A message from the Principal

It is hard to believe that today is only our 7th day of the school year! We have managed to fit so much into this time that it feels like we have been back for weeks already and routines and relationships in the school are feeling established and positive. It feels like we have a really solid foundation for a successful year.

The length of this newsletter is proof of all of the amazing things that have taken place or are coming up over the next few weeks and of the hard work and commitment of our incredible students, staff and school community.

With our start of year CAPSE (Creating a Positive School Environment) program coming to and end and more regular class routines and lessons getting underway, it feels like a great time to share some of the ways you can support your child's learning during 2024 and set them up for success.

Home Learning

Our school home learning policy can be found on our website and sets out the expectations for our students when it comes to homework.

Research shows that the most important thing that primary school students can do outside of school is to regularly read. 

Our policy sets out that students in Foundation to Year 2 need to read for 10-20 minutes every night and your child's teacher will soon start sending home appropriate books each night. We ask that you read with your child every night and take the time to discuss the books, asking them questions to help develop their comprehension.

In Years 3-6 students are expected to read for at least 20-30 minutes each night - generally of a longer book they have chosen. At this age children generally start to shift from 'learning to read' to 'reading to learn (or entertain themselves)' and so develop their own interests and passions in literature.

Beyond reading, last year we also added weekly spelling words to our home learning expectations. Starting next week, children in years 1-6 will bring home their weekly SMART Spelling words and we expect them to spend 10-15 minutes on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evening learning to spell these words. On a Friday they will be tested in class to assess how many words they have learnt. Later in the newsletter, Jac Morphy, our Leading Teacher explains the SMART Spelling program in greater detail and provides some ways that you can help your child to learn their words at home.

Students across the school also have access to Mathletics, an online program that allows teachers to set tasks that will support students to develop their mathematical understanding and fluency. In the coming weeks, students will be provided with their own username and password and we ask them to logon a couple of times each week to access the fun, interactive activities and games that will build their confidence and abilities in Maths.

As your child moves through the school, you will find that they are also regularly set home learning projects linked to their inquiry learning in class. These tasks will be designed by their class teachers and ask children to further research and explore an aspect of their classroom learning they have found interesting. These projects will encourage children to go away, deepen their learning and understanding and then bring this back to share with their peers, often in creative ways. 

Communication of learning

Beyond the home learning expectations outlined above, we also encourage families to engage with Seesaw to share, understand and celebrate the learning that is taking place in class. 

Last week in the newsletter Matt shared details about Seesaw and this week you should have received a notice home with your individual details to access this platform.

By the end of the week you will find your child's 'Class Agreement' uploaded to Seesaw - a shared document that the class have worked on that sets out the ways they will work positively together this year to ensure success. 

Next week, teachers will add the first 'Curriculum Update' of the year to Seesaw. These are twice-termly communications that share with you the learning that will be taking place over the next few weeks in class. We encourage you to use this information to support your child with the work that is coming up.

Throughout the year teachers will also regularly upload samples of your child's learning to Seesaw. These photos, videos and audio files are designed to document and celebrate the work they are doing and the progress they are making in class, allowing you a detailed insight and commentary on this. We ask that you look at these with your child, ask them to talk about what they have done and to reinforce and celebrate their hard work and learning. 

Finally, a new addition to Seesaw this year is the ability for families to comment on the learning uploaded. We encourage you to do this and to keep comments short and positive for maximum impact. Please note that Seesaw is not the place to ask questions or raise concerns as teachers will not respond directly on this platform. If there is something that you do wish to ask or question, please email them directly or speak to them at the end of each day in the yard.

Getting involved at school

Finally, a less obvious way to support your child's learning and confidence at school is to get as involved at school as your time allows. 

Children love having their parents or carers involved at school and this sends a strong message to them about the importance of their schooling. 

Over the next two weeks we are running year level information nights and parent teacher interviews and we strongly encourage you to attend and start the year off by building a strong partnership with your child's teacher. 

Beyond this, the newsletter contains many ways, large and small, that you can involve yourself in school life - from volunteering at the fete, to joining our Parents' Association, attending sub-committee meetings or nominating for School Council. 

One of the reasons that our school is so great is the commitment of our whole community to helping us to be our best and always improve. We encourage you to be a part of this important work.

Neil Scott

Principal