From The Principal's Desk

Dear Parents and Carers, 

 It was with great sadness that we heard the news that one of our past students passed away over the weekend. Bridie Cocks was a school captain at Delacombe PS in 2019 and always represented the school to the highest of levels. Bridie will always be remembered as a fun loving student, who always strived to achieve her best. Our thoughts are with Bridie’s family at this time. If this passing has caused any concern for you or your child, please don't hesitate to contact the school for support.

Year 2 Sleepover

What a fabulous time we had at the Grade 2 sleepover on Thursday night. The students were thoroughly engaged in the variety of activities during the evening which included an energetic game of hungry hippos on the soccer pitch, growing grass heads, decorating biscuits and unleashing their inner creativeness in the Art room. 

The students showed independence beyond their years to set up bedding and get themselves off to sleep at a reasonable hour. A huge congratulations to all students on their first school camp experience.

Special mention to our wonderful staff who took time away from family to ensure this event went ahead.

Writers’ Festival

Over the past week the corridors have transformed into underwater worlds in preparation of the annual Delacombe Primary School Writers’ Festival. The students have all been working extremely hard to ensure their visual artwork and written pieces are ready for the event. After reading some of the pieces, it is evident that the focus on writing over the past few years has had the desired effect. It is clear that the students have been able to grasp the writing model that has been taught and apply it to their written pieces. I encourage everyone to find some time on Friday to explore the corridors and enjoy the work that the students have created. Special thanks to the huge team led by our Learning Specialist, Jacinta Fitzpatrick and Literacy Coordinator Bianca McDonald who have spent countless hours organising this wonderful event.

Requests for 2023

It is getting to that time where we will begin to organise class groupings for next year

In 2023 we alter our classroom structures slightly.  We will have 26 classrooms consisting of the following structure: 

Prep x 4

Grade 1 x 4 

Grade 2 x 4 

Grade 3 x 4 

Grade 4 x 3

Grade 5 x 3

Grade 6 x 4

Our teachers will place students in classrooms where they feel they will work best. There are a range of processes they consider from academic to social to ensure the balance is right for each  class.  If you feel strongly that your child will not work productively with another student, we would require this request in writing before November 4th. 

 We all want the best for our students to provide the best education possible.

School Council News

Our October meeting of School Council met last week and discussed the following agenda items:

• Staff structure for 2023.
• The final report from the school review and how we now move forward with the development of the Annual Implementation Plan.
• Our indicative 2023 School Resource Package and school financial position for 2022.
• School concert fundraising efforts.
• Plans for spending surplus funds from the stadium build. The following will be a focus for the remainder of 2022 and start of 2023:
  • Asbestos removal and repairs to admin building
  • New signage around the school 
  • Heating for stadium 
  • P-2 creative play space 
  • Establishment of sensory room and increased office space.
  • Fencing realignment 
  • Walking track redevelopment 
  • Update to security cameras 
• The rolling school facility audit that identifies priority maintenance goals for the future
• 2022 Naplan Data analysis and explanation of online testing and assessment reports.
• The Disability Inclusion Program update.
• Student Attitude to School Data analysis.
• The ongoing success of the DASH program
• Ratification of the School Emergency and Critical Incident Plan
• Approval for school excursions and camps for the remainder of 2022.

Our thanks to the ongoing support of our school councillors.

New Signage around the school

You probably have noticed the new signage going up around the school to assist with visitors and parents finding the school office. These new signs look great and have been met with positive feedback. 

Over the coming weeks we will have banners going up in the stadium to promote the school house system. We look forward to sharing these with everyone soon.

Curriculum Day

We appreciate the support provided by the school community to allow the school curriculum day to take place last week. During the day, our dedicated staff met to learn about developing student voice, agency and leadership across the school. Student voice and agency is a proven indicator of improving student engagement with their learning. When students are leaders of their own learning, the positive effects impact all parts of a student’s academic, social and emotional wellbeing. 

All staff are currently working on building strategies to engage students in being reflective learners.

Melbourne Cup Day

Next Tuesday November 1 is Melbourne Cup Day and therefore a public holiday for schools across Ballarat. School and DASH will be closed on this day. 

Usually, Ballarat Show Day is the nominated holiday for Ballarat schools, however COVID restrictions have seen it moved to Melbourne Cup Day for the last couple of years. 

Talking to Your Child About School 

- Keeping Communication Doors Open and Positive-

It is clear that the final term of the year can bring about many feelings for your child. Some will be feeling the sense of excitement about moving onto a new year level, others will be less enthusiastic, some will be worried about the changes while a few will embrace the opportunity to meet new friends and their teacher. What we do know, is that every child’s journey will be slightly different and require adjustments both at school and at home. 

The conversations that take place at school and at home will play a major role in supporting your child to process the changes that lie ahead, celebrate the journey so far and prepare strategies that will set them up for success. Below are a few tips to assist:

• Feed them up before the conversation – quite often your child will return home exhausted from the days events. They may have used a lot of energy to do things that we find easy ie getting along with friends, organising their day or understanding the topics being taught. Be empathetic, give them something to eat before attempting conversations.
• Having conversations about your child's day demonstrates that you value school and learning. Although it is the last thing we may want to do at night, taking time to talk about school is important to instil the love of learning. Although your child may not admit it at the time, a parent showing interest will definitely pay off in the end.
• Be strategic with the questions you ask. Being open and positive with your questioning is important. Ask a yes/no question and that is all you will receive. Some good examples include:
  • Tell me about your day.
  • What happened today that made you laugh?
  • What does your classroom look like at the moment?
• Be positive and careful with tricky situations. The way you respond to a situation/challenge that your child tells you about is the way they will reflect it at school. Always encouraging your child to ‘seek to understand’ rather than making judgements is the best. Acknowledge their feelings and then support them to regulate them. Examples include:
  • That doesn't sound fair but maybe there is another perspective we need to consider.
  • That must have felt awful, I wonder what that student was feeling in order for them to respond in that way?
  • I understand what you are saying, but let’s not get caught up in the drama. Who can you talk to at school about it?
• Share the strategies you use. We have all had varied experiences at school and have developed many strategies to overcome challenges faced. Talking with your child about how you faced challenges at school and being vulnerable about what worked and didn't work will assist with your child building effecting coping strategies for when things get hard. 

Communication, especially in Term 4 is vital to support your child to finish off the school year on a positive note.