9th May 2025

Dear Families,

We have received our preliminary NAPLAN data and are very excited to share that this data indicates very positive trends. They are showing that the way we are teaching is working extremely well for our children. Our approach, which is guided by the Science of Learning, supports all of our children to develop strong foundational skills, understanding, and knowledge upon which to build their levels of attainment across all areas of the curriculum.

The graphs below do not include our 2025 data as we have not received comparative data against the State, Network or Similar Schools yet. The graphs show the percentage of students who were in the Top 2 Bands in 2022 and Strong or Exceeding in 2023 and 2024 (the reporting on NAPLAN achievement levels changed in 2023).

We expect to receive access to the final data sets in June, including individual student reports, which will be sent home to families.

Home Learning Update

Following the recent 3-Way Conferences, some families have again raised questions about homework in the school setting. As we have shared previously, there is no strong evidence that assigned homework improves learning outcomes for primary-aged children.

What does support learning is active family involvement—such as reading together at least four nights a week and regularly practicing number facts. To support this, we have provided access to the Decodable Readers Australia Online Library for our younger year levels to support home reading. Physical take-home reading books are also available for the younger year levels, with students encouraged to change them regularly. In addition, all classes attend weekly sessions in the Library to borrow and return books.

At the end of last term, a Compass News Feed was sent home to explain how you can support your child in talking about and retelling what they have read using the Paragraph Shrinking approach. Please see the visual supports for this process.

For maths practice at home, students in Prep–Year 2 have online access to Numbots, and students in Years 2–6 can access Math Fact Lab. We encourage families to engage with these online platforms, which are provided to support regular practice at home and improve number fact fluency.

In addition to daily reading and maths practice, each term a Home Learning Project is shared with families. These projects are designed for students to work on over a few weeks and are linked to the Science or Humanities focus areas being taught at school.

We are currently investigating an additional printed booklet option for daily maths practice at home and will communicate via Compass once more information is available.

I would also like to remind all families that the Teaching, Learning, and Wellbeing pages in our newsletter provide valuable information on how you can support your child at home. We share this information to help you understand what and how we teach, so you can assist your child more effectively. The paragraph shrinking strategy, which Sam has shared is a recent example of the kind of support we are providing for home learning.

Cross Country

On Friday, 16th May, we have approximately 40 children competing in the District Cross Country. We wish them all the best and hope they have an enjoyable time representing KPS.

Mother’s Day

Thank you to the SCA for running our stall this year. Our children love shopping for their loved ones all by themselves. I enjoy watching them diligently make the hard choice of which special gift to choose. For those receiving these gifts, enjoy the love and deep thought that went into selecting them.

On Sunday, we celebrate all mothers and mother figures—those who nurture, support, and love with strength and grace. Whether by birth, choice, or circumstance, your impact is immeasurable. Thank you for all that you do. Wishing you a beautiful and restful Mother’s Day.

Thank you,

Loren Peavey

https://keelonithps.vic.edu.au/

https://www.facebook.com/KeelonithPrimarySchool

ICAS