Transition / Orientation

A welcoming start

At Sacré Cœur, we understand that transition to a new School is always an uncertain time for children and young girls. 

Our transition process for both primary and senior school begins well before the first bell on the first day of Term 1.  Our new students, and their parents, are provided with opportunities in Term 4 prior to their year of commencement to spend time at the School and are involved a comprehensive Orientation program.

In our Junior School, there are many opportunities for parents and students who are about to join the School in Prep to ensure a smooth transition from Kindergarten to the first year of formal schooling.  A Prep parent Information Evening is held in September to assist in building communication between parents and the School.

Orientation afternoons and a morning are held in November to assist the new students to get to know the students and their teachers.

 An Orientation Morning is held on the day prior to the first day of the new school year allowing all new students to have practical and hands-on experience in the classrooms to assist with easy settling in to their new school.

In Year 7, practical transition commences towards the end of Year 6.  All ‘future' Year 7 students attend a special Orientation day in November.  This is an opportunity to re-familiarise themselves with the School, to meet new friends and some of their new teachers.   

There is also a small testing component to this day to ensure that learning needs will be well-catered for when students commence at the School. Our Year 7 Coordinator, Pauline Cutajar, hosts a series of afternoon teas for small groups of her new Year 7 students and this provides a wonderful opportunity for her to get to know the students who will soon be in her care, as well as for the girls to get to know each other and familiarise themselves with the School.

After the Christmas holidays, we introduce our new students briefly to School the day before the rest of the students commence.  This is so they can feel confident about where to go and what to do in the excitement of the first full day of school.

Shortly after the commencement of the school year, our Year 7s are off to camp!  This Orientation camp provides a great opportunity for the students to get to know each other and staff in a relaxed environment and to further ease transition into Year 7.

Going from being a senior student in a primary environment to being a junior student in a secondary environment presents excitements and new challenges.  Our "Big Sister/Little Sister" program, where our Year 11 girls are ‘Big Sisters' to the new Year 7s, is a wonderful program helping the girls settle into life in the  secondary school. 

Students commencing at Sacré Cœur at other times are welcome to spend a day at the School as part of their transition process.