Principal's Desk
Dear Parents,
Transition is such an important aspect of schooling at all stages from Prep to Year 6, particularly following the Covid interrupted years. As a school we are committed to providing the best learning opportunities for our students as they transition from one year to the next. Once again, we value and appreciate the support of parents in building and nurturing an authentic home school partnership.
This term during our Friday ‘Friendship Group’ time, we will be running 'transition groups' to help support students in the transition to new classes for 2024. As a school we want to provide students an opportunity to both reconnect with peers from other classes in their year level but also connect with students who they may not even know from the year group currently above or below them.
This will also introduce students to different teachers and classroom spaces and hopefully help to reduce anxiety for some children. It is also an opportunity for teachers to observe students and identify positive relationships that may be fostered. These groups will be made up of different groups of students each week as well as different teachers to ensure students get to meet and interact with all of their peers. Successful transition is vital to the development of students' sense of belonging, connectedness and academic self-competence, as well as reducing anxiety and any potential mental health issues. Effective transition programs can prepare students for the changes and challenges they may face during a new school year.
Prep 2024 Transition
In two week’s time we will welcome our Prep children for 2024 for the beginning of their Transition Program. We will provide three transition sessions as an opportunity for the children to familiarise themselves with the school environment and to meet the Prep teaching team. More than half of our Prep enrolment are new families to Holy Trinity, so the program also allows our new parents to ask lots of questions prior to our Parent Information Night in late November.
As part of the transition process we will begin visiting kindergartens / early learning centres and facilitating some PSGs for students who may require additional support in transitioning into school. These important visits and meetings ensure we are better prepared to meet the needs of each and every student. Essentially it is the beginning of a home / school partnership which is critical throughout the primary years for the development of the spiritual, academic and social needs of all students.
Class placement 2024
In preparing for the 2024 school year, our teachers will soon begin the process of placing the children into class groupings for the 2024 school year, in line with our Class Placement of Students Policy (see attached).
As I am sure you can appreciate, this can be a challenging and tedious task as we work diligently and carefully to create a balance of classes. We understand that some students and parents can, at times, express their disappointment upon the announcement of classes in early December, particularly in regards to friendships. I ask you to trust the teachers’ judgment and professionalism in making a decision that is in each child’s best interest. This doesn’t mean, and cannot mean, that each and every child will be placed with their preferred friends or teachers.
If you have any relevant information regarding the placement of your child, please email me directly on principal@htws.catholic.edu.au to request a Consideration for Placement of Student Form 2024. This information will be taken into account when teachers are placing children in classes. The form needs to be submitted directly to me, not to the classroom teachers, by Tuesday 31st October, 2023. Any previous discussions with your child’s teacher/s, must be redirected to me via this form. Any considerations from previous years also need to be resubmitted using this form, as considerations from previous years may no longer be relevant. No forms will be considered after this time.
Please also note that the teachers are aware of the children’s friendships so requests for placing children with specific friends will not be considered. Social factors such as children not relating well together may be considered, but this reason must be submitted on the official form.
If you are not planning to return to Holy Trinity in 2024, please let the School Office know as soon as possible. We need to finalise our student numbers before establishing our class structure and allocating classroom teachers.
Twilight Sports - Thursday 26th October
Our annual Twilight Sports Carnival for all students from Prep - Year 6 is just over 2 weeks away. This is always a great school community event. Planning is underway but the details are as follows:
Picnic / BBQ from 4.30pm.
Sports events - 5.30pm - 7.00pm
What to wear - Students are to wear house colours on the night, ready to be active. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen and wear a hat.
Please bring - A small back pack with a snack. Water bottle labelled with their name. Asthma puffer should they need one.
Thank you to the Parents’ Association for coordinating the BBQ on the night - details to come.
Ready to be Sun Smart!
Just a reminder that school hats are now required to be worn by all staff and students. Please don’t forget to clearly name the hat! Staff are unable to apply sunscreen to students so you may like to remind your child how to apply their own sunscreen.
School Fee Statements
Thank you to all the families who have paid their 2023 school fees.
School Fee Staements have been emailed to parents. If you did not receive your statement please contact the office. Families are reminded that school fees for 2023 were due by Friday 15 September 2023 unless direct debits or special arrangement are in place. If you have not as yet finalised the balance of your fees for 2023 please phone Lorelle Clark in the office to discuss.
School Blog
Our students are responsible for a lot of the School Blog content, so please take some time to appreciate their posts. It is also a great way to find out about school events such as Camp, Production, Sports Events, the Arts …. And much more!
http://blog.htws.catholic.edu.au/
Warm Regards,
Adrian Scutt
Principal
Time to eXcel
