Principal's Report
Healthy Classrooms & Lots of Learning
The priority upon the students returning to school this term was to support their wellbeing – we recognise the importance of students feeling good about themselves, the place that they are in and the people around them. Students have done a terrific job of transitioning back, and the positive school vibe is present throughout the school.
With these healthy classroom environments in place, teachers have been able to assess where their students are at in their learning, particularly in the areas of Literacy and Numeracy, and plan accordingly. The data that teachers have to date, indicates that generally speaking, our students made good progress during remote learning; this has been evidenced through reading levels, writing samples and maths tasks. Teachers are providing support to students whom they have identified as returning to school with additional learning needs. This support includes our Literacy and Numeracy learning specialists, Nicole Rettke and Daniel Arnavas, working with small groups of students on key concepts in reading, writing and number.
The learning activities that students are completing are hands-on, engaging and collaborative. They continue to work with each other whilst learning new skills and understandings. Everyone tells me that they are happy to be back!
Foundation ‘Virtual’ Orientation
Normally at this time of year, we would have welcomed next year’s Foundation students for their first of their orientation sessions, which run throughout November. Restrictions mean that we are unable to have groups greater than 10 at any one time. Knowing the importance of the program, our Foundation team are producing weekly videos throughout November to give some insight into the fun and learning that awaits them when they start at FPS next year. A big thank you to our film producer in residence, Olivia Li, for putting these videos together, which can be viewed here.
Halloween Virtual Disco
Spooky tunes and costumes were the order of the day as we hosted our Halloween Virtual Disco. It was great to welcome some very special guests – next year’s Foundation students joined us for a dancing and singing. Thank you to Olivia and Keri, our Performing Arts teachers, for coordinating.
Virtual Principal’s Morning Tea
Join me for a for a virtual morning tea on Friday 13 November at 9:30am. This meeting is a good way to connect with the community, celebrate the relaxing of COVID restrictions, find out what has been happening around the school, and have any questions answered.
To attend please RSVP here and we will send out a calendar appointment with a link to join. BYO hot beverage and tasty treats!
Reminder – Hats and Sunscreen
A reminder that students need to wear a hat and sunscreen daily as the UV index is consistently rated ‘extreme’. Each classroom has a supply of 50+ sunscreen, which students can access and reapply before going out to lunch play.
~ Paul Wallace, Principal