Mr Irwin's Message

Term 1 Week 7

Hello families and welcome to our third newsletter for the term.

Last week I had the pleasure of taking our school leaders on our inaugural leadership camp to Beloka Kelpies, a working farm and Kelpie stud in Gippsland. Students chose a working dog they were responsible for looking after for over the duration of camp and learnt how to work the dogs on sheep and through an agility course. They used the various exercises from the camp to reflect on leadership and the qualities they have as young leaders. School Council supported this camp last year with a view to providing greater prestige for our selected School Leaders and with the view to it becoming an annual tradition at Teesdale. The students certainly took a lot out of their three days at Beloka and I look forward to offering this experience again in coming years.

Over the coming weeks you’ll notice some occasions where your child’s teacher will be out of the classroom. Each term staff have the opportunity to engage in professional practice days to support their ongoing development as a teacher. These are allocated at a minimum of one per term but at other times professional learning arises that is completed over a series of multiple days. Last week for example our Junior School completed two days of training around improving our teaching of oral language.

To support teachers being away from school to be as smooth a process as possible we always try to maintain a regular pool of local CRTS who know our school and students. Only in extenuating circumstances where we haven’t been able to call on a known teacher will students be with someone unfamiliar. However, our expectations that learning continues and students are respectful and follow the expectations of the adult in charge remain absolutely the same. Teachers are generally able to give advanced notice of these changes and a reminder of these expectations can reinforce and ensure a good day of learning takes place regardless of who the adult is in the room.

In just a few weeks our Athletics Carnival is on for students in years 3-6. Last year we had a drop off in attendance on this day. Attending and participating in our athletics carnival is a compulsory day of school like any other. Not all of us are star athletes but we’re all capable of participating, having a go and contributing to our school team on the day. The awarding of points at the carnival means every student having a go and trying their best means a lot to the eventual outcome. And whilst winning isn’t everything in sport and life, there is some great satisfaction from playing your role in a team and contributing to a positive result. This year it’d be great to see all students at the event putting in so we can get the best result possible as a team on the day.

On the Athletics Day we do require parent helpers to support the running of events we are required to marshal. In the afternoon we run the hurdles events which requires a few helpers to help time and marshal students. If you can let myself or Mrs Kelley know if you are available please get in touch.

A reminder to parents, that all students attending the Athletics Day on Monday, need to be at school at 8.00 a.m. as the bus is leaving at 8.15 a.m. sharp.

School Council 2020

Hi Teesdale Primary School Community and welcome to the 2020 school year. For those that don't know me I'm Brad Andrews and I have been nominated as the School President for 2020, stepping up from last year's role as Vice President. I have been involved in the school community for the last 5 years.

Everyone holding positions on the School Council donates their time with our goal to creating an amazing learning environment for our children. We would like to thank our outgoing School Council members, Sam Laro-Bashford (outgoing President), Lana Van Galen, Pete Fisher and Kate Wojcik.

We would like to welcome our new members John Howlett, Julia Ladgrove, Amy Richens, Shae Armstrong and Genevieve Elijah.

Throughout the year if you see me around please feel free to come and say hi. As a Council we look forward to growing and improving the Teesdale Primary School for all of our students so if you have any suggestions or feedback please free to come and chat to one of us.

Kind Regards

Brad Andrews

Healthy Lunch Box Choices

For more information go to: https://heas.health.vic.gov.au/schools/healthy-lunchboxes