Principal's Report
Grandparents' Day - A Big Success!
We had a great Grandparents' Day recently. It is always one of my favourite days of the year, as it is with our staff and students.
Please pass on my thanks to the many grandparents and special friends who were able to attend. We are already looking forward to next year! By the way, our grandparents are always welcome to visit our school and don't need to wait 12 months to return.
Below is a couple of photos of students eagerly awaiting the arrival of their grandparents/special friend. The other two photos are of the Prep performance and the Choir performance.
Be Awesome Day 2023
We celebrated another successful 'Be Awesome Day' last Friday. For those not familiar with this special day, it is a legacy piece to celebrate our former friend and colleague, Mr Mark 'Stevo' Stevens. Stevo was an amazing teacher at SGPS, who’s passion and enthusiasm for his students was infectious. Stevo had a lasting impression on everyone he met, and not a day goes by that we aren’t reminded of his amazing impact on our school. Our motto 'Be Awesome' was Stevo's favourite saying when talking to our students. He could always be overheard telling students to be awesome, and when they responded with 'I already am', he would just tell them to be more awesome.
Special thanks to Mrs Schulz for coordinating this special day. Thanks also to Emma Clohesy for organising the Colour Run and thanks to all parents who helped out or attended on the day. Finally, congratulations to all students for planning and running their activities on the day. You were all AWESOME!
Remembrance Day
Every year at 11am on 11 November—the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month—we pause to remember those men and women who have died or suffered in all wars, conflicts and peace operations.
Our staff will acknowledge this important day with their students tomorrow, given Remembrance Day falls on a Saturday this year.
2024 Booklists
Reminder, that the 2024 Booklists will close on Friday December 15, 2023 - this will guarantee delivery on book collection day. Orders received after this date will not be ready until the start of the Term 1 2024.
Book Collection Day
Where: Spring Gully Primary School
Date: Tuesday January 23, 2024
Time: 8:00am to 4:00pm
From: Art Room
Head Lice
We occasionally receive reports from parents about head lice. While annoying, they are very common in school-aged children and are the most adaptable of creatures. They have survived living solely on humans for 10,000 years!
Please be vigilant and check your child/ren’s hair regularly, particularly behind the ears and neck.
If you are unlucky enough to come across lice in your child’s hair, please let the school office or your teacher know so they can put out the anonymous alerts. This is important to help eradicate them from the classroom.
Children with head lice are not permitted to attend school until appropriate treatment has started. Please rest assured that head lice can (and does) happen to anyone...except people like me!
The Victorian Department of Health provides a handy website to help parents manage head lice and we appreciate your support with this.
Repeat Notices
Final Curriculum Day for 2023
Our final Curriculum Day for 2023 will be held on Wednesday 15th November. I will contact Camp Australia and see if they can offer a service on this day.
2024 Placement Requests
Throughout the rest of October and November we will continue to work on our class structures and student combinations for next year.
In the past we have worked to ensure friendship groups remain together in some capacity, however, it is equally important to recognise the need to establish productive environments that support learning, as well as maintaining or building new friendship groups. If there are any concerns about friendship placements for students in 2023, please let me know in writing or via email Francis.Trezise@education.vic.gov.au by Friday, 10th November. No late requests will be considered. Please note that it is not possible for parents to request specific teachers, as it would be impossible to accommodate all requests. Our process is to develop matched classroom groups, based on social and educational needs, and then we match teachers to each class. In this way, all classes are developed equally.
Currently we do not know who will be teaching which grades next year and several factors will determine how this is finally decided. Our Prep teachers will be confirmed before the Prep Information Night on Tuesday 14th November.
Change of Plans for 2024?
Accurate enrolment numbers are crucial when it comes to planning for 2024. If your child/children will not be with us next year, please contact your child’s teacher or the office as soon as possible.