Curriculum Day- Strengthening Our Literacy Practice

During our Curriculum Day, staff worked together to further strengthen our approach to teaching literacy across the school. This professional learning day provided an important opportunity for teachers to collaborate, reflect on current practices, and ensure our teaching aligns closely with our curriculum.

A key focus of the day was the Big 6 of Reading-oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. This work helps ensure students are developing the strong reading foundations they need for success across all areas of learning.

Teachers also spent time reviewing how we use the curriculum to guide our assessment practices. By using consistent assessments, we can track student progress, identify areas where students may need additional support, and plan targeted teaching that responds to individual learning needs.

Another focus area was our spelling program. Staff reviewed our spelling scope and sequence, ensuring that spelling patterns, rules, and word knowledge are taught in a clear and structured way across all year levels. This approach supports students to build their spelling knowledge progressively and apply it confidently in their writing.

Staff also engaged in further Phonics training to continue strengthening our teaching of early reading skills.

Swimming starts next week

The Water Safety Program is an important part of our curriculum and we will be running this year’s whole school program at Aquanation Ringwood. Students will be participating in the Swim and Survive School Swimming and Water Safety program which cover the mandatory curriculum requirements of the Victorian Department of Education and Training. The content of each lesson covers stroke development and personal survival techniques in, on and around water. The skills learnt during the program provide children with a swimming and water safety foundation that may enable them to safely enjoy aquatic activities in a limited range of environments. The opportunity to learn to swim and work with their peers in small groups supports students to increase water safety knowledge when with friends. We also acknowledge that students develop a variety of independence skills when organising themselves across the 9 days and following expectations.

NAPLAN

Congratulations to our students in Grades 3 and 5 who have participated in the NAPLAN assessments this week. We are incredibly proud of the effort, focus, and resilience they have shown throughout the testing period. Taking part in NAPLAN is an important milestone, and our students approached it with a positive attitude and determination to do their best.

We would also like to thank our teachers and staff for their careful preparation and support, ensuring that students felt confident and well-equipped during the assessments. A big thank you as well to our families for encouraging and supporting students at home.

Phonics and Early Reading Parent Session

Thank you to the families who attended our recent parent session on Phonics and Early Reading. The session explored how reading develops and what research tells us about the most effective ways to teach children to read.

We discussed the importance of explicit phonics instruction and the key components of reading, including oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. Families also learned about recent changes in Australian schools that place a stronger focus on evidence-based literacy teaching.

During the session, we shared how reading is taught at our school and the structured approaches we use to support early readers.

We also discussed simple ways families can support reading at home, such as reading regularly with their child, practising letter sounds and talking about books together.

Thank you to all families who joined us and continue to support their child’s literacy learning.

Grade 4 Gala Day

Our Grade 4 students had a fantastic day at Donavale Reserve for their first Gala Day! They participated in Newcombe, Cricket, and Ultimate Frisbee, showing great enthusiasm and teamwork throughout the day.

Well done to all of our students for competing with wonderful sportsmanship, supporting their teammates, and giving their best effort in every game.

A big thank you to the Eryn, the 3/4 teachers and parent helpers who helped make the day such an enjoyable experience for our students.

Easter Hat Parade

On April 2nd we will be hosting our annual Easter Hat Parade at school. Students are encouraged to work with their families to create a fun, colourful and creative Easter hat to wear on the day. Hats can be made from craft materials, recycled items, decorations, or anything that shows your child’s imagination.

Our School Captains and SRC leaders will have the responsibility of judging the hats during the parade. They will be looking for hats that stand out in four different categories:

Most Colourful – bright, vibrant and eye-catching designs

Most Creative – imaginative ideas and clever construction

Most Unique – unusual or one-of-a-kind designs

Most Environmentally Friendly – hats made using recycled or sustainable materials.

We can’t wait to see all the amazing creations our students come up with.

AGM

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held at 6:30 pm on Thursday 19th March, prior to the School Council meeting. All members of the school community are warmly invited to attend.

The AGM provides an opportunity for the school community to hear a brief overview of the past year, celebrate achievements, and participate in the election of School Council members for the upcoming term. Your involvement helps support strong partnerships between families and the school.

Following the AGM, the School Council meeting will commence. We encourage parents and community members to attend and take an active interest in the ongoing development of our school.

Important Term 1 Dates

• School Photos – Monday 16th March

• Whole School Swimming Program – Tuesday 17th – Friday 27th March

• Easter Hat Parade - 2nd of April

P and F upcoming events- See Dedicated P and F page

We hope families enjoy the weekend. Claudia

Important Information