A Week in the life of a Prep Student

At Toorak College, we are passionate about curating exceptional learning journeys for our students, forming fundamental learning habits and fostering a deep love for knowledge.

We welcome you into a glimpse of the extraordinary journey of a Prep student, where each day is a canvas for cultivating essential learning habits that will undoubtedly shape the future of their educational experiences.

Within the enchanting walls of Toorak College, we embrace eager minds, instilling a sense of curiosity amongst our young students, empowering them to embark on a journey in which they will uncover their passions & talents.

“Prep is a pivotal stepping stone for our young children. It is here that they establish themselves as learners and realise their potential for seeking and acquiring knowledge. We take a student’s love and desire for independence and propel our students into an environment where they can see endless possibilities and practise their newly found skills in a supportive and feedback-driven context.” - Mrs Melissa Schoorman, Head of Wardle House, Deputy Principal.

Join us as we step into the world of a Prep Student, navigating the boundless opportunities available to them through our diverse co-curricular program taught by our specialist teachers in our state-of-the-art facilities. This week we focus on the studies of Science, Food & Nutrition, Music, Mandarin and Art.

Food & Nutrition: Our Prep Students are currently participating in the study of food & nutrition. Students learn about honeybees and their role in the ecosystem, giving students an understanding of the interconnectedness between nature and how our actions, such as gardening practices, can positively impact the environment and biodiversity. Today, students had the opportunity to plant vegetables in the garden at School, exploring how our nutrient-rich soil provides the optimal environment for the plants to grow.

Science: In Science, students are learning about the observable features of plants in the Swift Science and Technology Centre. Students are planting their own broad bean seeds in clear containers so that they can observe the changes in a plant’s features over a period of time. Students are learning to observe and record their observations through drawing and labelling their own scientific diagrams. Learning about plants and animals is something that students can make authentic connections to as well as build upon from year to year. Students are encouraged to predict and wonder what their plant will look like after four weeks keeping them continuously engaged, excited and curious.

Mandarin: The AIM approach is introduced to our Prep students through Mandarin. Students have been developing vocabulary and sentences related to the story they will be learning each year. This week they are learning a new sentence structure “I have/have not something.” Student’s learnt how to say “I have a dog” in mandarin or “I do not have a dog”. We then expanded on this, learning how to say “I have a sister / brother” or “I do not have a sister / brother”.

Art: Students are currently learning all about the art elements of space, shape, contrast and the proportions of the human face through creating self portraits from layered and cut cardboard. Rubbings were made from these as well as prints made on a Gelli plate. This artwork just kept on giving as they then covered the cardboard in aluminium foil and stained it with black pigmented ink. The students wiped back most of the ink by buffing with a paper towel leaving an antique appearance due to the ink being caught in the foil’s creases. The students will now add shapes of corrugated cardboard to a frame in which to mount the work. It is wonderful to see students working on their cutting, painting, stamping, rubbing and fine motor skills.

Music: Students are currently working on preparing songs for the Christmas concert. This year we have chosen a ‘Sound of Music’ theme. The students have learned ‘Do-Re-Mi’ and the Solfeggio actions to go with the lyrics. They are also learning ‘Favourite Things’ and are working on brainstorming lyric ideas that describe what their ‘favourite things’ are at Toorak College. Students are also exploring pitch, rhythm and tempo through simple songs that are then matched to games that require students to either move to the beat of the music, and/or learn body percussion to match the rhythm of the melody. At the end of each lesson students learn about the expressive elements of music and how these are used to set the scene or mood of a story. We reference examples such as ‘The Story Orchestra’ with Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’, Tchaikovsky’s ‘Swan Lake’ and Sansan’s ‘Carnival of the Animals’ which sets music to illustrations and stories.

As the sun sets on another day in the life of a Prep student, we are reminded that these early years are about sculpting the architects of tomorrow's triumphs. Our curriculum is more than a syllabus; it's a compass that guides these young explorers on a learning journey from the very moment they step onto the grounds of Toorak College. With each lesson, discovery, and challenge, we are nurturing the leaders, innovators, and thinkers who will shape the world's future.