Dear Families,

Can you believe next week is March?

The rhythm of Albanvale is in full swing as we get ready for our first Achievement Week, as well as NAPLAN. Make sure you check the Important Dates coming up. We know lives are really busy but it is really, dare I say, important that you keep on top of the upcoming dates at school. Of particular note the Labour Day Public Holiday is coming up on Monday 9 March, and the last day of Term 1 is Wednesday 1 April, with Thursday 2 April a Curriculum Day. If you need to use Our Patch's services as our Out of Hours School Care provider, please make sure you register in advance.

NAPLAN is scheduled to take place in schools across Australia for the fortnight after the Labour Day public holiday (between Tuesday 10 March and Friday 20 March). For Albanvale PS it coincides with our Achievement Week. For those new to the school, Achievement Week is a milestone at our school each term, marking the end of one learning cycle and the start of the next. Our students undertake assessments with their teachers and reflect on their progress towards their learning goals. We encourage students and their families to celebrate the progress made before looking ahead at the new reading, writing and maths goals which will be shared at the upcoming Parent Teacher Conferences.

As I mentioned, our Grade 3 and Grade 5 students are about to undertake their NAPLAN assessments. The National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) takes place every year for Grade 3, 5, 7 and 9 students. NAPLAN itself is four assessments, each focusing on a different part of their learning. Although it is a singular snapshot in time, it does provide our school with an idea of how our systems and structures are working to meet the needs of our students. If you have a child sitting NAPLAN over the next few weeks, please support them by encouraging them to switch off when they get home, and to understand that applying their best effort is already an achievement.

School Photos

School photos will be taken on Wednesday, 25 March. All orders for school photos must be done through the Compass App. Instructions on how to do this are included in this newsletter, but if you need assistance, or a reminder of your username/password, please visit the office.

This is a great time to remind everyone of the importance of wearing our full school uniform every day. As a school, we take pride in our connection as a community, and one of the ways we do this is through our school uniform. We appreciate the effort made by students and families to ensure we are showing that respect for our school.

Please also be aware that jeans, cargo pants, hoodies or leggings are not permitted and only tights are accepted under dresses. Your continued support is much appreciated.

Grade 5/6 School Camp

Term 2 can't come quickly enough for our Grade 5/6 students, with Camp scheduled for the first week back. Families can mark the attendance of their students on Compass, as well as organise payment. The office has sent out messages to any families that have left over School Savings Bonus which can be used to pay for camp. If you're unsure, please give them a call - they'll be more than happy to help.

School Council Nominations and Election

This year, we are still open to parent nominations to join our School Council. All government schools in Victoria have a school council. School councils are legal entities that are given powers to set the broad directions of a school in accordance with Ministerial Order 1280 Constitution of Government School Councils and the Education and Training Reform Act 2006. In doing this, a school council is able to directly influence the quality of education that the school provides for its students.

If you are interested, please contact the office for further information and pick up a nomination form.

Achieve Excellence, Together.

Michael Uzunovski

Principal

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