Dear Families,

As the year comes to a close, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the remarkable achievements we’ve accomplished together. At Kilberry Valley PS we continue to strive for excellence in all areas, and this year’s results highlight the strength of our school community and our unwavering focus on student learning and well-being.

Outstanding Survey Results

We are thrilled to share that our school achieved higher-than-average results compared to similar schools and state benchmarks:

- **Parent and Student Surveys**: These results reflect the overwhelmingly positive experiences of our families and students. Your feedback confirms that our community is thriving, and your children feel supported, connected, and engaged.

- **Staff Survey**: Higher-than-similar and state results highlight our staff’s dedication, commitment, and the positive culture we’ve cultivated. This reinforces our focus on putting student learning and well-being at the heart of everything we do.

Improving Learning Data

This year, we’ve seen progress in student learning outcomes, particularly in the numeracy space. While there is more to achieve, these results are a promising step forward as we continue to strive for excellence in all areas of learning.

Our school’s hard work has been recognized with an overall ‘high’ performance rating—a distinction earned by only 9 out of 41 schools. This is a testament to the incredible dedication of our staff, students, and families.

Living Our Value

A key highlight has been the way our school values of **CARES** (Cooperation, Acceptance, Respect, Engagement, and Safety) have come to life. Our whole-school reward system, supported by the School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) framework, has been instrumental in fostering positive behaviour, strong relationships, and a respectful learning environment for all. A part of this has been an increased focus on attendance. It’s cool to be @school is proving to be a huge success.

Strengthening Community Connections

We are proud of the ways we’ve partnered with families and the broader community this year. Highlights include:

- Continued partnership with our community playgroup, which supports early learning for our youngest students and their families.

- Our food bank program, providing families with access to staple items as well as cooking classes to build skills and share recipes.

- A growing number of events for families, such as Father’s Day and Mother’s Day celebrations, Harmony Day, and special parades, which bring joy and connection to our school.

Facilities and Future Upgrades

We’ve worked hard to improve our school environment, with highlights including:

- A major cleanup and decluttering effort across the school.

- The addition of a new school sign and values display, showcasing our vision and culture.

- Updates to the library, creating a welcoming space for exploration and learning.

- Beautifully trimmed gardens that enhance our outdoor spaces.

Over the holidays, we’ll continue this momentum with exciting upgrades:

- Painting of A Block and B Block, bringing a fresh and vibrant look to our learning spaces.

- Installation of new accordion partitions to create flexible, functional areas for students.

- Further trimming and tidying of our gardens to maintain a welcoming atmosphere.

Expanding Our Resources and Programs

Looking ahead, we are excited to announce several key initiatives for next year:

- 60 new Chromebooks will be purchased to support our students’ learning and further enhance the integration of ICT across the school. We remain committed to building our technology resources and improving digital literacy for all students.

- Hiring additional teachers to increase intervention and extension classes, particularly in the junior and middle years. This will ensure more targeted support for students, enabling them to achieve their full potential.

Thank You to Our School Council

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our School Council for their unwavering support and dedication throughout the year. Their contributions and strategic guidance have been instrumental in helping us achieve so much improvement across the school. Their positive impact is evident in the progress we’ve made, and we are incredibly grateful for their partnership.

Farewell and Festivities

As we celebrate, we also prepare to say goodbye to our wonderful Grade 6 students. Graduation is coming up and so is the annual excursion to Gumbuya World. Please refer to compass for further details. Our senior students have been leaders in our school, and we are so proud of the confident, resilient individuals they have become. We wish them every success in high school and beyond.

This year has also been marked by creativity and talent, with the amazing school production being a standout event. We can’t wait to end the year with our upcoming end of year concert, which promises to be another spectacular showcase of our students’ skills and enthusiasm.

Looking Forward to 2025

As we wrap up 2024, I want to say how proud I am of our students, staff, and families. The sense of community at Kilberry Valley is truly something special, and it is because of your support that we’ve achieved so much together.

Wishing you all a safe, happy, and restful holiday break. I look forward to seeing you in the new year for another incredible chapter at Kilberry.

Warm regards,

Aisha

Principal

I respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Victoria and pay respect to the ongoing living cultures of First Peoples.

Kilberry Konnect 2024

Cooperation, Acceptance, Respect, Engagement and Safety

Issue 8 · 22 Nov 2024

In this issue