Gulgos

From the Principal's Desk

2023 - 100 years!

 

This year Martin's Gully will celebrate 100 Years! We look forward to sharing this celebration with you all in September 2023.

Year 6 to 7 Information

This year to enrol your child in Year 7 for 2024, you will need to complete an Expression of Interest for Year 6 to Year 7 transition regardless of whether you are attending a Public, Independent or Catholic school.  The Expression of Interest (EOI) lets you indicate which school(s) you would like your child to attend in Year 7.  Detailed information has been sent to Year 6 parents and carers via COMPASS.

For more information about moving to high school, visit Going to a public school.

 

Parent, Student Teacher 3 Way Conference

Martin's Gully will hold the 3 Way Conferences in week 8. 

A 3-Way Conference actively involves parents, students and teachers in reflecting on student progress and setting future goals/targets.

A 3-Way Conference acknowledges the most important participants in the learning process - student, teacher and parent.

How are 3 Way Conferences different from parent teacher interviews?

3 Way Conferences involve the student in the discussion about their growth/progress as a learner. The student can provide information to clarify what they have learnt, what are the next steps in their learning and what progress they are making towards this.

Why 3 Way Conferences?

  • They provide a student voice to discussions about performance and progress.
  • They place the student at the heart of the assessment and reporting process.
  • They strengthen the home-school partnership and allow children to see their parents and teacher working together for them.

How do 3 Way conferences work?

The teacher facilitates the conference and guides the student/parent through the process.

Throughout the conference parents and the teacher are encouraged to ask questions, provide feedback and encouragement to the student and to share their thoughts and ideas on what is being presented and on what goals or targets they think are appropriate.

In short, 3 way conferences provide a forum for teachers, students and parents to acknowledge student progress and achievement. They are a valuable avenue for involving parents and students in the learning process and helping parents understand the teaching, learning, assessment and reporting process. The three way conference has benefits for teachers, parents and the school.

3 Way Conferences take time (10 minutes), and to ensure that all parents and students have the opportunity to meet with their class teacher, please choose an interview time from the availability lists for each class teacher which you will find in COMPASS. Bookings will close on Thursday 9th March.

PAX Word of the Fortnight: HEALTH

  • Health means to be free from illness. You feel well, fit and good inside. Here are some ideas to discuss at home:
  •  How many hours of sleep do you need to feel good?
  • How much water should you drink every day?
  • How many fruits and vegetables are recommended each day?
  • What are some ways you can keep a healthy mind at school and at home?

Students successes this week:

 Congratulations to Kai Prater, Connor Sillitoe, Jack Grace and Thomas Bull on their selection in the Armidale Zone PSSA Touch Football team. The boys will now attend the Northwest trials in Tamworth.

Goodluck to Thomas Bull and Jake Simpson who are heading to Ballina in week 7 to represent the Northwest for cricket.

 

 

Dates for your calendar: 

  1. Week 8 - Parent/student/teacher 3 way Conference. This is a chance to catch-up with your child's teacher and your child, to discuss their learning goals for the year, ask questions and celebrate their success. These bookings are available on COMPASS. Bookings will close on Thursday 9th March.
  2. Autumn Festival 1 April 2023. Martin's Gully PS will be part of the Armidale Community of Schools (ACOS) Autumn Festival. This be held on the Saturday 1st April. More details to follow.
  3. An Evening with ACOS. We will also have students from 3-6 performing at An Evening with ACOS . This spectacular will be held at Armidale Secondary College on Thursday 10th August at 6pm. More details will also follow.

Week 8 and 9 NAPLAN Test Window

NAPLAN is a national literacy and numeracy assessment that students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit each year. It is the only national assessment all Australian students have the opportunity to undertake. It doesn’t replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance, but it can provide teachers with additional information about students’ educational progress.

NAPLAN Test Window is 9 days. This is to accommodate schools that may have fewer devices. The NAPLAN test window starts on Wednesday 15 March and finishes on Monday 27 March 2023. 

 

Attendance Matters:  

We have set our school a target to achieve 90% attendance 90% of the time for 2023. 

Can you help us do this? Can you make appointments or attend extra curricular activities outside school hours?  Coming to school each day between 8:30am and 9:00am and leaving at 3pm is just a simple way we can achieve this together. Let's do this together.

 

Staff Spotlight:

My name is Jane Townsend and I am teaching Stage 3 this year.  I’ve been at Martin’s Gully for so long that I feel like part of the furniture! I actually attended our school from Year 1 to Year 6 so you can imagine my surprise when I was offered a position at Martin’s Gully fresh out of university. I was lucky enough to start my career with an experienced group of teachers who helped me enormously. I still have very fond memories of my first few years in such a supportive environment. Throughout my career I have always loved seeing students engage in both their academics and all of the fantastic extra-curricular opportunities that public education affords. Whether that be through creative arts, where I have a particular love for teaching dance, or through any of the wide range of sporting opportunities.

 

Hello MGPS community! 

My name is Annabel Cullen and I am a part of the Stage 3 teaching team this year. 

I live with my partner Scott and our husky, Tucker. Growing up my family and I moved between states and different places a lot!  However, my partner and I have settled in Armidale and bought our first home a few years ago. Our little house is slowly being renovated, although this will likely be put on hold, as we are busy planning for our wedding next year.  I have been very lucky to have been able to travel to Europe a few times now and love teaching our students about the many different countries and cultures of our world.  Becoming a teacher was always a dream of mine when growing up, as I remember having the most inspirational teachers going through school. I have been teaching for nearly one year now, and am looking forward to completing my degree this winter.  I am truly blessed to have been given the opportunity to begin my teaching career here at MGPS, as it is a beautiful place to work, learn and grow. I  love coming to school each morning and being greeted with our students' big smiles and readiness to learn.  I strive to make a positive difference in all my students' lives through making memorable learning experiences in everything we do. 

 

Felicity Pennington and Peta Deiderick