Message from the Principal 

Hi Greenhills and welcome back to school for the start of Term 3!

Along with our focus and commitment to high levels of academic achievement, student agency, and wellbeing, we have a jam-packed calendar of events and activities this term. During busy terms like this, it is vital to stay informed by reading the newsletter, watching Two Minute Tuesdays and logging into Compass regularly. It is also a great idea to keep a family calendar with all the important things listed on it. Why not encourage your child to do this as well? They could even use the calendar function on an iPad or another form of technology. Of course, our Year 5 & 6 students are supported to develop organisational skills like this through the use of their school diaries.

When you walk through our Admin building and other areas of the school, it really feels like an art gallery. There is always an amazing, colourful, and captivating selection of student artwork on display. I encourage you to walk through if you get the chance and enjoy these student masterpieces.

HILAT’S PURSUING GOALS

At Greenhills, we are committed to developing learners who are confident, resilient, and motivated to achieve their personal best. Our next HILAT (High Impact Learner Agency Trait) focus is Pursuing Goals.

Goal setting helps students develop a sense of purpose, ownership, and perseverance in their learning. By setting realistic goals, working towards them, and reflecting on their progress, students learn that growth comes through effort, determination and embracing challenges along the way.

Over the coming term, students will participate in classroom activities and discussions that encourage them to set meaningful goals, celebrate their achievements, and identify the next steps in their learning journey.

We encourage families to continue these conversations at home by asking your child about a goal they are currently working towards and celebrating the progress they make along the way. Together, we can help our students develop the confidence and resilience to pursue their goals both in and beyond the classroom.

You can also read more about this specific HILAT in the newsletter next week.

SCHOOL UNIFORM UPDATE

We love that we have a G.R.E.A.T. school uniform and our community understand the importance of wearing this with pride and in line with our school policy. Last year this policy was updated to include students being able to wear plain black leggings. This is in response to feedback from parents. Please note that the black leggings must be plain and free from branding, logos and other coloured lines or marking.

We also noticed that with this change to our policy, students have also been wearing black tracksuit pants and black shorts. I will seek some advice through our School Council to see if these options might also be added to our uniform policy and then communicate this decision to all families.

I also take this opportunity to highlight that our uniform policy also includes the following:

• Hair accessories such as headbands, hair clips and ribbons are to be bottle green, gold/yellow, black or white where possible. Hair accessories should be for practical purposes so that hair does not get in the way of a child's eyes during class or sports times to maximise learning. 

• Make-up is not to be worn at school (students found to be wearing make-up will be required to remove it while at school).

• Earrings are to be either studs or small sleepers while at school. Students wearing large, long or dangly earrings which may be a safety issue will be required to remove them at school and place them in their school bag. 

LOTS OF EXCURSIONS & EVENTS – COMPASS PERMISSIONS

This is a reminder that we need your support in finalising permissions and payments to any events, excursions or activities by the due date listed on Compass. This is generally a week prior to excursions and a month before for swimming and camps.

Excursions and incursions certainly offer our students rich and engaging learning opportunities, but they are also a significant load for our staff to organise and run. 

Our teachers and office staff will usually remind families if they have not provided consent by the due date and open up the event for payment and consent to be made. This must then be completed no later than 48 hours before the event. 

This process will be strictly enforced. We will be unable to make telephone calls home on the morning of an event to follow up any missing permissions. If you are having trouble accessing Compass, need a hard copy of a permission form or require support to make a payment please let the office team know. We do not want any students to miss these opportunities and will do everything to support you prior to the day to ensure that everything is organized as it should be. 

Making sure you have completed the permissions via COMPASS by the due date allows time for staff to make final checks on numbers and print out all the required paperwork and handbooks. These include the emergency contact details of those that attend so that in the case of an emergency we can ensure we have everything we need. These handbooks are printed and distributed to all staff attending and a copy is also left at the school office. Our staff need to complete this on the day before the event to minimise all the other requirements needed to do on the day itself.

GETTING TO SCHOOL ON TIME!

This is a reminder that we need our students at school by 8.55am each day. 

As our Prin Team walk around our school each morning, we continue to notice the very settled and structured processes we have implemented to ensure our students are “set up for success” each day. This includes our 8.55am bell time which is designed to provide students the opportunity to enter their classroom, say hello to their teachers and get organised for the day of learning which starts at 9am sharp with our 15-minute focus on Student Agency.

However, we also still see some students arriving after 8.55am. You would be amazed at the effect even a few minutes late each day can have over a longer time frame. So, with this in mind we are encouraging everyone to be at school by 8.55am ready to go! 

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

My “Question Prompt for This Week” focuses on our Term Three “Pursuing Goals” HILAT.

What is one goal you are working towards at school this term, and why is it important to you?

Looking forward to a G.R.E.A.T. term ahead.

James Penson,

Principal.