Principal's Report

NAPLAN Begins Next Week

Students in Years 3 and 5 will begin NAPLAN testing next week. The testing window begins on Wendesday 11th of  March and will run across approximately two weeks.

NAPLAN provides one snapshot of student progress in literacy and numeracy. While it is not the only way we understand how students are learning, it can provide useful information about student growth over time.

To support students during the testing period, families can help by ensuring students:

• arrive at school on time
• have a good night’s sleep
• eat a healthy breakfast

• bring their charged device and headphones if required.

   

Maintaining normal routines and helping students feel calm and prepared can make a big difference to their experience.

If families have any questions about NAPLAN, please contact your child’s teacher.

Grandparents’ Day – Reminder

We are looking forward to welcoming our grandparents and special family members for Grandparents’ Day on Monday 23 March. 10:00am - 11:00am in classrooms and 11:00am-11:30am for morning tea.

This day is a special opportunity for students to share their school environment with important people in their lives. We look forward to seeing many of our Marlborough grandparents join us for the morning.

Water Safety and Swimming

Our school swimming program will take place next term, and we look forward to students participating in this important part of the Health and Physical Education curriculum.

Swimming and water safety education play an important role in helping students develop the skills and knowledge needed to stay safe in and around water. As part of this learning, Life Saving Victoria has recently updated its School Swimming and Water Safety Toolkit, which includes curriculum-aligned resources for schools from Prep to Year 10.

Families may also find the following resources helpful in supporting conversations about water safety at home:

• Kangaroo Beach – a short cartoon series about trainee lifeguards that promotes water safety in an engaging way for children.
• Beachsafe (Surf Life Saving Australia) – an online tool that helps you locate beaches and identify the closest patrolled areas.
• VicEmergency – Get to Know Our Warning Signs – information about emergency warning signs, including posters translated into Arabic, Dari, Vietnamese, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese.

• Life Saving Victoria’s Water Safety Tips – practical advice to support safe behaviour around water.

   

Families who require assistance with swimwear can also access support through the Affordable School Uniforms Program, delivered by State Schools’ Relief. This program can assist eligible families with the cost of swimwear, including modesty swimwear.

If you believe your child may benefit from this support, please contact the school office and we can assist with the application process.

I hope you all enjoy the extra long weekend with you children. We look forward to eeing you on Tuesday next week. 

Warmly,

Tim