News From Mr Smith
Dear School Community Members,
While I acknowledge we are in the thirty fifth week of the school year, I strongly encourage all students and families to maintain their regularly Home-Reading program and routine.
As parents and role models, we have the opportunity to project and model the importance of reading onto our children. Professor Anne Bayetto from Flinders University in South Australia highlighted students who read:
Less than 1 minute per day will read 8000 words a year
4.6 minutes per day will read 282 000 words a year
20 minutes per day will read 1.8 million words a year
How can they ever catch up? Our role, as teachers, is to explicitly teach students how to decode the text and comprehension strategies that children require to be successful readers. As parents and role models, your job is to give the opportunity for them to practise these skills. We expect all students are engaged in a regular home-reading program. For our Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 students, this will include a prescribed program where they bring home a ‘take-home book’ co-selected by the student and their teacher.
Our older students should be engaging in a more independent home-reading program where books have been borrowed from the school library, local libraries or a home library.
Continuing a Home-Reading program up until the end of the school year is crucial to a child’s literacy development.
Student Transition – tomorrow:
Date: Friday, 7th November (tomorrow)
Time: 9:30am – 11:00am
Tomorrow is our first ‘Step-Up’ session for all students. This session involves students participating in transition activities in their 2026 year level. This helps prepare students for their transition to their next year level. It will be great to see our 2026 Prep students again, as well as our current students learning about all the opportunities and experiences they will engage in next year.
Teachers have begun the process of compiling our classes for 2026. This process is complex and something we take very seriously. Academic needs are considered, friendships play an important part, as well as a range of other factors. Students are guaranteed at least one of their 4 friends they nominated.
Congratulations Mrs Ilett:
We congratulate Mrs Ilett on her recent appointment in a consulting role as a Physiotherapist. Mrs Ilett’s last day with us will be Wednesday, 19th November. Mrs Ilett will be sadly missed by our school, however, we are thrilled for her to embark on this wonderful opportunity. We look forward to expressing our gratitude and best wishes to Mrs Ilett over the coming weeks.
Congratulations, Mrs Ilett.
Remembrance Day:
Our annual Remembrance Day ceremony will take place:
Date: Monday, 10th November
Time: 9:05am
Venue: Assembly area (in front of flag poles)
We will also observe a minute’s silence in memory of the fallen service men and women on Tuesday, 11th November at 11am. Please feel free to join us for this special service and take some time to discuss the significance of events such as these with your children.
Christmas Concert – End of Year Celebration:
I am pleased to inform you that the date and details for our Christmas Concert and end of year celebration has been finalised.
Date: Thursday, 18th December
Time: 9:15am – 11:00am
We look forward to sharing with you further details as we get closer.
Thank you for supporting our school and have a great week.
Christian Smith