Principal Message
Hello everyone,
We have passed the halfway mark for Term 2 and our students are well and truly into their learning cycles. It has been nice to move through the classrooms over the last couple of weeks and see the students immerising themselves in their Term 2 Inquiry Units. Grades 4 - 6 are exploring post colonial history and I have been so impressed with the quality of the research they are doing as they explore their wonderings about the era. Our Prep - 3 students have had their first excursion for the year to Edendale farm in Eltham as they explore their minibeast science topic. It was a very successful day and for most of the students, their first ever excursion or time on a bus.
NAPLAN
NAPLAN is almost behind us for 2022 with only a few students now needing to do catch-up tests due to illnesses, and I would like to congratulate the grade 3’s and 5’s for their positive attitude. It was very clear all the students were trying to do their best and were respectful of other students by working perfectly under test conditions. There was quite a bit of set up for the online testing format but the time spent was worth it as the sessions went off without a hitch. Some schools reported computers crashing, networks freezing and logins not working, but we had everything under control. I am sure the students were anxious in the lead up to it and would no doubt be feeling relief now that it’s over.
I did get asked a lot by the students about why they need to do these tests. This is a very valid question, and I am pleased that they would question the benefit the test has for them. Our students receive a great deal of feedback from their teachers about their learning needs and in developing their leaning goals based on that feedback. The question around the purpose of the test indicates to me that they are thinking about their learning needs, the learning cycle and where NAPLAN fits into that. The truth is that it doesn’t really fit into the context of what happens in the daily classroom. Rather, NAPLAN gives a snapshot of their skills and understanding of the curriculum as one point in time during the year. Learning is not linear, and it certainly is not a dot on the page. Your child will receive their results later in the year. The delay in receiving these results means that by the time they see those dots on the page, they have already progressed through the curriculum and are likely working at a different level.
NAPLAN has become the standard by which schools are compared and the data collected for schools forms a very crucial part of the strategic planning of a school. Trends in the data indicate the areas of the curriculum schools are performing well in and the areas that require improvements to reverse any downward trend. For Warrandyte Primary the Strategic Plan developed in 2020 after a School Review had made Writing one of their priorities. We have been working hard to implement many changes into the writing program and we are very keen to seen what this years NAPLAN will tell us and if the changes are translating into improved outcomes for our students in this area of the curriculum.
Similarly, our students in Grade 4 – 6 will undertake an Attitudes to School Survey in early June and this data gives us incredibly valuable information about the wellbeing and engagement of our students. The results indicate trends for cohorts, gender and whole school and form the basis of many decisions we make in regard to intervention programs, wellbeing initiatives and building student voice and agency in our classrooms to maximise engagement.
Open Day
Next Tuesday night is our first Open Night in 3 years and we are working hard to provide an evening for our families that allows our students to celebrate their achievements, showcase their work and show their families what happens inside the classroom. At the time of writing this, there were a few teachers out sick and it is likely they won’t be back in time for the Open Night. We will press ahead as our students are excited.
This years theme for Education Week is 150 years of public education. We happen to be one of the only schools in Victoria that actually has been a part of those 150 years and our students want to celebrate this. Our school leaders are planning an assembly next week that will take us through some of our history as a school. At Open Night our families will also take a historical walk around the school that showcase the rich history of this school.
The classrooms will open at 5:30pm and at 6:30 we will close the classrooms and make our way to the Bampi for performances from our students. We have the Bushband and Kirsty is very keen for our School State Spectacular dancers to show some of their routines off for us. Our grades 1’s – 3’s will also be singing for us. We are looking forward to spending time with our families and are proud of the work that students will be showcasing. Of course, you are always welcome to come into our classrooms and see what happens when the bell goes but Open Nights are a very important part of our student’s year as it helps build upon the pride they have for their school, their peers and themselves as they share their experiences with you.
Election BBQ
Just a reminder that tomorrow the school is being used for the Federal Election as a voting centre. Linda Nolte has been working hard arranging a sausage stall for fundraising. This is going to be a busy stall and if you haven’t had a chance to put your name down to come and help, click on the link below to sign up. We appreciate your continued support and contribution to our school, and we also thank Linda for the time she has put into this fundraising event.
Please click below to sign up. We have spots that need filling in the morning.
This week we seem to have had the pandemic catch up with us with many students and staff coming down with either Covid-19 or the flu. If you or your family have been impacted by this and are unwell, we wish you a speedy recovery and hope that all is well. Please reach out to us if you need anything and remember that we have spare RAT kits available at the office if families need them.
Have a great weekend and I hope to see you all next week at Open Night.
Take care
Nieta