Middle Sub-School News 

             Welcome back to JSA Middle School!

I hope your break was exactly what you needed- a time to replenish, spend some much needed time with those you love and plenty of opportunities to have a sleep in and enjoy some slower days.

It has been so wonderful to see so many faces back at JSA, both staff and students, as well as parents doing morning drop offs. Whilst we have many staff and students returning, we are also extremely blessed to have a few new faces in Middle School. I would like to say a very big ‘hello’ to our new students who started both this year, as well as during our transition week in 2023. We hope that in your first few weeks at JSA you have felt welcomed and content that you are where you’re meant to be. We look forward to working with you to support your growth through the school. To our existing students, we welcome you back with a big smile and hope you are looking forward to continuing to work towards your goals, whether this be in a new classroom, with new staff and of course all the while developing new friendships.

You will notice we have been lucky enough to gain some new staff in Middle School who have travelled from other areas of the school. How lucky are we!? 

The start of the year has seen students settling into their new classrooms, getting to know their new environment, as well as different students and staff they may not have worked alongside last year. Our priority continues to be supporting students in developing new routines and structures, putting in place strategies to support calm, safe and supportive classroom environments. Our staff continue to work alongside students to identify tools that assist them in regulating or coregulating their emotions and develop relationships based on students interests and individual needs.

You will notice that this week your child came home with a visual timetable. This is to assist you in adequately preparing students for the day or week ahead. Please feel free to put this on the fridge and use it as a reference point for discussing what the day ahead may look like. 

SSGs are taking place during Week 2, 3 and 4. This is a great opportunity to share information about your child that you feel may be of importance to the staff in your child’s room. You may also like to discuss any additional supports you have accessed or collaborate on potential goals you would like to see for your child. Should you still need to book an SSG meeting please make contact with your child’s classroom teacher.

Assemblies will be taking place with classrooms sharing the responsibility to organise and host these. These will be filmed and made available to parents via Seesaw on a fortnightly basis. If you have yet to access our wonderful platform Seesaw, please make contact with your childs classroom teacher so we can get you connected.

Communication is key. Please ensure you make contact with the classroom teacher, ES staff or the office in the event you are making a change to your child’s schedule, particularly when it comes to pick ups and drop offs.

As always, your child’s teacher is always the first point of call when it comes to concerns or questions. As a sub school we pride ourselves on creating a sense of community for students within our classrooms. Throughout this year we hope to continue to build students' capacity to work alongside others, develop friendships and foster great independence. As parents, guardians and people close to the students we work with, you play a crucial role in shaping students lives, and we value your input. In close partnership we hope to work alongside you to make this year one of growth and happiness for your child.

Should you wish to discuss this any further please feel free to contact me via the JSA office or via email: Sarah.hill2@education.vic.gov.au.

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program

I was supported by Trish, the Kitchen Garden Co-ordinator in the kitchen this week.  Trish showed me how to help students who have had limited experience in drying dishes.  It became easy for them and helped me to help these students.

The students have cleaned and rinsed the dishes.

1. Lay the tea-towel on the clean bench beside the sink
2. Have the student place the cleaned dishes  on the tea-towel
3. The student wipes the tea-towel over the top surface of the dish
4. Turn over the tea-towel to wipe the bottom surface of the dish OR pick up the tea-towel and wipe the base with it.
5. The dish is dry and ready to be returned where required.

As you can see, it doesn't matter your age, everyone can learn from each other.

Karen Mahoney, the Aspiring Leader of the SAKG Program.

Room 10

Room 10 is settling in well to their new middle-year routines! We have been learning to listen to stories together, read, take turns, and how to make new friends!

We enjoy greeting our friends in the morning and playing on our new playgrounds 3 and 4. Our favourite classroom game to play is UNO!

In the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden, we learned how to harvest carrots, and even tried some fresh tomatoes! In maths, we have been exploring manipulatives, how to count, and how to compare the number of letters in our names. 

Room 10 is fun and relaxing. We have had a fantastic start to our new school year!