Across the Principal's Desk
Springfest
This year, thanks to Alyson, our PFA President, Miners Rest Primary School & Kindergarten are beneficiaries of the Springfest celebrations, ran by Rotary.
To receive the min. $2500.00 we are seeking support of approx. 40 volunteers to complete some easy tasks on the actual day – Sunday 24 November at Lake Wendouree.
Please help us support Springfest to gain the funds that we wish to put back into our children’s education.
Contact the school on 5334 6328 for further information, and to offer 3hrs of volunteer support, which will truly make a difference!
Please help share that true community feel we excel in at Miners Rest.
Our Campers!
We currently have our Yr6 Canberra Campers enjoying the scenery and educational exploits it has to offer, during a beautiful week of weather.
We also have Yr5 students returning today from Somers Camp – one of the best life-experiences a primary age student can undertake.
I am looking forward to hearing all about each camp upon the return of our students and staff respectively.
We have a great camps program at our school, and I truly appreciate the way our school community embraces it for all it’s worth…!
Miners Rest Primary School Camping Program Overview
Swim Program
Our swim program for Year F-6 is going extremely smoothly, thanks to our resilient and dedicated students and staff.
It’s quite an effort and very sapping on energy levels, but the benefits on many levels are amazing. A life-long skill that the benefits of, can never be measured!
Year Two Sleepover
We’re looking forward to the year two sleepover next Wednesday night and into Thursday, at school. For many students, it’s one of their first experiences of sleeping away from loved ones and family, therefore a significant challenge. It’s the start of our camping program for students to challenge themselves and achieve success.
Friday 8 November – Ballarat Show Day Holiday
Please ensure you have marked on your calendars, next Friday’s Ballarat Show Day (local council) holiday. No school or OSHC is offered on this public holiday.
2020 Classroom Placements (re-run)
It is coming up to that time of the year again when we begin to work on class lists for 2020.
For transparency purposes, I thought I would outline for you our process for placing students in classes. Our school is held in high regard for our process, and although difficult to get 100% correct, we do our best to support all students and staff each year.
Our priorities lie in considering the social, emotional and academic needs of each student. While friendships are also taken into consideration, we acknowledge that class time is primarily a time for working and that students have other opportunities throughout the day to socialise and play with friends. Students are remarkably adept at making new friends too!
We also take into consideration the special needs of students. If you think that you need to make me aware of ‘special’ considerations we are not already aware of, please make an appointment via our Office staff.
Classroom teaching staff, should not be approached, regarding 2020 Classroom Placements. As such, they will encourage you to make an appointment with me.
I ask that parents refrain from requesting specific teachers. I believe that all of our teachers are highly professional and demonstrate a high level of commitment to the students they teach. The unique style of each individual teacher means that each of them will offer something different to their students.
We invest many hours into the development of a class list that we believe is the best choice for all of our students. The process we use to develop class lists is as follows:
1. Teachers use their current class list to develop a profile of each student which includes social, emotional and academic needs as well as friendships and those students who do not work so well together. Again, friendships are considered but class time is primarily work time not play-time. If students are not in class with their best friends, they will get to see them at play times and may in fact spread their circle of friends by making new friendships in their class;
2. Teachers and PLC Leaders group students according to the above criteria while also taking into account that there is a balance of social and academic needs within classes;
3. PLC Leaders and I cross check the lists, making any necessary changes;
4. We leave these lists for a short period of time, and then check them again with the advantage of ‘fresh eyes’;
5. Classroom teachers make a final check;
6. Class lists come to me for a final check. I then discuss any further changes with teachers, whilst considering any confidentiality issues; and
7. Class lists are published and disclosed at the National Transition Day (Tuesday 10 December)
This process is lengthy as well as thorough, and while decisions are made, in what we believe are the best interests of each student, there are approximately 390 students to be considered.
Quote of the Week
“Everybody’s a teacher if you listen.”
Doris Roberts