Leadership Report
Thursday 7 September
Dear Parents, Students and Friends,
Don’t forget that tomorrow is a student free day.
It’s hard to believe we find ourselves close to the end of Term 3!
How Can You Help?
Last night I met with our Highvale Primary Community Group. This amazing group of parents meet monthly to plan activities that enhance student experiences throughout the year. This includes organising lunches (including pizza days), special days (such as the our Father's Day breakfast) and other fundraising events (such as our Carols Night BBQ and raffle). It takes an enormous amount of effort and unfortunately falls to the same small group of parents. In the coming weeks, we will be asking for volunteers to assist with upcoming events, such as our Carols evening. If you are interested and able to help, I ask that you support in any way possible.
Father’s Day Breakfast
I hope all fathers and special friends were able to participate in our Father’s Day Breakfast. It was a great morning with a real buzz - and not just because of the coffee van! Thanks to Sue McKinnon and the Highvale Primary Community Group for their superb organisation of this event. Events like these take a great deal of time and preparation and we are grateful for the efforts of all volunteers.
Literacy & Numeracy Week – Book Week Parade
On Friday 25th August, we held our Book Week parade. I make no secret that this is my favourite dress up event of the year. This year the theme was 'Read, Grow, Inspire'. In the past I have shared this Impact of Reading 20 Minutes per Day graphic (below). It is a simple way to highlight just how important reading is.
While I'm not worried about the benefits of standardised testing, it is the exposure to the sheer number of words should not be underestimated – not to mention the benefits to children’s creativity and imagination. This is one of the reasons why we celebrate Book Week. The more students read, the better they will be at learning – and it can also be lots of fun!
Playground
As you would be aware, we have hit a hurdle during our playground build. During the excavation process, it was discovered that there were large concrete pits under the ground. This has provided us with an unexpected challenge. We have explored every possible option – the best (and safest) being the complete removal of the concrete. Unfortunately we have had to close the vehicle entrance during this process and we thank our school community for their support and understanding. We are hopeful that by the end of next week, our new senior playground will be ready for students!
School Review
We have just finished our School Review as of today. The first day was spent visiting classrooms to observe English and Maths lessons and then examining NAPLAN and Student Attitude to School data. The following day, the panel interviewed staff, students and parents to get a greater understanding of how Highvale Primary School operates. On our final day (today) we set goals for the next four years, based off the information ascertained from the first two days. Reflecting on the process, we found it be very useful and will provide a great deal of direction for the coming years.
Thanks to those Chris Vat and the parents who made themselves available on Tuesday morning.
SunSmart Begins
From Thursday, 1st September, all students need to wear a SunSmart school hat. While there may be some cooler days, UV levels can still be very high.
Please note, caps are not acceptable as they do not meet the SunSmart requirements.
If you need to order a hat, please do so as soon as possible and don’t forget to name it!
Emergency Management Drills
Each term, we hold regular Emergency Management drills. Usually these alternate between lockdowns and evacuations but may also include medical emergencies. For each drill, we complete reviews to ensure they are as effective as possible. We will be holding our Term 3 Evacuation Drill on Friday 15th September – the last day of the term.
Thanks
This is the final newsletter of the school term and an opportunity to thank our staff and school community for their support and tireless work throughout Term 3. I extend my best wishes to all families over the final week of the school term and over the school holiday break. I hope it is a chance to spend time together.
Please note the earlier finishing time next Friday 15th September at 2.30pm.
See you at the the beginning of Term 4 on October 2nd.
Joshua Crozier
Assistant Principal