Mr Irwin's Message

Hello families,

I hope you and your family have had a terrific September school holiday break and are keen for the return of school. I wanted to preview some of the goings-on across term 4 in preparation for a busy 12 weeks. Our continued focus across the year has been on calm and orderly classrooms busy with learning. Until our last assembly of term this will be the expected norm every day at school. However, across the term there are many exciting things that will take place that it’s important to tune into ahead of our return to school.

Senior School

The senior school will be a hive of activity in Term 4. Our year 6 students start to cast their mind to secondary school. They’ll be busy with transition days, writing graduation speeches, collating their yearbook and unveiling their ‘Gradvent Calendar’. Whilst it’s an exciting time for them to look forward it’s also a special time for them to ‘soak up’ the last term of their primary school days.

For our year 5’s they’ll have the opportunity to begin work designing their year 6 top for 2024 and apply for leadership positions available to them as School, House, Wellbeing or Maintenance Leaders.

Senior Students will top off their term with a visit to Kryal Castle.

Middle School

In the Middle school, the most anticipated event is sure to be camp in week 9 of term at Lady Northcote. Wheels Wednesday will be back for interested Senior and Middle School students. It is such a fun way to spend a lunchtime each week riding down at the bike track.

Junior School

In the Junior School and in Foundation Teachers are finalising end of year fun days and are excited to announce these later in the term. In the meantime students will continue with engaging content knowledge units as they build on their skills ready to step up into 2024.

Transition

Across the school we’ll conduct a transition program for 2024. This will involve a ‘step up’ day for all students, as well as a series of transition sessions for our incoming Foundation students. Late in the term there will be other transition activities that occur such as transition lunches to help prepare students for 2024. Families of foundation students will be emailed these dates separately to the newsletter.

Right to Learn and Right to Saftey

As we return to school teachers will start off the term reestablishing the routines and expectations in class that make classrooms inclusive, predictable and conducive to learning. This includes our daily morning messages as well as other habits like our end of the day RESET time. Across the end of term 3 I talked regularly with students about the right we have at school; the right to learn and the right to feel safe. To ensure everyone has access to these rights at school we all have the responsibility to act in a manner that doesn’t disrupt the learning of others, and must behave in a way to not impact the safety of others or ourselves. These rights and responsibilities would be a good tune in talk for every parent to have at home with their children prior to our return to school.

Hats

With the commencement of term 4 comes the requirement for students to wear broad brimmed hats. At the end of last Term all students were reminded of this, and, reminded that hats must be of good condition. An important aspect of our uniform policy is that uniform is to be of good quality and worn with pride. Hats that have drawing or writing on them, or have been torn or cut with scissors aren’t acceptable uniform and will need to be replaced. If any families need help with providing a hat for their child they can make contact with me for assistance. We don’t want any students missing out on outdoor play and learning but we do want our uniform worn with pride.

End of Year Wrap-Up

As we know the December calendar gets jam packed with many events. Please check the key dates page of the newsletter for pupil free days, the timeline for the end of year and other reminders along the way. One event in December I always look forward to is students performing Carols at the twilight market. This again coincides with the last day of school for students and always makes for an enjoyable way to end the year.

Have a great rest of the holidays everyone, and bye for now!

Other Links

Teesdale Primary School Website

Teesdale Primary School Facebook page

Sentral Parent Portal

Enrolment Handbook