QLD prep..... advice please...

[chloeb2002]

Ok DD started prep this year amd so far isnt happy. we have a meeting on thursday with the principal and her teacher. She had allready done two years of pre school and now is repeating what she has done before. The principal backed an appliction to move her to grade one as she passed a reading and writing test, is big for her age is socially well developed etc... the dept didnt approve the appliction on no good grounds just principle.
So problems now are...
1/ DD wants to learn to read. she can do phonics alphabet and is enjoying reading at home. now onto level 2 books. but wants to do this at school. Teacher told me she isnt allowed to teach them to read. She has started doing some phonics however? Am i mad or does it seem acceptable to ask for her to include some reading time for those that have some skill allready, dd included.
2/ think i have this tackled but they have an hour sleeping on the floor. DD hates this but now they are allowed to sit up and dd said today she got given a job to do for part of this time today so she was happier.
3/ DD believd up until this week she wasnt allowed to use letters. eg write words. except her name? we do five words a week ,spellings, at home since i jumped up and down a bit they were offered the chance to write a word with a drawing! DD was so happy when she came home... they also now have a writibf corner but this doesnt seem to have any teacher input. they can copy words? but dd says they dont get help in writing any different words? Again am i mad or over pushy to ask for some help for her?
4/ the teacher.... other than being rude to me, which dd witnessed, dd doesnt like her. her first words when i picked her up today were mum guess what mrs X is away tomorow so we have Mrs Y instead! with a big grin on her face.... fortunately or otherwise mrs x didnt here the remark... mrs x must know there is an issue with dd's acceptance of her as she has felt the need to affirm to dd that she does like her. This has helped a bit. she is away soon so fingers crossed the replacement is a bit more user friendly.
Ok so am i mad? i am worried that dd isnt enjoying school when she always has done before. she counted the sleeps to start school again. even the neighbour who shares lifts is aware that dd is less than enthusiatoc some days and will pretty much snarl at the teacher I am worried that if something should happen and we go back to uk she will be behind her classmates who are now reading at level 4.
so we have to meet with the teacher and the principal on thursday and i feel totally un equiped i know the teacher will throw at us taht this isnt the nuk system so we just have to accept it and we can teach her extra stuff at home. Which we do and will continue to but whe the det say that prep should allow for childrens individal needs the why can we not request extra input. DD isnt a genius and i am sure others in her class would enjoy similar challenges?
so is it just me???

I would appeal the dept's decision - going over district office level and write directly to the minister and director general.

Is there only one prep class? If there is a personality issue - can you not ask if she can move?

Is there a prep/one class at all (don't know the school make up) perhaps she could move into that class?

Our kids are now encouraged to 'sign' themselves in - ie write their name on a list at the door - they are encouraged to name things and write things - words etc on their work. There are those who are way ahead of dd1 and they are encouraged to move at their pace and dd1 goes at hers iyswim.

I would in the meeting not get dragged into a this is not the uk etc spat iyswim - but rather focus on what she can do and how you would like it to be addressed. I would do up a list of strategies that you think can be implemented with dd for her to enjoy school. I would stress how you wanted dd1 to enjoy her time at school and how you want to work for the good of dd - put the focus on her not the system iyswim. Say how you dread her coming to hate school and be reluctant when she is so enthusiastic at present.

However I can see the teacher's pov sort of - when preschool was done away with and prep introduced - there was a large emphasis on this being play based learning - especially now you have two age groups- 4turning5 and 5 turning 6 yo in the class rather than 4 turning 5 as used to be the case. There are some schools who adhere to dept guidelines and developed a play based curriculum - as set out in dept guidelines and those who just added almost like another year one iyswim.

No other advice - sorry - hope that helps.

Thanks for that will suggest an appeal and will look into it today. there are two prep classes but as the teacher is leaving in end april i am not sure about disrupting dd into new friend circle. feel a bit like i cant win!
DD is happy today as the relief teacher is in! hoorah! the school generally is great and the principal has been very helpful.
It just seems that the teacher is very rigid in the play based approach so there is little chance to incorporate any structure.
no prep year one class which would be ideal.
hey ho another day.. i guess she is just an on the ball kid and because she has done 2 years of full time pre school she is socially mature. she swims with year 3/4 and 5 kids.. has started tennis lessons with year 4 kids and will play at school with older kids when she has the chance. Not that i want her to grow up too fast but if she is comfortable there then surely that has to be a good thing for her.
will investigate an appeal.
thanks for advice

hoe did your meeting go???

was an hour and a half long with alot of going round in circles. teacher did apologise for being unprofessional and quote not showing me enough love.... um hu.. conversation basically went along the lines of
1/ teacher and principal pointing out advantages of prep programme... strengthenig hands exploring phonics alphabet.
2/ us yes thats fab but dd has done taht before.
3/ school saying if dd asks to do more writing or asks for help with reading she will be alowed but has to be asked for cannot be offered.
4/ us saying yes but dd has been through two years of structured pre school where you are told what to do when and how to behave in a structured manner. to step out of this box would be very hard for her.
5/ school saying well if she asks we will accomodate any needs we are aware she is able to cope with more challenging strutured work... start at part one again...

eventually the teacher said that as we had requested a more direct approach and the principal agreed, she would make an exception and directly ask dd to do stuff like write more words, read out loud. not rocket science although the teacher is concerned she may turn into a basket case if she does too much too soon?! the opposite doesn't seem to apply it is fine for her to be bored so long as the teacher says she can do what ever she asks to do. (back into loop at point 4)
we ahve also agreed that i will go in and help to encourage dd to ask for help, or at least interpret i guess what dd wants to do with her work time.
The teachers plan for what she would like the more advanced kids to do was great.. write journals, read them out loud to the class and type them up on the pc even... however all this they have to do because they suggest doing it! just cant see dd making that leap. If she was asked to do that she would be in second heaven but to plan and implement it herself is along way out side her box and the box of most five year olds! (again conversation starts at point 4)
so i guess we will see. teacher made a big point of saying that dd was a high achiever and would be in the top end of grade one atm, therefore the exceptions she is making are on an individual basis and not for the whole room. (that will please most parents eh!)
so time may tell. just hope i dont have to go through all this again when she leaves in a few weeks time. aaarrrggggggg

bizzare progress this morning but i suspect it is the dept covering tere backs. they have requested further assesment of DD. This will be an oq test of sorts according to teh principal. he thought we had got home last night and contacted department regarding the decsion which we havent. and the principal hasnt done anything either? the only thing i have done is fill out one of the general enquiry forms on the dept web site to ask about how the appeals proccess works. ummm. the letter did say the depts decsion had been made with the support of the gO and SGO even tho they had not assessed dd. Seems odd to test her now? also seems odd to base the decsion on entry into grade one on an iq level? i know ever the cynic.

I would say they are covering their bases by asking for the assessment. I guess you need to work on dd1 getting her to ask miss x for other work, can she do some writing etc. Well I guess if the principal got wind that you were considering an appeal and there is evidence that a recommendation had been made by GO and SGO - then they would need to get that assessment done. Unless you have signed something to give Go permission - there is no way they would be able to do the assessment. I had to give permission to get dd1 assessed in order to sort out her alternate program ( for want of a better term)

I have seen the iq test as they did one with dd1 - no way she would do it - simply through language issues let alone intellectual impairment issues - if it is the same though - I think your dd will be fine - I think my dd2 could do it no worries. I am ever the sceptic as I think most IQ tests are not particularly valid given the way they are presented - so much bias and assumptions made around language and understanding. I know if the test was presented a different way dd1 would be able to do a lot of it.

i think they are going to ask her to do a wisc 4... when i googled it it is for 6 to 16 year olds so dont suspect for one minute she will be able to do it! had to sign today to agree to let them test her, even the principal seems to think it is a long shot.
Just had a really bad conversation with the dept who were how do i put it... less than helpful? they rang say they had heard we were wantong to appeal and as such will assess dd on monday with our consent.
however he will not accept any opinions from uk sources as he doesnt 'believe in' or 'rate' the uk system. I couldnt believe it. followed by being told our tough luck we choose to come to australia so if dd is disadvantged upon returning to the uk it is our fault for coming here and enrolling her in the qld school system. my jaw was on the floor....
he then went on to say it would be be impossible to have her taught to read or write any further in the prep system in qld regardless of state or public basis. So i kept my mouth about the fact bthat dd has today come home having written quite a lot!
just gob smacked...

do you know who you spoke to? I would go over their head straight to the executive district director or the minister. I found that works - when I asked why it had taken over 11 weeks to erect a playground at dd1's special school. surprisingly in 2 weeks it is all finished!!!

i rang sitrict office - sunshine coast - office in Murrumba downs and the woman there gave me an email address and she passed it on to the director. If you go to the qld parliament site it will give you email addresses - you are looking for rob welford who is the education minister.

will admit we have had a liberated day today. dont know what dd scored on the wisc 4 but by all accounts it was good. that aside tho the guidance officer was an amazing person! open, helpful, understanding. I very willing to input extra frameowrk into prep room for dd. is perfectly happy for her to be taught to read and write. wow couldnt believe her attitute it was like a breath of fresh air! will meet with her on thursday and discuss results and options for dd's schooling. wow. gob smacked.

have learnt - guidance officers are usually brilliant or terrible - thankfully you got a good one!

that does all sound very positive though!