Principal Team Report

Upcoming Important Dates

Term 2

23 June: Last day Term 2 (2:00pm dismissal)

Term 3

10 July: Term 3 Starts

26 July: Parent Forum: Reading at ASPS (new date!)

10-21 July: Parent Teacher Interviews

5 August: The Great ASPS Gatsby  Ball

14 August: Parent Event: Dr Justin Coulson (6:30pm - 8:30pm)

24 August: School Disco

Term 4

2 October: Term 4 Starts

6 November: Teacher Professional Practice Day (student free day)

22 November: Parent Forum: Numeracy at ASPS with Prof. Peter Sullivan

12 December: End of Year Concert

18 December: Year 6 Graduation

20 December: Last Day Term 4 (1:00pm dismissal)

Term 3 Parent Teacher Interviews

Please note that bookings for our Term 3 Parent Teacher Interviews will be available from 9:00am tomorrow morning (23/06/2023).  As a follow-up to the Celebration of Learning, these interviews provide parents with the opportunity to celebrate their children's progress while looking towards future learning and development goals. 

Understanding How Students are Assessed and the Student Report

At the end of this week, all families will receive an electronic copy of their child's report. Previous Parent Opinion Survey results have indicated that families would like to understand how their children are assessed.  The information contained within the Assessment @ ASPS page of the newsletter helps to explain part of the assessment process and how it links to the student reports. We also hope that our recent Celebration of Learning helped you to understand how your children are going at school so that the student report makes more sense. 

Parents & Carers as Valued Learning Partners: Celebration of Learning

Thank you to all staff and families for supporting this week's Celebration of Learning. As part of a broader focus on valuing parents as 'Partners in Learning' communication and engagement, we hope that all  families had a positive experience and enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate what children have achieved in Semester 1. 

School Improvement Update: Mud Kitchen Coming Soon!

I am delighted to confirm that a new place space will be installed at ASPS early in Term 3. Recognising that our  junior students are often at their best when they are able to play in a hands-on, interactive and imaginative setting, we will be installing a Mud-Kitchen, Cubby and Loose Parts play area in front of the 'Cottage' area.  

This new play installation includes the following elements:

• A café style cubby for creative and social play opportunities
• A new mud kitchen with sinks, cooking and utensils (water supply nearby on the deck)
• New construction/exploration tables to sit on the cottage deck
• Retaining some of the existing garden beds to provide for digging, stories and sensory exploration

2023 Year 5/6 Production

A huge congratulations goes out to our wonderful Year 5 and 6 students for their performances in last week's production, 'A Funny Thing Happened in the Library'.

Heartfelt thanks to our directors, Stuart Jones and Patricia Stanton, the Year 5/6 teachers and all of the staff and parents who helped on the night.  More photos and a Production report are included in the School Life @ ASPS page of the newsletter. 

ASPS Recognised at Statewide Principals Conference

Visible Wellbeing: As part of this year's DET Statewide Principal Conference at the Convention and Exhibition Centre, Professor Lea Waters spot-lighted ASPS for our Visible Wellbeing approach and associated student wellbeing data (as recorded in the annual Student Attitudes to School Survey. Professor Waters praised our school for demonstrating that despite global declines in wellbeing, schools such as ours, through a targeted approach, can lift wellbeing outcomes for students and staff (measured as Life Satisfaction).  This data was presented alongside positive shifts in teacher  wellbeing pedagogy over the past 3 years.

This work in developing an embedded approach to wellbeing has also led to a nomination for the 2023 Victorian Education Excellence Awards with our school's Senior Education Improvement Leader, Erika Bienert, providing the following endorsement:

"Auburn South Primary School are committed to excellence, and improving whole-school outcomes through strategic planning and improvement initiatives, and prioritising collaboration as the vehicle to lead the vision, values and culture of the school. The school demonstrates excellence in the ongoing delivery of whole school professional learning, with an emphasis on authentically integrating wellbeing into all aspects of the teaching and learning program. 

The school demonstrates a structured and collaborative approach to analysing school and student data and have seen a significant increase in student wellbeing data since implementation. The work of the team is strongly focused on FISO 2.0 and the importance of learning and wellbeing outcomes being intrinsically linked. 

This work has been shared at IE Area level and has resulted in many schools visiting Auburn South which shows the schools commitment to positively building the reputation of the Victorian government education system as a lighthouse school in this area."

Numeracy: ASPS was also invited to present our school's work on developing approaches in Numeracy. This presentation, delivered by our assistant principal, Rhian ap Rees and our Numeracy Leaders, Amy Shen and Kathy Arnold was part of a broader presentation on the Riversdale Network (Boroondara and Whitehorse Schools) for its work in leading cohesive improvement in Numeracy. 

To support our school's strategic focus on numeracy, staff have been working with leading consultant, Professor Peter Sullivan. Professor Sullivan will be running a parent forum in Term 4 to support our community's understanding of how students at ASPS are being challenged, supported and engaged in the key learning area of Mathematics. 

Topic: The Parenting Revolution

Guest Speaker: Dr Justin Coulson 

Date: 14 August (7:00pm - 8:30pm)

Early Bird Tickets: 

Early Bird on sale until 3:00pm Friday 23 June

Parenting strategies to support connection wellbeing and your child's basic psychological needs.  See the video from Justin below for details (click 'Learn More' when prompted if video doesn't play automatically).  Part 2 of this session (held later in Term 3) will be focus on the approaches used by ASPS to promote positive student behaviour, relationships and wellbeing.

Topic: Reading at ASPS (note date change!)

Date: 26 July (6:30pm - 7:30pm)

Reading and academic success are inextricably linked! At this session, parents and carers will build a deeper understanding of the school's approach to teaching reading. Parents and carers will also learn strategies to support their children's reading at home. This session is relevant for all Prep- Year 2 families and parents will children who might be struggling with early reading skills.

Topic: Numeracy at ASPS with Prof. Peter Sullivan

Date: 22 November (6:30pm - 8:00pm)

This engaging session, run by our school's numeracy consultant, Professor Peter Sullivan, will help families to understand the approaches taken by the support, challenge and engage students in Mathematics. Our aim as a school is that our students see themselves as mathematicians who are able to solve complex, real world problems; taking into Secondary School, the confidence and motivation to study Mathematics all the way through to Year 12 and beyond. 

Topic: Cyber Safety Project Webinar

Dates: Term 1 and 2 sessions available on-demand.

All ASPS families have free access to the following Cyber Safety Project webinars.  Click on the image below to access past and upcoming webinars.