Sarah Oliver
Prep Bags are back, with every Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay student starting Prep at a government school in 2022 receiving a library bag from the state government containing a bundle of books and resources to encourage reading and learning.
Education Minister James Merlino unveiled the 2022 Prep bags on Monday January 31, which are being delivered to about 65,000 Preps in 1,300 Victorian government primary, P-12, special and language schools.
The mix of items is designed to help Prep students celebrate the beginning of their school journey, helping them learn and thrive at home as well as in the classroom from the start of term one.
The five books included this year are:
• The Unwilling Twin by Freya Blackwood
• I Spy Victoria by Jeannette Rowe
• Hark, It’s Me, Ruby Lee! by Lisa Shanahan
• I saw Pete and Pete saw me by Maggie Hutchings
• Pink! by Margaret Wild
The books will also be produced in Braille with tactile illustrations by Statewide Vision Resource Centre for Prep students who are blind or have low vision.
The bags also include a ‘Meet the Mathscots’ animated series ruler to support students with numeracy, a ‘Get Your Move On’ frisbee to encourage increased daily physical activity, a ‘Soapy Heroes’ insert including fact sheet and colouring-in activity to promote the importance of hand hygiene, and book labels.
“Our Prep Bags are always a hit with students – encouraging a love of reading from their very first moments at school, and giving them something to take home to keep learning and having fun with,” Mr Merlino said.
“Good luck to all our Preps starting school in 2022 – I hope you have a fantastic start to your schooling journey and enjoy all the opportunities available to you.”
