Example calendar of events
Year 6 transition: What events are scheduled for the year?
(Codes: Teacher Professional Development – TPD; Classroom Activity – CA; Parent Resource – PR)
Term 1
TPD: Teachers complete the Introduction to Transition and Self-Assessment modules from the Life Ed suite of resources.
CA: Late in the term, teachers run the diagnostic activity with their students. This is designed so that teachers can become aware of their students’ main challenges, and can tailor the transition learning activities to suit.
PR: At acquaintance night, parents and carers are provided with initial information about what will be covered with students during the year to help them prepare for secondary school. Parents and carers are also reminded of school communication protocols – how they will receive information – and share the Life Ed website as a starting point for them to access support material. Emphasis is placed on making sure parents and carers are aware of early enrolment requirements.
Term 2
TPD: Teachers view the Communication and Social Skills module as a team or individually. This will provide the underlying theory to help support classroom activities with students.
CA: Teachers run the Communication and Social Skills activities with their class – for example, Making and keeping friends; Bullies, Bystanders, and Upstanders – as appropriate to their class needs.
Transition Teachers and Coordinators contact their secondary schools and feeder schools and begin the conversations about supporting next steps with their program.
PR: Provide parents and carers with associated tasks and activities from the Communication and Social Skills module, to support what occurs in the classroom.
Term 3
TPD: Teachers view the Managing Schoolwork Expectations module as a team or individually. This professional development learning module will support the classroom activities with students.
CA: Teachers run the Managing Schoolwork Expectations activities with their students – for example, how to manage their own time, related to school responsibilities and extracurricular activities, and understanding the academic expectations in secondary school.
PR: Provide parents and carers with the associated tasks and information from the Managing Schoolwork Expectations module.
TPD: Teachers view the Change and Uncertainty module. This professional learning module supports the classroom activities. Late Term 3 is a good time to begin discussing change with students, however, teachers may choose to do this at different times of the year, depending on their students’ needs.
CA: Teachers run the What Causes me Distress? and Coping with Stress activities with students.
PR: Provide parents and carers with the associated tasks and information from the Change and Uncertainty module that will help them support students.
Term 4
TPD: Teachers view the New School Environments module as a team or individually. This module is particularly useful in Term 4 when students are discovering the practicalities of going to secondary school (transition days, buying uniforms, etc.).
CA: Teachers run the classroom activities with students, for example, travelling from home to school.
PR: Provide parents and carers with the associated tasks and activities. Encourage them to complete the travelling to school activity with their student.
Note: Teachers are encouraged to choose what tasks and activities will best support the classroom they have.