Dear Students, Parents, Carers and Families

Welcome to Week 3 of Term 3. We are now in the midst of the term and the swimming program is progressing well for Years 1-4. We have five weeks of School Production practise before our big performance on Thursday, September 5, which is very exciting!

Safe and appropriate use of digital technologies

At Maramba Primary School, we are committed to educating all students to use digital technologies safely, equipping students with the skills and knowledge to navigate the digital world. At our school, we:

• use online sites and digital tools that support students’ learning, and focus our use of digital technologies on being learning-centred

• use digital technologies in the classroom for specific purposes with targeted educational aims

• supervise and support students using digital technologies for their schoolwork

• effectively and responsively address any issues or incidents that have the potential to impact on the wellbeing of our students

• have programs in place to educate our students to be safe, responsible and discerning users of digital technologies

• educate our students about digital issues such as privacy, intellectual property and copyright, and the importance of maintaining their own privacy and security online

• actively educate and remind students of our Student Wellbeing and Engagement policy that outlines our school’s values and expected student behaviour

• use clear protocols and procedures to protect students working in online spaces, which includes reviewing the safety and appropriateness of online tools and communities, removing offensive content at the earliest opportunity

• educate our students on appropriate responses to any dangers or threats to wellbeing that they may encounter when using the internet and other digital technologies

• provide a filtered internet service at school to block access to inappropriate content

• refer suspected illegal online acts to the relevant law enforcement authority for investigation

• support parents and carers to understand the safe and responsible use of digital technologies

Unfortunately, inappropriate use of digital technologies recently occurred at Maramba Primary School and negatively impacted one of our students. I am responding to the incident according to Department of Education policy and am committed to ensuring that everyone in our school community is treated with respect, fairness and dignity. This is particularly important where we have a difference of opinion or where there are concerns to be raised. It is also a good time to remind our students, parents and carers that if they have any concerns or queries about a school related matter, the best way to raise it is by talking to me about it so that we can resolve it in a respectful way.

Please feel free to make an appointment to see me at any time to raise any concerns you may have, as this is the appropriate avenue to raise any grievances, concerns or constructive criticism. It saddens me when I hear that our positive school culture may be being undermined by way of talk in the school community, rather than addressing concerns with school staff directly. Thankfully, such instances are very rare.

I want to express my sincere appreciation for the cooperation of the parents and carers of our school, and it has been so positive to see our school community support each other, our school values, and the relationships we have as a school group. I look forward to continuing to work in partnership with all of you in the second half of the year.

Snow Queen - the Pantomime

Last week, Alpha Shows delighted the entire school with their Snow Queen pantomime, captivating audiences of all ages, including our Maramba kindergarten students. Alpha's performances are renowned for energising students and highlighting important themes such as confidence, bullying, equality, social skills, emotional resilience, positive beliefs, and self-worth. This year’s production featured a talented cast, breathtaking sets, stunning backdrops, exquisite costumes, and memorable musical theatre songs. The show effectively uses the transformative power of community learning to convey its impactful messages.

Shrek the Production

On Thursday, September 5th, we will be performing our whole school production of Shrek Jr. the Musical.

Throughout the term, our students have been diligently preparing with Ms. Butler, mastering their songs, dances, and lines.

It is a school requirement for all students to attend the evening performance unless already discussed with the classroom teacher. This is a valuable chance for them to showcase and celebrate the hard work they've put in this year with their classmates, friends, and families.

All students have been provided with details about their costumes. If you have any questions about the costume requirements, please reach out to your child's classroom teacher.

NAPLAN

The NAPLAN results for Years 3 and 5 have been distributed to families, offering a summary of each child's performance. For additional guidance on interpreting these reports, please refer to the brochure provided by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA), available through the link here. These results present a valuable chance for the school to assess its improvement strategies and set future academic goals.

I am excited to share some notable highlights with you which are a testament to the efforts of our entire teaching staff, and also to the explicit literacy practices in the Foundation to Year 2 levels at our school.

14% improvement from 2023 in 'Strong' and 'Exceeding’ achievement in Year 3 Reading
8% improvement from 2023 in 'Strong' and 'Exceeding’ achievement in Year 3 Writing
18% improvement from 2023 in 'Strong' and 'Exceeding’ achievement in Year 3 Spelling
4% improvement from 2023 in 'Strong' and 'Exceeding’ achievement in Year 5 Grammar and Punctuation

Parent Opinion Survey

The 2024 Parent, Caregiver and Guardian Opinion Survey has been sent out to families via XUNO. The survey is multiple choice in nature and should not take any more than 15 to 20 minutes of your time.This is a great opportunity for us to get some feedback on the work of Maramba Primary School in support of your sons and daughters. The school looks forward each year to getting this feedback from you all, so we come to know what is working well, and where things can improve. I warmly look forward to your participation in this important survey, and acting on the feedback in due course.

Student Spotlight

Congratulations to Farleigh Hansford for being an outstanding Maramba student who has performed exceptionally well in her Year 3 NAPLAN tests! Have a read of her interview to get to know Farleigh a little bit better:

Question: What is your favourite key learning area at school and why?

Farleigh: I love the Music classes at school but I also enjoy History, Geography, Science and Reading. They are quite fun.

Question: What is your favourite hobby outside of school?

Farleigh: I most definetly love playing with friends but roller skating is my all time favourite!

Question: What kind of home study habits do you have?

Farleigh: I usually complete homework every second or third day, mainly MyNumeracy and MyLiteracy. Sometimes, it takes a while to get motivated but once I do, I work very hard and try my best by putting in a lot of effort.

Question: Is there any advice you would like to give your fellow Maramba students?

Farleigh: I think learning is at times hard but if you choose one thing you like and put a positive attitude towards it, you will see that it will become easy and you will enjoy it!

Please let Mrs Ehsan know if you have been involved in something fabulous for our next 'Student Spotlight'.

Assemblies and Newsletters

Please see the schedule below for our assemblies and newsletters:

School Newsletter	Whole School Assembly
Friday, 2nd August	Thursday, 8th August
Friday, 16th August	Thursday, 22nd August
Friday, 30th August	NO ASSEMBLY on 5th Sept due to Production
Friday, 13th September	Thursday, 19th September (Two weeks of awards to be presented)

Foundation 2025

Our Foundation enrolment for 2025 is looking great and we have received twice as many applications as we did last year at the same time! This is a wonderful testament to the positive reputation the school has within the local community.

Attendance

Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education. Students learn new things at school every day. Attending and participating in school will help your child develop:

important skills and knowledge to help them learn
social and emotional skills such as good communication, resilience and team work.

If your child is unwell please let the classroom teacher know or contact the office.

Olympics

This term, through Discovery, students have been exploring the Olympics. They have enjoyed learning about the history of the Olympics and famous athletes from around the world. Students have been keeping track of the number of gold, silver, and bronze medals Australia has won each day in different sports.

On Friday, August 9th, students are invited to wear green and gold to school to support and celebrate the amazing athletes competing in the Olympics this year.

We wish all families a happy week. Keep aspiring to be your best as it is a worthy pursuit.

Kind regards,

Moniba Ehsan and Stephanie Sharp

Principal and Assistant Principal

Birthdays

Happy Birthday to the Students and Staff who will celebrate their birthdays last and this week.