A note from Mr Jackson

Spring Has Arrived

It seems students have returned with an energetic spring. Swimming and the school concert have been exciting and engaging. Our nesting tawny frogmouth in the large tree outside Chandler Hall are parents (we are still awaiting the enrolments of their most recently arrived)! While you can’t see them, the adult frogmouths are sitting on the side of their nest as they care for their little ones. Stay tuned for more exciting news as these chicks start to fledge.

Thanks for Chicken Sitting

For those who are wondering where our chickens are, they have returned to their newly refurbished home. We have been looking after them while their home has been rebuilt. Their owner dropped in a special thankyou that we hope to soon locate in our sustainability garden area. Thanks to all who have cared for our feathered friends over the last year!

45B VS Mrs Whitechurch and Mr Jackson

45B have been brave enough to challenge myself and Mrs Whitechurch to ‘Scrabble in the Foyer’ that starts from Monday. The game will happen over two weeks with the winner declared at assembly at the end of week 3. We are not sure who is the most nervous! Check out their progress as you pass by.

Swimming 

Thanks to our volunteers and all who have bent and stretched to make sure swimming for our Prep - Year 2 students occurred. There was drizzled hair, wet socks and broad smiles as students returned each day from the pool. We are thankful that these structured lessons, along with other experiences in the water, will support students in their growing confidence and water safety ability.

ICAS English Presentation at Assembly

We look forward to celebrating all those who have achieved in the 2022 ICAS Assessments at assembly on Friday! 

Canteen Closure Next Week (Tuesday and Wednesday)

The Canteen will be closed on Tuesday 11 October and Wednesday 12 October to provide time for professional development and the concert. 

Concert Update - ‘Once Upon A Time …’

Yesterday students took to Chandler Hall for a rehearsal. 

A. Tickets

Seat allocations are about to be finalised for those who have purchased tickets. They will be sent home with students tomorrow.  For those families who wish to collect their tickets from the office, they can be picked up from 3:00pm tomorrow.  Please contact us before 11am on Friday by phoning 9457 2592 and we will keep them aside for you.

Students are invited to arrive promptly between 6.20pm and 6:30pm. Parent and carers are invited to arrive prior to the show beginning at 7:00pm. We expect the show will finish before 9:30pm.

B. Concert Video Orders

Families can purchase a professional video of the evening performance. We have found that these have been purchased as Christmas gifts or simply momentos of the experience. Envelopes for orders have been included with tickets. Parents and carers may wish to buy a DVD at $35 or USB at $40. Please ensure that these envelopes are returned along with the cash payment by Thursday 20 October at the latest.

C. Consent Rehearsal Wednesday 12 October 

We are required to have the written consent of all students who will travel to Loyola College on Wednesday 12 October for the final rehearsal. They will leave just after 9:00am and return to school by 3:30pm. All students will be at the theatre for the day. Consent can quickly be completed online via Qkr! or by returning the permission note sent home on Tuesday. Please ensure this is completed by Monday 7 October. The cost of the transport is covered by the ticket sales of the concert so there is no further payment required.

Students are only required to bring their labelled drink bottle, along with their lunch and a snack in a labelled recyclable bag. There will be no lunch orders on the day.

Lawn Leprechauns

A number of our community have commented on the great lawns that have been freshly mowed over the weekend. You are invited to join a mowing roster that will help the dedicated volunteers who look after the lawn mowing. As the warmer days come, every hand will make a difference. Please contact Mark Etheridge if you have a mower and time to help out.

Dates for the End of Term 4

A reminder for those that are planning an escape on the last few days of school. Here are some key dates for consideration...

A. Big Day Out (Prep - Year 5) - Tuesday 13 December. To celebrate the first full year of learning in quite a few years, students will be enjoying a special picnic at Rosanna Parklands and then a visit to the movies. 

B. Final Whole School Assembly - Friday 16 December

C. Last Day at School for Students - Monday 19 December.  This will be an opportunity to clean up classrooms and prepare for the transition into 2023. We understand that many students may be absent on this day and may choose to start their holidays early. 

Leaning In Towards 2023

One of the significant priorities for term four will be to support students’ to ensure a smooth transition into 2023. These processes place students at the centre as many decisions around staffing, learning spaces, budgets and a range of other areas are made. In order that resources at our school are allocated efficiently, we need to know if your family is leaving the school and will not be present in 2023 as soon as possible. Thanks to those families who have already informed us. Please let your classroom teacher know or give me a call. I would appreciate a conversation with you even if you are unsure about your plans.

Planning for our new 2023 Prep students is well underway with the orientation sessions. If you have a child who will turn five before 30 April next year and intend for them to start school, could you please ensure that you have completed an official enrolment form. We are eager to plan for a positive start to their first year of primary education and are eager to have them involved in the orientation process. If you know of others who are eager to enrol their child, please remind them to phone us or send through an email to the office. Our 2023 Prep Orientation Program begins on Friday next week.

2023 Student Class Placement

Once we are clear on the students who will be with us in 2023 we will put a school structure in place to support teaching and learning. Teachers will then be able to thoughtfully consider each students’ needs in allocating them to a class. During this complex decision making process, staff consider a range of factors including social, emotional and academic needs along with creating balanced class groups.

Next week’s newsletter will detail how students and parents and carers can contribute to the process of class formation.