Primary Report 

From the Primary Office

It is great to see the many Registered Parent Volunteers back into the classrooms working with our staff and students. Research suggests that having parental involvement in schools has many benefits. Good parent-school partnerships are one of the best ways to support children’s learning, development and wellbeing. We know that children whose parents are involved in school:

• perform better at school
• settle better into school programs
• feel valued and important because their parents are taking an interest in their lives
• develop positive social skills by watching parents and school staff interact respectfully
• have better social, physical and emotional wellbeing.

Parents who are involved at school:

• can share their child’s strengths and interests with staff and suggest learning opportunities to build on these
• feel empowered to raise concerns and negotiate solutions with staff
• experience less stress, because they know they can work with staff on concerns about their child’s learning or development.

Parents are members of the community too. Through parental involvement, the school gets to know the community better. This means the school is more likely to offer services that are relevant and improve community wellbeing.

Parent Volunteers

For those parents, grandparents, carers or significant others looking at becoming a Registered Volunteer, further sessions for the volunteer induction have been scheduled:

Please contact the PS reception on 03 5480 5950 to book your spot. Parents registering for the online session will receive a Zoom invite. 

Parent Classroom Representative

Another great way to volunteer at our school is to be a Parent Classroom Representative (PCR) in the Primary School. The purpose of the PCR is to help foster good communication in the school and to assist in the development of an inclusive school community. It provides another means of uniting the school community and enhances the quality of relationships within the school between teachers, parents and the students.

Each classroom will have their own Representative and we would like to thank those who have already expressed an interest. If you are interested to get involved, please email the Primary Reception at psreception@moamagrammar.nsw.edu.au.

All appointed PCRs will be invited to attend the PCR induction which has been scheduled for Wednesday 23 March at 9am in the Multipurpose Hall. This induction focuses on guidelines, roles and responsibilities and it will support the PCRs as they start their exciting roles for the 2022 school year.

Academic Co-Curricular Program

We are pleased to announce the start of the Academic Co-Curricular program in the Primary School. This program focuses on supporting and extending students in the areas of English and Mathematics. Stage Coordinators, together with the teachers and support staff have been planning engaging programs which cater for different skills and goals. Identified students will be invited to attend the lessons which run as withdrawal groups during the day. Teachers will contact parents of students who are invited to attend. Different students will have an opportunity to be involved in the Academic Co-Curricular program as we continue to revise the skills and goals being taught. Teachers use assessment data, observations and diagnostic tests to establish who will be invited. If you have any questions about the programs, please contact your child’s classroom teacher in the first instance. 

Explore Learn and Move Therapy for Kids

For those parents looking for additional information to support their child through Allied Health Support, the following website comes recommended by Amy Whitten, a highly skilled local Occupational Therapist https://explorelearnmove.com.au/. This website will provide access to resources and programs from senior therapists. 

Assemblies

This term, students are attending assemblies in their relevant stages. With the easing of restrictions, we plan to return to Whole Primary School Assemblies at the start of Term 2. However, as with all events, we continue to assess the risks and based on these we make decisions. We will inform parents when they are able to attend these Whole School Assemblies. 

Australian War Memorial

Hamish McDonald in Year 4 was incredibly lucky last weekend when he visited the Australian War Memorial with his grandparents. He was selected to lay a wreath during the last post ceremony together with his Poppy John. Hamish, a history enthusiast, was incredibly proud to have been selected to take part in this special ceremony.

Well done Hamish! 

You can watch the ceremony here.

Grip Leadership

On Monday 21 March, our Year 6 Student Leaders will participate in the annual GRIP Leadership Conference in Shepparton. The purpose of this conference is for Year 6 leaders to develop their leadership skills and to collaborate and connect with other Year 6 leaders in the region. The goal of the day is for students to leave with a clear vision, a solid understanding and plenty of ideas on how to develop their leadership roles throughout the remainder of the year. 

Masks

We would like to remind parents who come into the school grounds, to please wear a mask. Whilst this is no longer a requirement in NSW, we continue to look at ways we can mitigate the COVID numbers at our School. Your understanding and support is greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Nici Deller                                                            Mel Scott

Head of Primary                                                Head of Teaching and Learning Primary

Exciting times in the primary School!

Our first wedding in several years is happening tomorrow. Congratulations to Miss Lauren Williams and partner David, we wish you a lifetime of happiness and cannot wait to see photos!

During the week we celebrated Lauren's pending nuptials with our own MAG wedding! Complete with a special appearance from Mr D, Stand-in 'Father of the bride' and a little flower girl! What a fun way to celebrate this exciting time!