NEWSLETTER – BACK UP AND RUNNING

I’m pleased to say that Dee is now fulltime in the office. She is a wonderful asset to our school and is ready to take on the newsletter. We’ve decided to publish the newsletter fortnightly on a Monday . Essentially, there will be assembly on the Friday (even weeks) and the newsletter on the following Monday. We hope this will lead to an increase in readership, with the newsletter hitting your email at the start rather than the end of the week.

MOTHERS’ DAY LUNCH

A big thank you to Clea Wallage for organising such a wonderful annual event. Thanks to the generous donations of the mums who participated, we managed to raise an additional $500.

RAILINGS

Last weekend, the railings were removed from the terrace, breakout space, and the top of the stairwell on Level One of the Discovery Building. This important safety improvement was implemented to discourage climbing in these areas.

Bumpers have also been installed on the metal framing of the glass fencing, along with a kick rail at the base of the glass panels. The bumpers, together with the decals, are intended to reduce the risk of injury, while the kick rail will help prevent objects from slipping underneath and falling to the ground floor.

Additional enhancements may follow in the months ahead, but I’m very pleased to have these initial safety measures in place.

SEMESTER ONE REPORTS

Toward the end of this term, you will receive your child’s Semester One report. The report format remains unchanged, providing an overview of your child’s achievement and progress, along with comments from the classroom teacher. Teachers will also outline your child’s current learning goals.

We have chosen to remove the “What you can do at home” section, as it has proven challenging to align home strategies with individual learning goals in a way that is practical for parents without teaching expertise. If your child is experiencing specific challenges—such as in reading—the teacher will contact you directly with targeted suggestions and resources to support learning at home.

In general, we encourage you to try out some of the following ideas to enhance your child’s growth:

Share a love of reading together – Make reading a special, enjoyable part of your daily routine.
Read to them and explore new vocabulary and ideas – Discuss unfamiliar words and concepts as they arise in stories.
Read the same novel your child is reading – This allows you to engage in meaningful conversations about the story and characters.
Listen to your child read aloud – Offer praise for their efforts and check for understanding as they go.
Play board games – Choose ones that involve counting, strategy, collaboration, and—most importantly—fun!
Visit places like museums, Scienceworks, or the zoo – Celebrate their curiosity and new discoveries and build their knowledge of the world around them.
Encourage problem-solving – Pose multi-layered challenges that stimulate their thinking.
Write a shopping list together – Build practical literacy and planning skills through everyday tasks.
Bake or cook together – Involve them in measuring, reading recipes, and following steps.
Try gardening – Teach patience, responsibility, and an appreciation for nature.
Encourage acts of kindness – Foster empathy and social awareness through small, thoughtful gestures.
Build a cubby house out of blankets and chairs – Encourage imaginative play and creativity.
Share daily gratitudes around the dinner table – Help them reflect on the positive moments in their day.
Use rich and varied language in conversation – Explain meanings and encourage their use of more sophisticated vocabulary.
Play sports together – Kick the footy, pass a soccer ball, or shoot hoops to build coordination and teamwork.
Incorporate mental maths into daily life – Pose real-life problems involving money, time, or measurement.
Make music – Play instruments, sing songs, or enjoy a dance party together.
Explore art and creativity – Learn about an artist and create your own artwork or craft inspired by them.
Promote growing independence – Encourage responsibility through age-appropriate tasks and decision-making.
Praise respectful behaviour and good manners – Reinforce the values of kindness, respect, and consideration for others.

PhOrMeS

We had a fantastic start to our curriculum day last Monday with a visit to St Kilda Park Primary School, where we observed their use of the PhOrMeS phonics and spelling program in action. Following the visit, we took time to unpack the program together and reflect on its impact, including insights from some of our own teachers who have been piloting the approach.

I’m pleased to share that all teachers from Prep to Year 6 will begin implementing PhOrMeS in their classrooms in the lead-up to the end of Term 2.

Keep an eye out for more information about PhOrMeS from our Learning Specialists in upcoming newsletters.

Nicole

THE SIGNAL

Newsletter | 19 May 2025

Issue 4 · 19 May 2025

In this issue