Principal Team Report
Upcoming Important Dates
13 December: End of Year Concert
15 December: Year 6 Graduation
20 December: Last Day Term 4 (1:00pm dismissal - see time-in-lieu message below)
** All term dates can be found at 2022 Term Dates page.
Understanding How Students are Assessed and the New Student Report
Our annual Parent Opinion Survey has indicated that families would like to better understand how their children are assessed.To assist family engagement with your child/ren's reports (which will be available via XUNO from next Tuesday), please visit the Assessment @ ASPS newsletter page and view the short videos via the link below.
To purchase tokens to 'buy' food at the concert, please click on the image above (12 December cut-off!). Please note that if you have tokens left over from the Family Picnic, you are welcome to use these at the concert.
We also need some help to make this event a fabulous success. If you can spare some time on the night, please sign up using this link:
Exhibition: Congratulations Year 6!
Last week, our Year 6 students presented their 'Exhibition' to the school community and their parents. See below for a selection of photos of our students in action. Congratulations to our students and sincere thanks to all staff and parents for all of the support and encouragement given to our students - this was definitely a team effort!
What is the Exhibition?
- The exhibition is the culminating, collaborative experience in the final year of the PYP.
- The exhibition is an authentic process for students to explore, document and share their understanding of an issue or opportunity of personal significance.
- All exhibitions are student-initiated, designed and collaborative.
Teacher Time-in-lieu Explained
This year, a new Victorian Schools Government Agreement was approved and one of the major changes is that teaching staff are now entitled to time-in-lieu (TIL) for attendance at out-of-hours school based activities (i.e. camps, concerts, parent teacher interviews).
The principal team are supportive of this new entitlement but it is important to note that time-in-lieu is not granted for planning, preparation and other administrative tasks (which are mainly completed in addition to the normal 8-hour day). This time is effectively (and unofficially) 'paid-back' through the school holiday periods. Time-in-lieu has always been given for attendance at Parent Interviews and Cup Day Eve has been used (where attendance is always very low) as a way to give this time back to teachers.
Minimising Disruption to Learning
The school will look at ways to 'pay-back' this time-in-lieu in ways that minimise teacher time away from class. This will include:
- Meeting free weeks
- By shortening the last day of each term (hence the 1pm finish on 20 December)
- Payment for hours accrued
- Using parent helpers for out-of-hours school activities to help meet supervision ratios.
As a school, we feel it is important to be transparent about this change and thank you for your ongoing support.
2023 Parent Payments Schedule
Sincere thanks to families who supported the school with the 2022 Parent Payments Program. This financial support is critical in terms of the school achieving it's academic and wellbeing aims. Via the voluntary donations, the school has also been able to significantly improve school facilities and play areas (i.e. COLA and basketball/netball court redevelopment).
To assist families in planning for 2023, next year's Parent Payment Schedule is as follows:
Stationery and Curriculum Consumables: $450 per student
Curriculum Enhancement: $270 per P-4 student & $190 per 5/6 student
School Nurse: $135 per student
Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program
Year 2: $100 per student (garden program only)
Year 3-5: $280 per student (full kitchen/garden program)
Year 6: $195 per student (kitchen program only)
Family Assistance Fund: $15 per student
Garden and Grounds: $90 per student
Building, Library and School Improvement Donations (tax-deductible)
2023 Dates
27 January: Curriculum Day (student free day)
30 January: Curriculum Day (student free day)
31 January: Start Term 1 (Year 1-6 students)
1 February: Start Term 1 (Prep students)
10 March: Curriculum Day (student free day)
15 May: Curriculum Day (student free day)
16 May: Teacher Professional Practice Day (student free day)
6 November: Teacher Professional Practice Day (student free day)
TBC: TRIVIA NIGHT (postponed from 2022)