Principal's Message
Dear Parents/Carers,
Welcome back to Term 4, our last term of the year and one that is always full of lots of events, learning and decisions that we cannot wait to embark upon.
Staffing News
The following staff members will be continuing their leave in 2024:
- Mary-Grace Belda, Caroline Bewley & Angela Rennie
The following staff members will be taking a year of leave next year:
- Ebony Barber, Brian Norris, William Saunders & Grace Smith-Davies
The following staff have advised of their resignation from EPS:
- Lisa Czyczelis, Lisa James, Hayley Quinlan & Sophie Weber
The following staff will be returning next year:
- Katherine Bell, Jacqueline Curlis, Dyon Hunt & Alyssa Mackenzie
The following staff will be joining EPS next year:
- Charlotte Harper & Gemma Wall
The door is always open….
Just a quick reminder that the Leadership team and I are available to talk if ever you have a good idea, a problem, concern, or some good feedback (we love that too!). Don’t hesitate to drop by, call or send us a note. We value your feedback; it helps inform us and make considered improvements to our school.
Multi Age Classes (or Composite Classes)
Muli Age or Composite classes are where children from different grades are combined into one class. The most common combinations are Year 5/6 and Year 3/4 and indeed many schools run whole cohort composite classes at various times.
One of the reasons for multiage classes is uneven patterns of enrolment. Suppose our school had 60 students in Year 5 and 60 students in Year 6 (which isn’t too far off our actual numbers). This would require four teachers for two Year 5 classes and two Year 6 classes, 30 students per class. Alternatively, three year 5 and three year 6 classes could be formed with 20 students in each class, this arrangement however would be prohibitive cost wise. If a multiage class was formed the arrangement would be 24 students in each of the five classes.
All classes, whether a single year level or multiage class group, have children with diverse learning needs and abilities. When planning for student learning, teachers take into consideration the strengths, prior knowledge and needs of every student. They use this as a starting point to design the learning and work from where each child is currently at. In any class, there will be teaching and learning that occurs as a whole class, in small groups and at an individual level.
Research tells us that high quality teaching and learning is the key to a successful learning environment in any classroom, not the structure or makeup of the class. There is no evidence that student learning may be hindered in a multiage class.
In a normal Year 5 class some children might be working at Year 7/8 level in some subjects and some children at Year 3 level in some subjects. This is not dissimilar to the ability levels of a multiage year 5/6 class with students learning at similar levels. It is our teachers that are trained in differentiating the curriculum to meet the varying abilities of their students. They have a very clear understanding of the curriculum requirements and expectations for each year level. The provision of effective assessments ensure we know students’ needs, strengths, and future learning points.
In 2024 the class composition for classes in our school will be:
Prep – 4 classes
Year 1 – 3 classes
Year 2– 3 classes
Year 3 – 2 classes
Year 3/4 – 1 class
Year 4 – 2 classes
Year 5 – 2 classes
Year 5/6 – 1 class
Year 6 – 2 classes
World Teachers Day
On Thursday, 5th October EPS celebrated World Teachers’ Day. The day was a great opportunity to appreciate the wonderful teachers we have at Elsternwick Primary School and recognise the important role they play in shaping the next generation. On behalf of the EPS community, I would like to thank our teachers for all the amazing work they do to give both the teaching profession and children in our school, a bright future.
Thunderstorm Asthma
Thunderstorm asthma can happen suddenly to people in spring or summer when there is a lot of pollen in the air and the weather is hot, dry, windy and stormy.
People with asthma and/or hay fever need extra protection to avoid thunderstorm asthma between September and January in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. This means using preventer medicine every day and always having a reliever inhaler (blue puffer) ready. See your doctor to get the best asthma and/or hay fever medication plan and provide this to Britt in our front office.
http://elsternwickps.vic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/EPS-Asthma-Policy.pdf
Hats
As per the schools and DE’s SunSmart and Extreme Heat Policy our students are required to wear hats from September 1st through until April 30th (all the months with the letter R). The weather is becoming warmer, and we urge all students and their families to make sure they wear a hat during break times – the UV rays can be quite strong even during the dreary weather.
Thankyou to Britts Dad!
Finally, I just wanted to make mention of the new path at the entry to the school. This would not have been achievable had it not been for Brittany’s Dad, Tim Peebles who cut our concrete free of charge. He introduced us to a fantastic concreter which meant we could achieve a beautiful result within our budget. Thanks again Britt and Tim!
Cheers,
Michael Portaro