Frequently asked questions

City Stars staff keep a digital Learning Portfolio for each student. You receive email notifications to alert you that Learning Stories and Observations are available for you to view. This secure real-time method of recording ensures that you are kept up to date with your child’s progress and even share it with other family members or friends that may not be able to come into your child’s Kindergarten on a regular basis.

Children wear their City Stars uniform to school each day. They can bring their own backpack with their morning tea, lunch, water bottle and hat. On Library days, children will need to bring a library bag and a sheet is required for rest time.

We have developed a successful Transition Program. Our Junior School teachers work closely together to plan activities and opportunities so that the City Stars children can be involved in school life as much as possible. Weekly scheduled visits to Prep commence in Semester Two allowing the Kindergarten children maximum time to become familiar with the Prep setting, staff and expectations. These play-based experiences are relaxed and fun and all children enjoy getting together.

We understand that not all students are ready to take their steps into education as soon as others are. For that reason we are able to offer delayed entry into Kindergarten when necessary. More information can be obtained about delayed entry on the Queensland Government Early Childhood Education and Care website.

We are on a 1:11 ratio for our Kindergarten. Our maximum number per class is twenty-two students with a highly experienced team of two specialist Early Childhood teachers – a Bachelor-qualified teacher and a teacher aide. On Excursions we have one adult for every eight children, during water activities one adult for every five children.

Our City Stars students are part of Caloundra City Private School. They have a buddy class in Year 3 that they visit regularly and this forms a very positive relationship at the start of their Kindergarten year. City Stars love to visit the Library, the permaculture garden and chicken coop, play on the oval and the tennis court and participate in the Perceptual Motor Skills program with Prep. Later in the Kindergarten year, students also attend assemblies and participate in incursions that are occurring in the school.

Our program is still play based learning and though academics are the basis of the program our students are encouraged to explore and play with their new friends in our beautiful spacious classroom and outdoor play area. Staff promote all types of play including dramatic, fantasy, exploratory, manipulative, physical games and activities and games with rules.

City Stars Kindergarten utilises similar academic materials and programs as the Prep students at Caloundra City Private School, therefore students in City Stars receive early exposure to the programs they will utilise during their foundation learning years. This is coupled with our program to progress the students’ gross and fine motor skills. The Kindergarten program we offer is designed to instil in students a love of learning that will grow with them as they advance through School.

There are many benefits to a school based Kindergarten. The City Stars program we offer is designed to instil a love of learning that will grow as your child advances through School. We focus on developing each child’s early literacy and numeracy Skills in a fun and engaging way. Our play based curriculum aims to cater to the needs of all abilities and the different areas of development seen in children at this young age. We encourage children to develop their gross and fine motor skills and participate in regular physical activity. Kindergarten is the pivotal year for oral language development. City Stars’ staff ensure students are given daily activities that help promote their oral language skills. City Stars students participate in a modified version of the Caloundra City Private School Social Skills Program: “You Can Do It!” This program uses engaging characters to teach the skills of getting along, confidence, being organised, persistence and resilience. These five skills are embedded in our programming and assist children greatly in developing their social and emotional needs in their Kindergarten year.

We adhere to the QLD government age guidelines, which are very strict about entry into Kindergarten. Your child must be 4 years old by June 30 to participate in a Queensland Government-subsidised kindergarten program.