Dear Students, Parents, Carers and Families

It has been an adventurous week around the school as a result of the inclement weather on Tuesday. I am so proud of the way in which our students and staff have adapted to change, demonstrated resilience and have stayed focus on the core work of learning. Well done! We have spent a lot of time working through ensuring a smooth start to the school year with a focus on our school values - respect, resilience, responsibility and positive relationships. Through a range of activities, students and teachers have been setting goals and expectations, developing classroom rules, while also building relationships aimed to help students and teachers to get to know each other.

Foundation 2024

Last Thursday was a very exciting time for so many parents, staff and students as we welcomed 39 Foundation students to our school! I have been most impressed at how well these youngest members of our school have settled in, enjoying a range of learning activities in their first week here. Monday will mark their first full day of school, and bring a new experience of being a real primary school student, ready to learn and grow further.

Parent Teacher Meet and Greet Sessions

Thank you to all the parents/carers who made times to see their child’s teacher this week. These sessions were envisioned as an opportunity for you to meet and get to know your child’s teacher and foster a positive and respectful relationship with our school. They are an early opportunity to share information about your child’s progress, interests and learning needs with their teacher. Staff very much appreciate meeting parents to discuss the best supports for the child. If you have not yet met with the classroom teacher, please contact them via XUNO or call the office to make an appointment.

Student Leadership Badge Presentation Assembly

Next week on Friday, we have our special student leadership assembly where our 2024 school leaders will be presented wth their badges. Communication was sent out last week to families of students who will be receiving a badge. Thank you to the twenty-six families who have responded about attending this assembly. This is a reminder to those who have not yet completed the emailed form to do so at their earliest so that we can make appropriate arrangements. Thank you.

Assemblies and Newsletters

Please see the schedule below for our assemblies and newsletters:

School Newsletter	Whole School Assembly
Friday, 16th February	Friday, 23rd February (Special Assembly)
Friday, 1st March	Thursday, 7th March
Friday, 15th March	Thursday, 21st March (Harmony Day)
Thursday, 28th March	Thursday, 18th April (Term 2)

NAPLAN

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy, NAPLAN, is upon us again during Term 1 (March) for our Yr 3 and Yr 5 students. Please keep an eye out on XUNO for information regarding dates and the implementation of these nation wide assessments for 2024.

Student Attendance and Whole School Zooper Dooper Day

Students are expected to attend school every day unless they are unwell. If your child is unable to attend, we encourage you to please access XUNO and provide a reason/explanation for their absence. Teachers and school leaders will be monitoring attendance and may be in touch with you if your child has not been at school, especially if the reason for the absence is unexplained.

We are also setting a goal for 100% attendance on our School Photo Day, 28th February 2024. A zooper dooper celebration is planned for the day if we meet our goal of everyone being at school. Hopefully, we can do it!

Mobile Phones

Most of our families would be aware of the introduction of the state-wide policy on Mobile Phones in Victorian Government Schools. All students are required to turn off and hand in mobile phones to prevent usage during school hours. Devices will be placed in the a locked cabinet/cupboard at the start of the day and handed back at the end of the day. Our Mobile Phone policy will be available on our website next week. Please discuss this with your child/ren to assist us in following this policy. We thank you for your support in this area.

Maramba Review 2024

The Department of Education (DE) conducts reviews of schools every four years. The school review supports each school to differentiate its improvement journey by building on current strengths and assisting it to respond to challenges. It emphasises continuous improvement and affirms that every student has a right to learn in a school committed to improvement. Our Maramba review will take place in Term 2 and we will:

welcome school community participation
celebrate strengths and achievements
embrace the input of experts from both within and beyond the school through staff, student and parent forums
use school based data in relation to teaching and learning, engagement and wellbeing, policy and community engagement to forge links between evidence and strategic planning
seek multiple perspectives, engage with the whole school community and be open to challenge for improvement

As a school we look forward to this process to set our future goals and continue to be the best school we can be. If you have any questions about this process, please feel free to contact the school administration team.

Take care everyone and enjoy the weekend!

Kind regards,

Moniba Ehsan

Acting Principal

Birthdays

Happy Birthday to the Students and Staff who will celebrate their birthdays this and next week.