From the Primary Principal Team
Hello Lakes families,
Well, we are now well and truly into the full swing of a year of learning on the Primary Campus. After an important period of settling in, making connections with classmates and of course the teacher too, our teaching and learning program is fully up and running. Engagement is high and teaching is fruitful. A congratulations goes out to all our students and teachers who continuously collaborate and strive to improve standards of performance.
This year our Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) will have a strong focus on Numeracy & Wellbeing. Significant time and resources will be directed into Numeracy as our teaching teams work through an evidenced based cycle each term. We look for areas of the curriculum that our students need more focus on and identify individual students who may have not made the growth we might expect. This is then followed up with a range of more direct and focused assessments that are completed in classrooms through observation and conferencing. This provides another insight and source of data.
Through this process, our teachers identify the specific learning required for particular cohorts of students and then plan detailed and focused learning to meet their point of need. Our teaching teams spend time each week after school between 3.40pm and 4.40pm working through planning, to get the best possible outcomes for students. One of the most powerful results of this work is our staff learning from each other, collaborating, and reviewing what effective teaching looks like through a better understanding of what is working or not working and why.
Our “Meet and Greet” was a really successful night last week, with parents and teachers connecting. The timing of this has changed in 2022 with this previously happening before school starting. The reason for this change, was to give teachers a better understanding of their students which in turn allows them to set goals that are more achievable. I would love some feedback from our parent community on the timing of the “Meet and Greet” for 2023 and the best way for our students and community going forward.
MASK MADATE REMAINS
Thankfully there has been some changes to mask wearing rules in most settings however things have not changed for students in primary school settings. This means that all students in Years 3-6 must wear a face mask whilst indoors. This can be a challenge, especially in the warmer weather but it remains an important step in stopping the spread of the virus given that the vaccination rates for our younger students are lower than the rest of our population. If your child has not been vaccinated yet I encourage you to do so and keep up those appointments for the second dose. Thank you to all our parents and students who continue to support the school around Covid19 regulations.
SCHOOL TOURS 2023
I have started hosting individual school tours each week as we begin our enrolment program for 2023. If you know of anyone with a child ready to start school next year, please direct them to our school website or have them make contact with myself at school so that they can join me on a tour and see what our school has to offer.
Morning Drop offs
Thank you to our families who continue to use the “kiss and drop” zone in the morning in the carpark. This is an effective way to ensure traffic flows and that drop off doesn’t turn into a massive saga. Can I please remind parents that the “kiss and drop” zone shouldn’t be an area where parents get out of cars and walk children into the school but an easy and safe way to drop off. When parents are driving into the car park, please be mindful of speed and that children can be unpredictable in their movements so extra care is required behind the wheel. Slow down and be mindful of this. Thank you for your support in this. By working together allows for a smoother and safe drop off process for all.
Parent Reminders
Primary parents would have received a number of reminders this week through Sentral. Please remember if you are not receiving these, to come into the front office and ask for assistance.
Some key events are as followed:
- Life Education Van – Onsite from Wednesday 9th March
- Year 6 Excursion – Earth Education Excursion – Wednesday 9th and 10th March
- Primary Campus Sushi Day – Wednesday 9th March. Orders needed to be in by Wednesday 2nd March.
- Years 3 - 6 Cross Country – Friday 11th March (Onsite at school)
Have a wonderful week. Please reach out if you need any support.
Marcus