Principal's Report

Dear Skye Families,

As we wrap up another big term, I want to extend my thanks to all the families who attended the parent-teacher interviews on Monday. We experienced a record high percentage of bookings, which illustrates the committment, involvement and support of our current community.

Whether you are planning some time away or hunkering down at home, I hope you all enjoy a well-deserved rest over the school holiday break and get to spend some quality family time together.

Professional Learning Communities

This term marks the conclusion of a successful Professional Learning Communities (PLC) Inquiry Cycle. For those unfamiliar, PLCs are a powerful approach to school improvement where groups of teachers collaborate to enhance student outcomes. The core idea is simple yet effective: students learn more when their teachers work together.

Building a PLC helps schools increase student learning by creating a culture that is:

• Focused on continuous improvement by linking the learning needs of students with the professional learning and practice of teachers.
• Committed to professionalism.
• Fuelled by collaborative expertise.

Through our PLCs, we have focused on using diagnostic assessments to understand students' thinking and grasp of the big ideas in Mathematics. The Assessments for Common Misunderstandings have allowed us to identify conceptual gaps and address specific learning needs effectively. We look forward to taking the learnings captured from this cycle into next term and continuing to meet every student at their point of need.

Explicit Phonics

You might have noticed the recent media spotlight on the introduction of mandated explicit phonics in the early years of schooling across the state. At Skye Primary School, we have embraced the Science of Reading for some time now to guide our teaching and learning approaches. Our systematic, explicit synthetic phonics program, Little Learners Love Literacy, runs from Foundation to Year 2. This structured approach ensures every student, especially those at risk of literacy difficulties, receives the high-quality instruction they need. By focusing on explicit, systematic, and cumulative instruction, we prepare our students to engage confidently and competently with complex texts.

Student Excellence Awards

A big congratulations to the students who received Excellence Awards at our last assembly: 

• Grace G (1B)
• Mason B (2C)
• Marley P (2D)
• Scarlett V (3B)
• Charlie V (5A)
• Levi W (5A)
• Jayla T (6B)

Silver Awards

Well done to the following students who have achieved 'Silver' status for demonstrating our SWPBS expected behaviours:

• Keeley B-G (5B)
• Jaime S (5B)
• Amelia R (5A)
• Kai B (Prep E)

Mobile Phone and Wearables Policy Update

We have recently updated our school's Mobile Phones and Wearables Policy, endorsed by the School Council at the last meeting. The update includes specific references to wearables with telecommunication and camera capabilities, such as Spacetalk and VTech watches, even those with 'School Mode' options. If you have any questions or would like to discuss this in more detail, please contact the school via email or schedule a time to chat with me through the front office.

2025 Enrolments

A friendly reminder that Foundation 2025 enrolment applications close on 28th July. For more information, please visit our website or pick up a hard copy of the enrolment forms at the school office. We encourage you to share this information with friends and family who are considering joining our wonderful community.

Thank you for another fantastic term. Have a safe and relaxing holiday break, and we look forward to seeing everyone refreshed and ready for Term 3.

Take care, 

Tim