Principal's Report
Dear Parents, Families and Community members,
Welcome New Staff to the ACS team
We are fortunate to have a number of new staff join the ACS team this term.
Welcome...
Jane McAdam - Jane has joined the Year 2 team as a home group teacher.
Ilona Linden - Ilona has joined the Year 1 & 2 teams as an education support staff member.
Brittany Innes - Brittany has joined the Year 3 team as an education support staff member.
Mia Stubbings - Mia has joined the Secondary team as an education support staff member.
Adriana Spadaro Cristofalo - Adriana has joined the Administration team in the office as a trainee.
Lexi Schlotz - Lexi has also joined the Administration team in our Daily Organisation role.
Congratulations
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate a couple of existing staff members who have recently been appointed into acting positions.
Congratulations Clarissa Jelley who accepted the Acting Assistant Principal role (Prep - Year 2) and Andrea Wirken who accepted the Acting Leading Teacher role (Year 1 & 2).
ACS Facebook page
Over the coming weeks the ACS Facebook page will highlight the wonderful staff / teams we have here at ACS. Please ensure you head to our Facebook page to 'meet' each team. This week the amazing administration team was introduced to our community - make sure to check it out!
Change to our Assemblies
We are a growing school! We now have student population of 717 and 110 staff. Getting everyone into the gym for assembly takes time and is getting a little tricky with space. We are still able to fit in the gym, but we are aware with more people in this space means an increase in noise and other sensory inputs, that some children find challenging. So, we have revised and REVAMPED our process for the way we conduct assemblies.
Whole School Assemblies
There will be three whole school assemblies per term. One at the beginning, one in the middle, and one at the end. Whole school assemblies will be a platform to celebrate student successes and whole school events that occur with the community. These assemblies will be an opportunity to come together as a whole school community, such as End of Term Awards, House Competitions, Special Events and Announcements.
Year Level Assemblies
These will occur every fortnight within Learning Communities. At Year Level Assemblies' students will focus on celebrations from within their own community via Year Level Awards and also be able to see what is happening across the school videos.
Berry Street Training - Day 2
On Tuesday 21 February, ACS staff participated in Day 2 of the Berry Street Education Model (BSEM) training.
BSEM provides strategies for teaching and learning that enables education staff to increase engagement of all students including students with complex, unmet learning needs and to successfully improve all students’ self-regulation, regulation, relationships, wellbeing, growth and academic achievement. All Teaching and Education Support staff were involved in this professional learning day.
We would like to thank Deakin University for hosting our 100+ staff for this important day of professional learning.
Year 7-9 Beach Experience
Yesterday our Year 7-9 students ventured off for a day at Cosy Corner Beach in Torquay. They enjoyed playing in the sand, a BBQ lunch and some brave students who even ventured into the water even though it was not the warmest of weather! The images below provide a recount of the day from the students' perspective and there are also a few happy snaps of the day!
Year 6 Polo Shirts
Each year families of our Year 6 students have the opportunity to purchase a commemorative polo shirt. The design on the back of the shirts is voted by the students.
The shirts arrived in the past couple of weeks which called for some VERY excited kids!
AFL Clinic - report by Evie S
On Wednesday 22nd of February, Chloe from the Geelong Cats AFLW team came out to coach our Year 5 and 6 girls wanting to try out for the AFL Gala Day.
First, we started by going for a jog around the oval. The goal was to jog together like a real team. After that, we went to get a drink. Chloe then showed us the different marks you do. We started with the chest mark, then moved onto an overhead mark.
Once we did that, we then learnt how to kick a drop punt. We learnt that wherever you face the laces, that’s where the ball should go.
She also showed us an exercise that helped us with our handballing. We got into groups of 4 and there were 5 cones. The exercise was called the bow tie. We began the activity with 1 ball and eventually had 2 balls going. It became very chaotic. Overall, I thought it was a great experience. - Evie S Year 6
Year 10-12 Portable Name
You may have noticed that all our buildings here at school have been named after beaches or surf breaks in our region.
With the arrival of two new portable buildings for our senior secondary area, we were on the hunt for a new name for these two buildings.
We put out a public vote to our families and the winning name (by 1 vote) was Aireys! These two new buildings will now be known as Aireys 1 & 2.
National Ride 2 School Day
Our school will be participating in National Ride2School day again this year. We had a fantastic turn out last year and the students loved the opportunity to ride their bikes with their peers in class time as part of our Ride for Fun session!
Make sure you check out the 'Ride 2 Ready Checklist' before March 24th!
Sydney World Pride 2023
Sydney World Pride is currently being held in Sydney, it’s a combination of the largest human rights conference in the southern hemisphere and Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras along with a heap of other Queer events.
World Pride is an opportunity to create a world that is safe, free and equal for everyone – no matter who we love, who we are or what sex characteristics we were born with.
It's an important event to showcase the Australian LGBTQIA+ community on a world stage, create visibility and continue the conversation about the changes still needing to happen to ensure LGBTQIA+ people are equal and safe in community life.
The Geelong Rainbow Festival and Pride March is being held on Saturday 25 March - https://www.facebook.com/GeelongRainbowInc/
ACS proudly supports LGBTIQIA+ students and staff.
Student Conveyance Allowance
Parents/Guardians may be eligible to claim Conveyance Allowance to assist with travel costs if their child/children are attending their nearest/zoned government school and live 4.8kms or more from that school, via the shortest practicable route. The shortest practicable route should be determined with reference to Google Maps. Please use 100 Central Blvd, Armstrong Creek to see if you may qualify. Some conditions and exceptions apply.
Claim forms are available from the office. Please note that all claims for Term 1 close on 17 March 2023.
Greater City of Geelong School Crossing Supervisor Recruitment
Our School Crossing Supervisors hold a much-valued role in our community, helping students and parents cross the road safely during peak school times. It is a great way to stay active, connect with and be a part of the Geelong community.
As a Casual School Crossing Supervisor, you will be called upon to be a reliever when needed at one of the 173 crossings within the City of Greater Geelong. The crossings operate Monday to Friday between the hours of 8.00am and 9.30am; and 3.00pm and 4.30pm.
This roles pays an hourly rate of $30.03 + super (plus 25% casual loading).
Your main responsibilities will include:
- Provide supervision and education to ensure the safety of children and all members of the public using school crossings
- Follow set procedures, guidelines and OH&S processes
- Undertake all duties in a manner which promotes effective teamwork and high-quality customer service
- Report OH&S issues, School Crossing maintenance issues and Traffic and Parking offences
- You will undertake induction and training prior to commencing in the role and further ongoing training as required.
Click here for more information & to apply: https://careersmanager.pageuppeople.com/887/cw/en/job/497397/childrens-crossing-supervisors
Kathryn Sier
Acting Principal