Principal's Report

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Thanks to those families who were able to book, and attend, a parent-teacher conference at the beginning of this week. I hope you found this valuable. If you weren't able to attend these conferences due to illness, work commitments, etc, I would encourage you to contact your child's teacher and find a mutually convenient time to meet.

School Review

The second part of our School Review starts on Monday, 5th August. Schools undertake a school review every 4 years to inform the directions of the school’s 4-year School Strategic Plan (SSP).

There are 2 components of a school review:

1. the pre-review self-evaluation (PRSE) where schools review their data and other evidence to form a collective view of current practice and areas for improvement. 
2. a review facilitated by an independent school reviewer with a panel comprising of the principal, school council president, senior education improvement leader, and challenge partners. The panel considers the PRSE and undertakes additional fieldwork activities such as classroom observations, focus groups and interviews. The review concludes with a report proposing draft goals, targets and key improvement strategies for the school’s next SSP.

The school reviewer also completes an assessment of the school’s compliance with the Curriculum and Student Learning Minimum Standard.

A parent forum will be held as part of the review on Tuesday, 6th August at 2.30pm. It will run for 30 minutes. I will circulate more details closer the the date, but please consider coming along and sharing your experiences at SGPS.

NAPLAN Results

The delivery of NAPLAN reporting packages to schools began last week. We received our package on Tuesday last week and they were sent home with your child the next day. Included in the envelope was a printed Individual Student Report (ISR) for each student who participated in NAPLAN in 2024. NAPLAN tests are only one aspect of each school’s assessment and reporting process. As they are held once every 2 years for each student, they cannot replace the extensive, ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance. Your child’s teacher will have the best insight into your child’s educational progress. Along with other school assessment reports, NAPLAN individual student reports can be used to discuss your child’s progress with their teacher. 

Our school received excellent NAPLAN results. I will share a summary with the school community once these have been shared and discussed with School Council.

Parent, Caregiver and Guardian Opinion Survey

The Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education that is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour, and student engagement. The survey is optional but we encourage all families to participate. Our school will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies. 

A random sample of approximately 30 per cent of parents / caregivers / guardians has been selected to participate in this year’s survey. 

The survey will be open from Monday 29 July to Friday 30 August 2024. The families that were randomly selected will receive an email on Monday with instructions on how to complete the survey.

The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time within the survey period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online survey will be available in English and 10 other languages including Arabic, Greek, Hakha Chin, Hindi, Japanese, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Turkish, and Vietnamese. Please speak to your child’s teacher if you would like more information.

A huge congratulations to Miles for receiving a Junior Triple Zero Hero Award! The Junior Triple Zero Hero Award recognises young people for their clear thinking and composure in emergency situations when speaking with 000 call takers. Miles was nominated by his Triple Zero Call Taker, noting how well Miles was during the whole process. Miles, you are a real hero!

Prep Enrolments 2025

If you have a child who will be attending Spring Gully Primary School in Prep next year, you are most welcome to enrol now. 

Prep enrolments for 2025 close tomorrow - Friday, 26th July. Parents will be notified of the outcome of their application within a week of the closing date.

School Crossing

The school crossing is supervised from 8.00am-8.50am and 3.00pm-3.40pm by our friendly crossing supervisor, Sam. Please make sure your children always use the crossing when they are crossing Spring Gully Road during these times. We regularly observe dangerous situations and want to ensure all of our children are safe.