Principal's Report

Welcome Back to School and into Term 2 

It is wonderful to see all our students, families, and staff return after the holiday break.  I believe we were mostly quite fortunate with the weather over the holidays which made the term break even better.  Lots of students seem to have gone camping and many have told me about catching up with friends and relatives.

Curriculum Day

We began this term with a whole school curriculum day for all staff.   With a focus on maintaining excellent Literacy practice and focusing on building Mathematics across all year levels this year - our Curriculum Day introduced staff to the 'Four Proficiencies' of Mathematics:

• reasoning
• problem-solving
• understanding and
• fluency

All four proficiencies are intertwined, each one made stronger by the other.  As a school, we will now delve deeper into each one.  Further professional learning scheduled through the term will strengthen teaching and learning.  The ability to develop the capacity to reason, make sense of challenging problems, show deep conceptual understanding and mathematical fluency, are required skills considered essential to the diverse array of maths-related situations that learners will encounter throughout their lives. 

NAPLAN

NAPLAN is being held this term in Week 4 for all primary and secondary schools.  Students in Years Three and Five will complete four assessments - Writing (narrative or persuasive), Reading, Conventions of Language, and Mathematics.  Each session will run between 40-50 minutes depending on the topic and year level.  NAPLAN is a point-in-time assessment that allows parents to see how their child is progressing in literacy and Mathematics against the national standard and compared with their peers throughout Australia.  At the classroom level, NAPLAN provides additional information to support teachers’ professional judgment about student progress.

The best way you can help your child prepare for NAPLAN is to reassure them that NAPLAN tests are just one part of their school program and to advise them to do the best they can on the day.  Ensure your child has had proper rest and has a healthy snack and lunch as usual.  Exemptions and Withdrawals from NAPLAN are available and should be discussed with your classroom teacher.  NAPLAN information has also been sent to all families with students in Years 3 & 5 via COMPASS.

Absences

Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child's education. Attending and participating in school will help your child develop important skills and knowledge to help them learn social and emotional skills such as good communication, resilience, and teamwork.  It is important for all parents and carers to notify the school through COMPASS that their child will be away.  Absence learning plans can be provided to families who will miss five or more days of school when providing two weeks' notice to the classroom teacher.  This will assist in preventing your child from falling behind or feeling confused upon their return.  If possible, we recommend avoiding holidays during the school term periods.

School Photos

These ran really smoothly.  A big thank you to our School Captains (Jude and Janay) and Vice Captains  (Ruby and Callan ) for giving up their day to assist with the school photos. Without these four students, the day would not have run so smoothly. 

Life Education Sessions

These are currently running for all students in Years 2-6.  The sessions vary in content and are designed to support and educate young people on the important issues affecting them.

Please speak directly to your child's classroom teacher for the full details of the module your child will be involved in.  These sessions will continue to run until the end of next week.

School Language

At P.S.P.S, we value and teach 'Respect, Responsibility and Resilience'.  This is incorporated with how we speak to and treat others.  I am extremely proud of the majority of our students.  Their thoughtfulness and respectful manner, towards both peers and adults, is outstanding.  In a small pocket of students, unacceptable language is being heard during some break times - slang, put-downs, and 'in fad' phrases.  

With your support, I would like to help our students to comprehend the impact of their words.  Whilst it is difficult for our young children to separate outside language they may hear on 'YouTube' or other social media, at the shops or in the parks, it is a necessary skill to develop.  During this year, we will continue to listen out for, be proactive, and respond in demonstrating and teaching this.

Advance notice and important dates

Sunday 2nd May - School Aerobic Teams compete for a place in the Regional Qualifiers

Monday 3rd May - Parent/Carer - Student - Teachers Conferences open for booking (COMPASS)

Thursday 6th May - Mothers Day Stall

Friday 14th May - Bass State Member is visiting to donate books and conducting a focus group with Year 6 student leaders about improving our local community

Tuesday 18th May - Parent/Carer - Student-Teacher Conferences

Thursday 20th May - Year 4 Evening Camp Information Session for parents

Have a fabulous fortnight everyone.

Jane King

Principal (Acting)