Principal's Piece 

Term 1, Week 6

Dear Parents and Carers,

Over the past 18 months our teachers have been involved in Professional Development around the Science of Learning. The learning has been a mixture of content and practice and this week our teachers have been involved in the practice of delivering Literacy Daily Reviews with the support of our external consultant. The research behind the Science of Learning highlights the importance of explicit instruction, repetition and retrieval practices in strengthening memory retention.  The explicit instruction involves breaking down what students need to learn and modelling each step,  which allows students to understand and process new information more effectively. The daily reviews are an explicit high impact teaching strategy that provide students the opportunity to revise and retrieve what they have been taught. Here are some photos of our teachers and students at work! 

NAPLAN - Next week we have NAPLAN for our Year 3 and Year 5 students. 

• Wednesday 13th - Writing 
• Thursday 14th - Reading & Language conventions
• Friday 15th - Numeracy 

NAPLAN tests assess student knowledge and skills in Writing, Reading, Language Conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy. 

NAPLAN tests are only one aspect of our assessment process; they do not replace the extensive ongoing assessments made by our teachers about each student’s performance. They also provide our school with information about how our education programs are working and what areas need to be improved. You can support your child prepare for NAPLAN  by reassuring them that NAPLAN is just one part of their school program, and by reminding them on the day to simply try their best. Please ensure your child arrives at school on time and has had a healthy breakfast and a good night's sleep. 

New building: Next week our building works will commence for our new toilet facility and  amenities for our students.  It is hoped that it will be complete and ready for use by the end of Term 2. 

URSTRONG is a whole-school friendship approach that has been implemented within our school. The program teaches our students friendship skills through the explicit lessons within the program. It provides students with the necessary skills and language to develop healthy friendships.  Parents are invited to attend an online workshop to learn more about URSTRONG on Tuesday 19 March at 6:30pm. This is a great opportunity for you and your child/ren to learn the language and strategies to support your child/ren in developing healthy and positive friendships.  

Registration Required: CLICK HERE TO REGISTER  You will receive an email immediately after registering with the zoom details. 

Don't forget to wear something purple on Fridays with your gold coin donation for our Project Compassion Box. 

School Calendar: Please check the School Community Calendar Page for important upcoming events, term dates & school closure days. 

Enjoy the long weekend and the great weather promised for the coming days.  

Cinzia Mancuso

Acting  Principal