Principal's Message 

The last 3 weeks have flown by, and somehow, we only have just over 3 weeks left of Term 1! Over the next couple of weeks, we have a fair bit going on with NAPLAN testing for students in Years 3 and 5, and Harmony week taking place during our last week of term. This will conclude with a community lunch on Thursday 28 March, and families are welcome to come and have lunch on the oval with their children. This will take place from 12:45 to 1:25pm, and at the end of this, you can either sign your child out early, or they can return to class for the rest of the day.

NAPLAN Testing – Years 3 and 5

Every year, students in Years 3 and 5 complete NAPLAN testing across the country. This testing provides information about where students are against national standards and provides schools with information on what curriculum areas need to be focused on. This testing will take place between Wednesday 13 March and Monday 25 March and classroom teachers will let you know when your child will sit these tests. Whilst these assessments provide some good information, I encourage families to take the approach that they are a snapshot of a point in time and may not reflect everything that your child is truly capable of. When results come back, usually late August or early September, please organise a time with your child’s classroom teacher if you have any concerns, and they will be able to show you the work and assessment completed in class and address any questions that you may have.

Student Update Forms

Next week, a student update form will be making it’s way home with students. Please can you review all of the information on this and let us know of any changes. This is an important part of ensuring that we can maintain accurate contact information and any changes to healthcare requirements. If you have any questions about this, please contact the front office.

Connect and Respect

In 2023, the Minister for Education released several resources that outline the expectations that families should have of schools regarding Communication and Engagement. These resources provide a framework for both staff and families around what is appropriate and how we can work together to provide the best outcomes for students. A copy of these documents are below for reference, and can also be found at https://www.education.wa.edu.au/connect-and-respect

Should you have any questions around this, please feel free to contact me.

Movement around the school / carpark

Over the last couple of weeks, we have also had a few near misses with cars entering and leaving the carpark before and after school, and people riding bikes and scooters within the school grounds where students have nearly been hit. As such, from next week, we will be returning to closing the car park gate at 8:20 in the morning, and again at 2:30 in the afternoon. We will also be asking students and families to push scooters and bikes within the school grounds to ensure everyone’s safety.

In closing, I’d also like to invite any families that would be interested to attend a short afternoon tea on Wednesday 20th March between 2:15 and 2:55pm in the staff room.  This will be for the sole purpose of getting a chance to talk to families about the school and where we are heading, as well as getting to know as many people as possible before the end of term!

Next week, a form will be sent out for families to RSVP if they would like to attend.

Mr Tom Bagnall

Principal