Principal's Report

Welcome back

It was wonderful to see the students coming through the gates on Monday with a smile and eager to catch up with their friends. The first week brought a mixed bag of weather with students staying in class during some breaks due to the rain. 

Swimming Program – Year 2-6 students

On the other hand, students gladly got wet in the pool as the Swimming Program started on Wednesday. The children were so excited to attend, and some were a bit nervous until they get used to the routine of getting on the bus, getting changed, getting in and out of the pool and doing all of this with a sense of confidence and independence. 

On their return from swimming students were chatty and expressed that they enjoyed the experience. 

The Swimming Programs runs until next Friday, the 1st of August so students need to bring their swimming gear everyday. 

Teacher shortage

As teachers take leave it is progressively harder to replace them and cover classes. Our intention is always to replace staff on both short or long term leave but in the current climate of teacher shortages, this is challenging. ANZUK is an agency we use when we need staff, and they have been great in providing us with CRTs on a regular basis. However, it is not always possible to get the same teacher for the whole time and sometimes we need to split classes. When students are split, they get an opportunity to be with other students and teachers and where possible the program is maintained. In other cases, teacher provide work for students to complete.

We also have a very supportive structure within the school where students and new teachers are supported by our Wellbeing team (Ms. Lisa and Ms. Mohan), leadership staff (Principal & Assistant Principals) and our English and Maths coaches. This ensures that students continue their academic learning and also learn how do deal with change and problem solve. In a fast paced world with so much change these days, these skills are very important. 

Thank you for your understanding and if you have any questions do not hesitate to contact us.

Assembly

Please note that due to the swimming program, there will be no assembly this week. Assembly in Week 2 will be a short one to celebrate Foundation students 100 days of school.

At the end of last term students in Year 5 presented some fantastic interviews with participants to share their camp experiences. I was so proud to hear the students speaking confidently and skilfully using the interview technique. They had the whole school captivated. We also had some students from other year levels talking about their excursions. Again, they were confidante and articulate. 

Congratulations also to the winners of the raffle from our attendance at the end of term Celebrations of Learning.

Attendance certificates 

I was very pleased to see so many attendance certificates being printed for students with very high attendance. Well done everyone! I hope we need to print even more this term. Certificates will be handed out at assembly in Week 3.

NAPLAN

We have a lot of data that we are currently unpacking to better understand what is happening in teaching and learning at our school. One of the data sets we are analysing is the NAPLAN data. As you might remember the Year 3 & Year 5 students completed this national test in Term 1, so the data shows where the students were at, at that time.

Overall, we are pleased with the students results and students in Year 3 and 5 have performed higher than students in similar schools and our network. We will get the state comparison later. Please read Mr. Fielding’s Assistant Principal report for more information.

Congratulations to the students for their efforts with their learning. Your results on NAPLAN are a result of what you do every day to improve your skills and knowledge. Keep up the great work! 

A big thank you also to all our teachers who work hard to support the learning of every one of our students. Your efforts are much appreciated.

Individual student NAPLAN reports will be sent home in a white envelope soon. If you need help to understand the report, please ask your child’s teacher. 

Storytime

There will be no storytime in Term 3 until further notice.

I look forward to a fantastic term 3.

Kind Regards,

Senka King

Principal