Principal's Report
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome to week 7 of term 1. The term is certainly flying past quickly, with only 3 weeks before the end of the term. We finish on Friday 4th April, at 2.10pm. Term 2 starts on TUESDAY 22nd April, with Monday being Easter Monday – a public holiday for all. That first week in term 2, also has a public holiday on Friday 25th April – ANZAC Day, so a very short week. We do encourage all children to come to school on those 3 days, as EVERY DAY COUNTS!
Other School Term Dates for 2024 are:
Term 2 starts – Tuesday 22nd April; ends Friday 4th July @ 2.10 pm
Term 3 starts – Monday 21st July; ends Friday 19th September @ 2.10 pm
Term 4 starts – Monday 6th October; ends Friday 19th December @ 1.30 pm
Please plan your family holidays during the school breaks, because we believe children’s attendance every day is crucial for their success as learners.
NAPLAN:
Over the next few weeks all Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 students across Australia are sitting the annual NAPLAN tests. Melton West P.S have scheduled these tests on the following days: Wednesday 12th, Thursday 13th, Tuesday 18th and Thursday 20th March. The first one was a writing test, with year 3 students doing it as a written test, with pencil and the test booklet, whilst the Year 5s completed the test online. All other tests, on the other days will be via the iPad. Students in these year levels have been practising using the tools on functions on the iPad over the past few weeks to ensure they know how to answer the questions, use the ruler, pause and other functions. We are very proud of the efforts of the children and the resilience they are showed during this time.
Harmony Day:
On Friday the 21st March we are celebrating Harmony Day, a day to celebrate our country's diversity as a multicultural society. Our school has families from a range of cultures, all bringing a unique experience and richness that enhances our school community. It is also about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, from the Traditional Owners of the land to our most recent arrivals. Australia is united by the our values of freedom, respect, fairness, democracy and equal opportunity. On the 21st March, we encourage our students, and their families to come dressed in clothes that represent their culture or in Orange to show our appreciation of the multicultural society Australia is and that Everyone Belongs – the theme of this year’s celebrations. There is NO gold coin donation for this event. Please check out the link Harmony week - Everyone belongs.
School Council:
Our first School Council meeting for 2025 will be held on Monday 17th March. I‘d like to thank those parents and staff who have nominated themselves to be part of this important role of the school. We still have a casual vacancy to fill. Please contact the office to make an appointment with me if you would like to find out more information.
World Sleep Day Friday 14th March:
While we know sleep is essential for good health, research shows that many children and young people are not getting enough sleep on school nights. This can affect thinking, concentration, memory, reaction times and mood.
Research shows about 12% of primary school-aged children, a quarter of 12- to 15-year-olds and half of 16- to 17-year-olds don’t get enough sleep on school nights. The recommended amount of time to sleep for primary school-aged children is 9 to 11 hours. For teenagers, it’s 8 to 10 hours.
Signs that your child is not getting enough sleep can include:
Low mood and irritability during social interactions
Reluctance or arguing about getting off devices and going to bed
Falling asleep during the day
Difficulties waking up for school and sleeping in late on weekends to catch up
Changes to communicating or interacting at home.
You can help your child to improve their sleep by:
Establishing a regular sleep pattern and consistent bedtime routine
Supporting them to avoid using electronic devices such as smartphones before going to bed and in bed
Encouraging your child to exercise and spend time outside in daylight, steering clear of vigorous activity in the hour before sleep
Encouraging them to wind down and relax before going to bed.
If your child is still having trouble sleeping, has persistent problems with low mood, excessive daytime sleepiness, restlessness in bed, severe snoring or wakening unrefreshed, despite getting adequate length sleep, they should see a doctor. For more information on sleep health, you can refer to: · Sleep tips for children and Facts about sleep for parents and school staff, from the Sleep Health Foundation · Why sleep is so important, from the Kids Helpline’s · Sleep explained, from the Better Health Channel.
High Levels of Learning for All
Michelle Costa
Principal
