Principal's Report
Dear Parents, Carers and Community members,
SSG \ Meet the Teacher
This week on Tuesday and Wednesday we conducted Student Support Group (SSG) meetings for a number students in our school.
These are a fantastic opportunity for families, students, staff and other relevant professionals to come together to set goals and plan supports and strategies that ensure students can learn, grow and succeed.
SSG meetings are mandated by the Department of Education for students eligible under the Program for Students with Disabilities, Koori and Torres Straight Island backgrounds and students in out of home care. On occasions teachers may request these meeting where perhaps extra support may be required in a particular area or if it is deemed some extension work is appropriate.
Our Meet the Teachers night was also well attended with families getting to explore the Learning Communities, hear and see what students are and will be learning about and spend time speaking with staff and sharing information about their child and their learning.
We look forward to creating more opportunities throughout the year for families to engage with the school and it's staff and celebrate the learning and achievements of our students.
School Captains Elected!
Our First Ever School Captains have been elected!
After a process which saw 12 students from Grades 5 and 6, prepare and present speeches about why they would be exceptional candidates for our school's first School Captains. All students who presented demonstrated wonderful confidence and awareness of what it means to be an Armstrong Creek School student, school modelling and upholding our school values of Care, Collaboration and Commitment.
All students in the school were given the opportunity to vote in their Learning Communities.
I am very pleased to announce that as a result of this election process, our 4 School Captains for 2018 (in no particular order) are;
- Tayla Rauber
- Jomel Carriedo
- Angus Tuohy
- Mackenzie Gardner
Well done to these young people on presenting yourselves so positively to our student and staff community. We look forward to working with you on developing our student leadership model and contributing to the growth and development of our school.
Central Boulevard Traffic Condition (update)
Last Friday I met with representatives from the City of Greater Geelong Council at the school and we discussed and observed traffic conditions as students left for the day. The council acknowledged that there was certainly enough traffic movement to warrant further action based on their 'informal' observations.
Council have said that they will now consult with VicRoads regarding what improved strategies and infrastructure can be implemented to improve the visibility of a Crossing and improve safety.
I will continue to update you as this progresses and in the meantime please continue to discuss with children road safety expectations and behaviours.
Hatching some exciting learning opportunities!
Our chickens have hatched! On Monday our Chicken Eggs arrived and to the joy and amazement of students, staff and many families, we were able to witness them hatch very early on and grow throughout the week.
We look forward to the many learning experiences that these chickens will present our students and eventually have them enter our 'Chook Mansion' and begin producing eggs of their own.
Please see below a time lapse video of our chickens hatching.
Morning and Afternoon School Routines
Having settled into the year a little now, I thought it was timely to remind/inform families of pick up and drop off expectations of the school.
From 8.45 students and families will be able to access Learning Communities in preparation for learning to commence at 9.00. Students where possible, are encouraged to unpack their bags then go outside to play until the music begins at 8.57. This is the time that students are to head back to class ready for learning.
Please ensure that if you need to speak to your child's classroom teacher that you keep this brief and if you require a more detailed conversation make alternative plans. Family members need to have left learning Communities by 9.00 unless prior arrangements have been made for some reason. Messages may also be given to the Office or sent via email and/or Compass.
If for any reason you are arriving after 9.00, we do expect that you will go to the Office and sign your child/ren in. This will support us in not only managing the closing of gates and doors, but ensure that learning time is not interrupted and safety is not compromised which is of highest importance.
The office will arrange for your child to be collected from the office and walked to their classroom.
In the afternoon the gates will open from 3.15 (to the best of our ability). Thank you for your support in remaining outside of Learning Communities and away from windows whilst staff wrap up the day.
If you do need to collect your child early, it is preferred that you inform the office and/or your child's home group teacher in advance. We understand that this is not always possible, but please be aware that if you arrive unannounced, it may take some time to locate your child's class and arrange for them to come to the office.
Please also be aware that if you need to collect your child early you will need to do this prior to 3.15. After this time is getting very busy in Learning Communities and the school in general.
Thank you again for your support in these matters and ensuring that every child's learning is maximised.
Parents & Friends Morning Tea
Janelle Levy, Our school Council President, has kindly organised a morning tea for parents and friends which will be held on Tuesday 6 March in the Community Hub. We warmly welcome you to come along as it is a great opportunity to meet and chat with other families in our school community. Please meet at the Community Hub at 9:10am after dropping your children to their Learning Communities.
Have a great weekend!
Evan Savage
Principal