A Message from David...
Unbelievably, it is almost halfway through the school year, past the winter solstice and we can start looking forward to longer days again! It has been wonderful to have a busy and exciting term filled with rich curriculum programs and a variety of events and excursions. We look forward to celebrating the end of term at next week's PJ Disco on Thursday and our final assembly this Friday, where we will announce the GOLDEN KEFAR award winners for the term.
Italian Day!
Wow, what a day! Last Friday, we celebrated all things Italian by hosting an Italian Day. The students looked fantastic in their Italian costumes. The students loved the Tarantella incursion, learning all about this cultural dance. Lots of gelati was consumed and there was lots of fun to be had with all the Italian-themed arts, crafts and games.
A huge thank you to Vera and Bianca for the enormous amount of work that they put in to ensure a memory-making day for our students.
Interschool Sports
Recently our senior students have represented the school by competing against local schools in the Interschool Sport competition. Students competed in soccer, netball, & softball & AFL. All of our teachers commented on the positive and respectful manner in which our students supported each other and represented our school. Our volleyball and softball teams won their competitions and will progress to the next stage in early Term 3. We wish them the best of luck and know that they will represent our school wonderfully well!
Cross Country
Our super running team attended the Western Metro Cross Country Championships on Thursday and competed against the best runners from all schools across Western Melbourne. To reach this stage is an amazing achievement and we are very proud of all the students that competed. A special mention to Odin who qualified for the next stage! Well done, everyone!
Sensory Space
Our KEFAR leaders, with the help of Liz, have recently launched a new 'Sensory Space' to support students during playtimes. This is held under Gumbuya on Mondays and Tuesdays and provides all students with a range of calm activities and games. This space provides a calm and inclusive area for any student who feels they might need it. Upon launch, we had many students join in and work collaboratively with their peers from across the school. Thanks to the KEFAR leaders and Liz for their efforts with this!
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Parent/Teacher conferences are now available to be booked via Compass (top of your news feed). The conferences will be held on Tuesday 1st & Wednesday 2nd July and provide an opportunity to discuss your child's progress over the first semester. We encourage all parents and carers to book a time to meet with your child's teacher as having a strong home/school partnership is vital in giving the students the best opportunities.
The importance of regular school attendance.
Attending school every day means experiencing what counts – the learning, friendship, fun and opportunities that can shape your child’s future.
We understand that there are times when your child will need to miss school, but to ensure minimal disruption to their education, please consider scheduling family holidays or medical/dental appointments outside of school time. If your child is well enough to attend but is worried about friendships, schoolwork or exams, please encourage them to come to school. Avoiding school can make these feelings worse and can create a negative pattern of behaviour.
We know that parents and carers can be juggling challenges daily to get your children to school. If your child must miss school, notify us as soon as possible via Compass so we can work together to support them.
Our teachers and support staff also work incredibly hard to carefully plan and sequence lessons that build knowledge over time. We know that for optimal learning, students must build knowledge over time and with opportunities to retrieve and practice key knowledge and skills. Missing school leads to gaps in this knowledge acquisition, which can prove very difficult to overcome for many students.
For more information about the importance of everyday attendance, see Attendance and Missing School. Thank you for your support ensuring students are coming to school as often as possible.
Child Safety and Wellbeing at Altona Green Primary School
Our school is committed to providing an environment where students are safe and feel safe.
Our child safety framework https://www.altonagreen.vic.edu.au/policies/ explains how we support and maintain child safety and wellbeing. It includes our:
Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
Child Safety Reporting and Responding Obligations Procedures, and
Child Safety Code of Conduct, which outlines acceptable and unacceptable behaviours for all staff and volunteers at our school.
Our students and families are important partners in providing a child-safe environment and your feedback is important to us. If you have any concerns about child safety or ideas how we can improve our approach to child safety and wellbeing, please contact me via the office or email. Any child safety complaints or concerns are treated seriously.
Thanks for a wonderful fortnight. Sorry that this newsletter didn't get out on Thursday as planned. I hope you all have a great
Take care,
David