Assistant Principal Update

Welcome to Week 8! 

I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend and is feeling rested and refreshed as we head into the final few weeks of the term. It has been another wonderful week of learning, collaboration, and community spirit here at Alphington Primary School.

Celebrating Staff Learning and Collaboration

Last Friday, our staff participated in an extremely productive day of professional learning. I want to highlight what a privilege it is to be part of such a positive, dedicated, and collaborative school team environment; all of the sessions were incredibly engaging.

Our first session focused on reviewing and updating our English literacy assessments. A special thank you to Meg, our Speech Pathologist, who led the staff through everything DIBELS, a valuable diagnostic tool that will further support our teachers in identifying and supporting specific reading behaviours in our students.

Following this, our Maths team led an excellent session to deepen our knowledge of retrieval practices. It was fantastic to explore how these strategies align with the VTLM 2.0 and the broader science of learning.

Finally, we spent time focusing on Cultural Responsiveness. This important work sits within the 'Enabling Learning' framework and is vital for establishing and maintaining safe, inclusive learning spaces for everyone at APS.

STEAM Expo Success

Another major highlight of the week was our STEAM Expo on Wednesday evening. It was awesome to see our school filled with families and friends, coming together to enjoy and celebrate the fantastic work our students have produced. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped create such a vibrant atmosphere!

Sporting Success and Soccer Fever

A massive congratulations to Grace and Sam, who have successfully made it to the next level of Cross Country! We are so proud of your efforts and wish you the absolute best as you represent APS at the Regional competition in Kilmore on Wednesday, 17th June.

It is also going to be a huge week of soccer! Alongside the World Cup matches featuring Australia vs Turkiye on Sunday the 14th, and Australia vs USA capping off the week on Saturday morning, our own students are hitting the pitch. On Friday, 19th June, 26 of our Grade 6 students will be competing in the Ivanhoe District Soccer Round Robin at John Cain Memorial Park. Good luck to the APS team and enjoy the tournament!

Year 1 Aquarium Adventure & Volunteer Thanks

A look back at last week wouldn't be complete without celebrating the Year 1 excursion to the Aquarium. 

A big thank you goes out to the volunteers who accompanied the Year 1s, and to all our volunteers this term who have continued to support our various excursions and events. We truly appreciate your time and effort in making these opportunities possible for our students.

Reminder: Off-Site Evacuation Drill

As mentioned in last week's newsletter, we have an off-site evacuation drill planned for this Thursday, 11th June, just prior to recess.

We will practice evacuating the school site and assembling at our designated off-site emergency point at Alphington Park. Please note that students in our younger years will be notified and prepared beforehand, as we want to ensure they feel entirely comfortable with the process.

Have a wonderful week ahead!

Warm regards,

Luke Kleinig

Assistant Principal