Readers Program as well as other ageappropriate assessment tools. This allows us to allocate appropriate levelled readers to your child which is regularly reviewed by staff. When the books come home, please listen to your child read each night. This should be a special time to enjoy exploring books together while developing oral fluency.
Reporting
You will receive formal academic reports at the end of Semester 1 and Semester 2.
Parent Teacher Interviews are held in Term 1 and Term 3. If you would like to meet with the class teacher at another time, please contact them directly via email.
Co-Curricular
Preps will have different opportunities to be involved in co-curricular across the year. These include the Little Frogs Program which offers a range of sports which could include soccer, netball and/ or AFL. Music and Movement programs are also offered. These run in 6 week blocks.
Other options include swimming, chess, tennis and gymnastics.
Information and contact details are available on SomerLink.
Health Centre
Please ensure that, if your child has an allergy or medical condition, the appropriate information has been provided via Parent Lounge. If any queries please contact HealthCentre@Somerville.qld.edu.au.
Communication
Our main source of communication with families is SomerLink. This can be accessed through the Somerville House website or via the SomerLink App. We will also be using the Toddle App, and more information will be given at our Parent Information Evening on Thursday 6 February.
We value the home and school partnership and encourage open communication between home and school. Below are important contact details for your reference. Please telephone the School on (07) 3248 9200 or email the teachers directly if required.
Class teachers will also send regular class updates via SomerLink, providing photos and news about student learning.
Absences
Please note student absences via the Absentee button on SomerLink. Further information about absences and requests for extended leave can be found in the Family Handbook on SomerLink.
Important contacts
First point of contact is class teachers.
Prep A - Mrs Lauren McClean lmclean@somerville.qld.edu.au
Prep B - Mrs Jessica Watson jwatson@somerville.qld.edu.au
Prep C - Mrs Ann Zenko azenko@somerville.qld.edu.au
For general Junior School queries, please email JuniorSchool@somerville.qld.edu.au
Assistant Heads of Junior School
Ms Olivia Kirk – Academic Programs
Mrs Claire Reynish – Wellbeing and Inclusion
Head of Junior School
Mrs Susan Clarke